Why Microsoft Wants Discord • Hacker News Board

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#21

Post by bgorman » Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 4:43 PM UTC

This is the same company that cannot be bothered to fix adding iCalendar files to a calendar for Outlook for Mac.

I’m really tired of Microsoft’s influence in the software industry. Hopefully their lack of care for customers will finally bite them. I’m skeptical though, it seems Silicon Valley giants can just keep buying up smaller companies to acquire customers.

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#22

Post by p-sharma » Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 4:43 PM UTC

I don't get it. What's the benefit of buying a community? It's not like you can really control what the community does or thinks, you may can control which ads they see but how else do you make money with this community?

> so Microsoft migrating Discord over to Azure would be seen as a big win for its cloud ambitions.

What should this prove? That Azure can run a big service like Discord? I don't think Microsoft has to prove that. Hosting Discord on Azure will be a massive cost factor, how should this pay off?

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#23

Post by tracedddd » Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 4:44 PM UTC

enumjorge wrote: post #15

jtew396 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately the smaller companies don't have a choice. Many acquisitions from Big Tech come with a threat - sell your company or we will move into your space and tank your valuation.

Sometimes they simply don't have a viable path to staying independent and profitable. Discord has tried a few things to earn more money (premium subscriptions, a game store) that didn't work out. I don't think they have a lot of options other than selling.

Did they not work out? I see people boosting servers and people with paid accounts very often. It seems they had a market willing to pay.

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#24

Post by ChrisRR » Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 4:44 PM UTC

gautamcgoel wrote: post #5

Is seems to me the top five software companies are on a never-ending quest to buy up every other promising software company. GitHub, Twitch, Mojang, Instagram, WhatsApp... I'd love to see a few smaller software companies refuse to get bought up and instead cultivate an independent mindset. Otherwise, we end up with a world completely dominated by Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook.

It's unlikely. I suspect many people start businesses with the intention of doing what they love and making a decent living out of it.

Then the bigger the company gets, the further removed you are from your original dream and when someone waves a big pile of money in your face, it's a very tempting offer

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#25

Post by throwaway123x2 » Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 4:47 PM UTC

pityJuke wrote: post #3

I wonder whether Microsoft would try and tie Discord accounts to Microsoft accounts. I think it'd be a bad call, as unlike Mojang (to be fair, it took years for Microsoft to actually migrate them), Discord does have a proper accounts infrastructure built up, one which is used as an authentication service of its own. Easier integration and auto signup with MSFT accounts, sure, but I think it would be a mistake to do a…

That would be a nightmare. It currently takes anywhere between 2 and 5 redirects to log into one of my MSFT accounts.

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#26

Post by gryn » Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 4:48 PM UTC

endisneigh wrote: post #6

Sometimes I wonder if the world would be better or worse if there was a max size for companies. It’s also interesting how many chat apps are acquired and exist. Just how large is that market?

> Sometimes I wonder if the world would be better or worse if there was a max size for companies.

when there's a will there's a way. the companies that want to grow that badly will find a way to evade such restictions like they do to taxes, they'll probably call it something like organisational structure optimization.

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#27

Post by HappySweeney » Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 4:48 PM UTC

tracedddd wrote: post #23

enumjorge wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sometimes they simply don't have a viable path to staying independent and profitable. Discord has tried a few things to earn more money (premium subscriptions, a game store) that didn't work out. I don't think they have a lot of options other than selling.

Did they not work out? I see people boosting servers and people with paid accounts very often. It seems they had a market willing to pay.

I think compared to Microsoft's offer, no.

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#28

Post by draw_down » Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 4:50 PM UTC

gautamcgoel wrote: post #5

Is seems to me the top five software companies are on a never-ending quest to buy up every other promising software company. GitHub, Twitch, Mojang, Instagram, WhatsApp... I'd love to see a few smaller software companies refuse to get bought up and instead cultivate an independent mindset. Otherwise, we end up with a world completely dominated by Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook.

[dead]

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#29

Post by ogre_codes » Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 4:51 PM UTC

gautamcgoel wrote: post #5

Is seems to me the top five software companies are on a never-ending quest to buy up every other promising software company. GitHub, Twitch, Mojang, Instagram, WhatsApp... I'd love to see a few smaller software companies refuse to get bought up and instead cultivate an independent mindset. Otherwise, we end up with a world completely dominated by Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook.

Mostly Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. Amazon is far more likely to partner with a company than clone it’s products. Apple acquires mostly smaller companies, often things you’ve never heard of.

Also worth noting, many of these smaller companies plan on getting acquired. That is their cash-out. In particular the ones which accept VC money are under tremendous pressure to cash out in one of these deals.

I also would prefer companies stuck it out, but there are huge risks if you stick it out and massive payoffs you get from a buyout, it’s rarely in the founder’s best interest.

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#30

Post by pixelbath » Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 4:51 PM UTC

flerchin wrote: post #11

Embrace Extend Extinguish.

This isn't really what this is. "Embrace, extend, extinguish" is the idea that Microsoft would embrace open standards just enough to add their own proprietary extensions, then once theirs is the dominant platform, drop the remaining open support and kill the competitor.

This is just...buying a company.