Way back in the early 1970s when I was a college student, I remember seeing a one-panel comic in the newspaper. A Martian explorer was reporting back to his commander, "They worship Beatles and want them to get back together."That accurately reflected the times. Hardly a week passed when you didn't see some story about rumors of a Beatles reunion. The media ate this stuff up. Every interview with one of the Fab Four contained the inevitable question, "When will you get back together?"
Those questions ended when John Lennon was gunned down on Dec. 8, 1980, but it seems that today there is a new will-they-get-together fanaticism among the media: Microsoft and Yahoo.
Just as in the 1970s with The Beatles, the media can't seem to let go of any half-baked rumor regarding the possible takeover of Yahoo by Microsoft. Jerry Yang was seen golfing with Steve Ballmer... This insider told that insider... I think it's true, so it must be true...
It's like a Soap Opera without the sex. The tech websites are full of this meaningless chatter. Every new little rumor spawns innumerable stories and blogs and Twitters. And then, a few days later, some official at one of the companies dismisses the entire thing, which spawns even more stories, blogs and Twitters.
The tale they all tell is pretty much the same: Microsoft must buy Yahoo or Google will take over websearch permanently and for all time. Microsoft must be crazy to not buy Yahoo. Yahoo must be insane for not giving in to Microsoft.
And what if it all comes true? What if Microsoft swallows up Yahoo? Well then the media will really have a field day: Microsoft is insane for wasting all that money on Yahoo. Yahoo made a huge mistake to give in so easily to Microsoft.
In either case, Google's laughing all the way to the bank.
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