Stop Piling on Yahoo!

I have been a big fan of Yahoo! for many years, as both a user, investor, and ex-employee. And, if anyone has a reason to revel in Yahoo!’s recent troubles, it’s me (trust me on this). But, I find myself sickened by the jokes, pranks, and cynicism directed at Yahoo! in the blogs lately. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good laugh as much as anyone and some of the jokes are pretty darn funny. However, it’s the pervading theme of cynicism and  enjoying the difficulties of others, that bothers me.

I moved to Silicon Valley in 1989 because it was the place to go if you wanted to make Really Amazing Things that would Make the World Better. And, Yahoo! exemplified this by leading the way into the Internet Revolution. They taught us a lot. We all benefited from their successes and their failures. They built Really Amazing Things and rose to the top. They showed us the way. And, anyone who has been in Silicon Valley (or any business for that matter) knows that staying at the top is very, very hard.

So, I just don’t find it funny or satisfying in any way that this once great company is having hard times. And, I feel sadness for those who do get enjoyment out of the failure of others.