Thanks to its Facebook lawsuit this week, Yahoo is very much hated by the technology industry right now. The Yahoo story might soon become even sadder. A rumor earlier this month suggested the company is planning massive layoffs, and now a new rumor suggests Yahoo Research is going to take a big hit. Both Facebook and Google are reportedly very interested in the academics, researchers, and engineers that work for this special Yahoo division.
With the stated goal of “Inventing the Future of the Internet,” here’s how the department describes itself:
Yahoo! Research is the central advanced research organization of Yahoo! Inc., a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. We’re responsible for big inventions– our goals are nothing short of inventing the future of the Internet and creating the next generation of Business for Yahoo!Yahoo is firing at least the New York team of researchers by the end of the month and possibly the entire division, according to a source cited by PandoDaily. Facebook and Google are making a big effort to hire them. In fact, Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly personally wooing them, likely with long walks in the woods.
If Zuckerberg himself is making the extra effort to hire these individuals, or so the rumor goes, maybe Yahoo should think twice about its desire to fire them. After all, Zuckerberg already has enough on his mind, like taking his company public in some two months. One has to wonder; why does is Yahoo trying to commit suicide?
