A couple of days ago we heard that Yahoo plans to axe around 600 jobs, and now it seems that Yahoo will also be shutting down a range of its services, which include the popular social bookmarking site del.icio.us.
A screenshot has been leaked from a former Yahoo employee which shows that Yahoo intends to close AltaVista, delicious, MyBlogLog, Yahoo Buzz and a few of the company’s other services.
Yahoo has issued a statement after the details were leaked, in response to users of the many services who are less than happy with the possibility of them being shut down.
“We continuously evaluate and prioritize our portfolio of products and services, and do plan to shut down some products in the coming months such as Yahoo Buzz, our Traffic APIs, and others. We will communicate specific plans when appropriate”
The Impact on Users
The news of these shutdowns has caused significant concern among users who have relied on these services for years. Delicious, for example, has been a go-to platform for social bookmarking, allowing users to save, manage, and share web bookmarks. The potential loss of such a service means that users will need to find alternative platforms to manage their bookmarks, which could be a cumbersome process. Similarly, AltaVista, once a pioneer in search engine technology before being overshadowed by Google, still had a niche user base that will now need to transition to other search engines.
Yahoo Buzz, another service on the chopping block, was designed to aggregate news stories and allow users to vote on their favorites, similar to Digg. Although it never gained the same level of popularity, it had its loyal users who will now have to migrate to other news aggregation services. MyBlogLog, a social network for bloggers, allowed users to connect with others in the blogging community, share content, and track visitors to their blogs. Its shutdown will leave a gap for bloggers who used it to build their networks and analyze their blog traffic.
Yahoo’s Strategic Shift
Yahoo’s decision to shut down these services is part of a broader strategy to streamline its operations and focus on its core businesses. Over the years, Yahoo has struggled to maintain its position in the highly competitive tech industry, facing stiff competition from giants like Google and Facebook. By cutting down on underperforming or less critical services, Yahoo aims to reallocate resources to areas where it can be more competitive and innovative.
This move also reflects the changing landscape of the internet and user preferences. Many of the services Yahoo is shutting down were once revolutionary but have since been surpassed by more modern and efficient alternatives. For instance, social bookmarking has largely been integrated into web browsers and other platforms, reducing the need for standalone services like Delicious. Similarly, the rise of social media platforms has changed how users consume and share news, diminishing the relevance of services like Yahoo Buzz.
While the shutdowns are undoubtedly disappointing for the users of these services, they also present an opportunity for Yahoo to reinvent itself and focus on areas with greater growth potential. The company has hinted at investing more in mobile and content-driven services, which are currently booming sectors in the tech industry.
In conclusion, Yahoo’s decision to axe around 600 jobs and shut down several of its services marks a significant shift in its business strategy. While it may cause inconvenience to users in the short term, it is a necessary step for the company to remain competitive and relevant in the ever-evolving tech landscape. Users affected by these shutdowns will need to explore alternative platforms, but they can also look forward to potentially more innovative and focused offerings from Yahoo in the future.
KerryOnWorld via TFTS
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