Mixed Signals
Any sufficiently advanced information is indistinguishable from noise
Tuesday 5 February 2008, 11:51 AM
Microsoft Yahoo's biggest problem - what to call it?
Microhoo? Yasoft? Macrahoo! ?
And there's been much blethering this weekend about Yahoo and Microsoft, some of which would have been more accurate had the producers just slit a goat and squinted at its entrails.
Tough on the goat, though. We have better ways, in this modern world, to find the truth through mysticism.
Let's ask the Internet Anagram Server:
A choir softly moo
A comfy shoo riot
Is yo' factor homo?
Riot of macho soy
Too roomy, if cash
Cash from I to Yoo
Or shoot icy foam
Oh, micro oaf toys
Chamois roof toy
But my favourite (so far) is
Oh my! Root fiasco!
PreviousComments on this post
They surely have to keep it as "Yahoo!" so that yahoo.co.uk, yahoo.com etc email addresses stay valid. If my email address changes over this then it's "Hello gmail!" time.
Don't forget, it's obligatory under common Yahoo! law to include the exclamation mark at every opportunity.
Might Redmond soon be renamed "Microsoft!" ?
Now we know just how futuristic John Foxx was when he started Ultravox! (and yes! I know they stole it from Neu!).
If you imagine Foxx singing that list of anagrams above, it's not that different from some of his solo efforts. And Microsoft scans well into Underpass.
(non obscurantist electroheads are advised to ignore the above.)
Interesting names, imagine 'Yasoft!'
I don't think there will be any combination of the two names though; this is a takeover not a merger, if anything, the Yahoo! name will disappear.
Although i think its in their best interest to keep the Yahoo! brand, otherwise they'd loose alot of visitors.
Whatever happens, neither the Microsoft or Yahoo! brands will be going anywhere. Although if they do, my vote is indeed with the mildly abusive Yasoft!
On a related note, wouldn't it be funny if - in line with the Yahoo! marketing department's obsessive defence of its exclamation mark - everyone started to pronounce the damn thing. Y'know, like with the band !!!... Yahoo-chk. Pass it on.
Rupert Goodwins:-
Storied Grownup
Groped Our Twins (!)
I'm now working through my family's names. Oh the birthday cards they'll get.
Going on Microsoft's previous track record on compromise, I'd say the joint group is likely to be called Microsoft.
