Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic • Hacker News Board

Re: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic

#101

Post by henryfjordan » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:19 PM UTC

shadowmore wrote: post #17

JBReefer wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn’t that majority opinion in America? I only see opposition to free speech in niche communities.

The majority of consumers, yes. Not majority of companies. Whether tech giants or smaller businesses, they all do advertisers' bidding, and the advertisers themselves have the insipid idea in their heads that having their ads show up alongside non-PC content is going to somehow associate their brand with that exact content, as if it's an endorsement.

With the way Youtube, Twitch, and other large platforms share revenue with the content creators, the idea that an ad showing in front of content "associates" their brand with that video doesn't even go far enough. Those brands DO endorse that content directly with their money.

There was an issue on YT where a video from ISIS containing a beheading was monetized. Advertisers were directly funding terrorism in that case (until YT interceded). The same happens all the time with other anti-humanitarian videos all the time.

I agree that there has been some over-reaction, but let's not pretend it's not a problem.

Re: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic

#102

Post by yeaaaaaaah » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:19 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #86

xwdv wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So basically an exercise in blowing several million dollars.

It's funny the stuff HN fixates on. If all you read is this comment thread, you might actually believe that non-porn Tumblr really is just "an exercise in blowing several million dollars", rather than a concern for a very loud, probably rather small subset of Tumblr users (or rather: former users). What seems at least as likely as "adult content is vital to the future of Tumblr" is that adult content has much more va…

Well sharing adult content was the only thing I used Tumblr for so the adult content ban was why I left.

Re: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic

#103

Post by ryanisnan » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:20 PM UTC

PopeDotNinja wrote: post #62

skilled wrote: post #4

Surprised by this news. Tumblr has lost a ton of momentum since its policy change, and the site itself doesn't have a very strong "brand" audience attached to it. Fun fact: I can't recall the last time I either opened a Tumblr link or saw one in the wild. But maybe that's just me.

Every time I go to visit Tumblr, it asks me to log in. If I can't lurk on a content site, I'm moving on.

Exactly this. I'm surprised they can even operate on such a policy.

Re: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic

#104

Post by dageshi » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:22 PM UTC

xxpor wrote: post #74

arkitaip wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you think that hosting porn for random people will make Automattic money?

Because it drives multiples of traffic?

Which is mostly unmonetisable by anyone other than advertising more porn. So it's not worth that much?

Re: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic

#105

Post by webwanderings » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:23 PM UTC

photomatt wrote: post #11

I'm super excited to have the Tumblr team and product join the Automattic family. We've been evolving Automattic to be more of a Berkshire Hathaway-inspired model and businesses with a lot of autonomy, and this continues that trend. I was very impressed with the engagement and activity Tumblr has continued to have, and I hope that with this new ownership and investment the product will blossom.

More advertisement real estate space. Not that Wordpress.com was already not littered enough!

The heydays of "blogging" was/is all BS.

Re: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic

#106

Post by ceejayoz » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:23 PM UTC

delhanty wrote: post #97

ceejayoz wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is that anti-competitive behavior? That looks like a textbook definition of competitive behavior.

I'm not advocating either way - just curious to hear Matt's take on it.

I'd imagine it'll be something along the lines of "of course we market to potential customers".

Re: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic

#107

Post by basch » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:23 PM UTC

nugget wrote: post #58

sct202 wrote: post #35

With Verizon selling off chunks of Yahoo like Flickr and Tumblr, what did they even want from Yahoo?

In theory, the Yahoo acquisition held a lot of potential for Verizon. In reality, Verizon operationally mismanaged many parts of the business and destroyed most of the value. Tumblr is one visible example of that. It's unfortunate but not uncommon. Once the deal closes, internal politics rather than common sense and innovation rules and a small handful of bad leaders or a small set of perverse incentives can sink the…

Yahoo still has some strong brand recognition in some sectors, and COULD make a massive comeback if Verizon made the right moves.

Yahoo Finance, Yahoo News, Yahoo Fantasy, Yahoo Email/Messenger.

Verizon should release a WhatsApp, FBMessenger, iMessage competitor and let you pick if you want it to be Verizon, Yahoo, or AIM themed. Nostalgia is all the rage. Being able to use AIM (like facebook chat at the bottom of a page) while I browse Yahoo News and Yahoo Finance, and Yahoo Fantasy....

Re: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic

#108

Post by ethbro » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:23 PM UTC

zymhan wrote: post #85

ethbro wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate the perspective, but let's be honest. What you're essentially saying is 'Adult content is hard because the US government is willing to lean on payment providers to enforce quasi-legal, anti-free speech policies.' Have you considered adopting a federated corporate structure that would legally firewall off a "tumblr-for-porn"? Most of the goodwill bonfire seems to have been caused not by Tumblr treating ad…

> Have you considered adopting a federated corporate structure that would legally firewall off a "tumblr-for-porn"? That is literally the convoluted situation photomatt was trying to avoid. I also think that the suggestion is hilariously naive. Presumably the founder/head of the company has considered a variety of incorporation structures.

> Presumably the founder/head of the company has considered a variety of incorporation structures

One would think, but apparently neither Yahoo nor Verizon made any effort in that direction.

To the tune of putting approx $1 billion through the corporate paper shredder.

Given that track record of handling, and an ostensibly similar approach, I thought it was a valid question.

Re: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic

#109

Post by elliekelly » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:24 PM UTC

photomatt wrote: post #57

knd775 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious why you would choose to maintain Verizon's policy changes that alienated the majority of the user-base.

Adult content is not our forte either, and it creates a huge number of potential issues with app stores, payment providers, trust and safety... it's a problem area best suited for companies fully dedicated to creating a great experience there. I personally have very liberal views on these things, but supporting adult content as a business is very different.

> it creates a huge number of potential issues with app stores, payment providers, trust and safety...

I completely understand that “Adult Content” can cause a ton of headaches for a business but Tumblr’s current definition of “Adult Content” is very broad and I hope when the transaction is complete you’ll at least be open to reviewing the scope of the definition. Right now it includes many things that aren’t adult at all, like “female presenting nipples” which could be seen by children on many beaches in Europe and even on the streets of Boston and New York City. It also includes illustrations of genitalia or sex acts which can be found in biology textbooks and many magazines like Cosmo. The instruction leaflet that comes in a box of tampons wouldn’t currently be permitted on Tumblr. That doesn’t seem right to me nor does it seem like that sort of content would pose any risk to Tumblr’s operations.

I understand where you’re coming from with the adult content but I do also hope you’ll consider liberating the definition a bit. I actually think Tumblr is pretty well positioned to be the “next Instagram” for many young women today who would really appreciate a major social media platform recognizing that Kama Sutra illustrations or a photo of a woman’s nipple is no big deal, it’s just natural.

Re: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic

#110

Post by delhanty » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:25 PM UTC

georgestephanis wrote: post #93

delhanty wrote: post #67

Apologies HN, off-topic. Matt, while you're here can you comment on John O'Nolan's tweet [0] from July accusing Automattic of anti-competitive behavior w.r.t. Ghost [1]? >Can never decide if I’m flattered or horrified that a $1.1billion, 1,000 person company w/ a 83% share of CMS market seriously employs a full-time team dedicated to attacking a 12 person bootstrapped non-profit org with an open source product [0] ht…

John is a pompous jerk who likes to misinterpret half-truths, scream persecution, and then block people when called out rather than admit fault. And if ever called on it he silently deletes his tweets instead of acknowledging his actions or faults. source: he blocked me years ago for precisely this. also, coincidentally, when he was screaming persecution once prior. https://twitter.com/JohnONolan/status/6057287148407…

OK, fair enough.

I notice that you were working for Wordpress.com in May 2018 and had a run in with John O'Nolan on HN then.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17086661

Just disclosing that for you to put your comment in context.