Slashdot/ Sven Lathams reports today that Yahoo! is set to launch into blogging based on the blog service it appears to be running in Korea (but no one is sure as its in Korean except the logo: Yahoo Korea Blog) ignores the recent history of Yahoo! and its hunger for acquisitions when it misses the boat on major new trends on the internet (which it usually does).
Sources inside Yahoo! have told the Blog Herald that the company is already in talks with a number of Blogging firms, looking for the right acquisition vehicle to integrate into the Yahoo! stable of sites. Yahoo! is also concerned with the widening scope of the Google stable the recent purchase of Pyra Labs by Google Inc.
Although Yahoo! did not respond to our request to confirm the rumours, the Blog Herald believes that it is not a matter of if Yahoo! will purchase a blogging firm, but when, which one and at what price.
Names such as Xanga and TypePad are possibilities, with Six Aparts new TypePad service, although in early days, seeking widespread critical acclaim and increasing market share at the cost of its competitors strongly. Live Journal, although “Open Source” could also provide opportunities for Yahoo! with a very large user database.
An outside possibility is the purchase of 3rd party software, such as Radio or MT to run a service under the Yahoo! Geocities banner, although we think this unlikely at this stage.
For those sceptical about this proposition, or the information received, consider the following: E-Groups, Broadcast.com, Geocities, Altavista, Overture… all gobbled up by Yahoo! to plug holes in their line up as others have set the trend.
