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Why Microsoft Wants Discord

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Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#71
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I'd love to see a few smaller software companies refuse to get bought up and instead cultivate an independent mindset. Didn't Oakley sunglasses try something similar when Luxottica first tried to buy them and then Luxottica managed to ruin them and ended up buying them much cheaper? And hasn't Microsoft already done the same to a large number of startups?

> And hasn't Microsoft already done the same to a large number of startups? Not just startups. They tried to acquire Nokia's handset business and initially failed. Stephen Elop (ex-MS) was installed as new CEO via investor pressure, Nokia abandoned their promising Linux-based phones and changed direction to Windows Mobile and then it was acquired after all. And failed. Elop has, of course, denied having been a trojan…

Yes, it pretty much went that way, but Elop seems dead set on killing off nokia so Microsoft could buy it for pennies on the dollar. First it was the "we are on a burning platform letter", then abandoned all their current customers, moved everything to windows mobile, then months later switched to a new version of the microsoft mobile with no upgrade path for the users who just bought new windows mobile phones.

The market at that point pretty much decided to skip that mess and go with IOS or Android.

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#73
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I'd love to see a few smaller software companies refuse to get bought up and instead cultivate an independent mindset. Didn't Oakley sunglasses try something similar when Luxottica first tried to buy them and then Luxottica managed to ruin them and ended up buying them much cheaper? And hasn't Microsoft already done the same to a large number of startups?

> And hasn't Microsoft already done the same to a large number of startups? Not just startups. They tried to acquire Nokia's handset business and initially failed. Stephen Elop (ex-MS) was installed as new CEO via investor pressure, Nokia abandoned their promising Linux-based phones and changed direction to Windows Mobile and then it was acquired after all. And failed. Elop has, of course, denied having been a trojan…

> Resisting acquisition can be very challenging, and takes a lot of energy and time.

Not at all. You just have to be a company that is a) private, b) not funded by VC, and c) profitable enough. Then all you have to do is just politely reject all incoming requests (e.g., "sorry, we are not interested [at this time]"). :-)

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#74

MS already has GitHub and Yammer, too.

Where is yammer popular? I worked at a place that signed our corporate accounts to that service. It looked like a knock off corporate Facebook at the time. I had figured it withered and died but I’ve heard of it again multiple times recently. Though I still know of no one that actually uses it or has heard of it.

Re: Why Microsoft Wants Discord

#75

MS already has GitHub and Yammer, too.

Where is yammer popular? I worked at a place that signed our corporate accounts to that service. It looked like a knock off corporate Facebook at the time. I had figured it withered and died but I’ve heard of it again multiple times recently. Though I still know of no one that actually uses it or has heard of it.

It's alive within consultancies that are chained to MrSoftie.

They seem to be integrating it with Teams.

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