Google! mulling! Yahoo! slurp! claims! insider!

Google has joined the gaggle of companies lusting over the ailing search'n'content giant Yahoo, according to rumours in the Wall Street Journal. Google has been in talks with private equity firms, says the WSJ, counting the beans they'd need to bag the company, though nothing formal is on the table. Despite Yahoo! lagging far …

[Anonymous Coward]

If this goes through

in the rebranding will the ! go before or after the +.

I offer my services as a consultant on this decision.

[Just a random academic]

Antitrust anyone?

No way in hell could this possibly go through. Perhaps Google are just being smart and making a huge bid to prevent others from buying? That way, if by some miracle, the FTC lets the deal through, Google win, but if the deal is nixed by the FTC, Google still win by virtue of pricing the others out of the market?

[ratfox]

What in the world would Google want to buy Yahoo for??

Oooh, YHOO is up 3% in pre-market today... What a coincidence...

I am reminded of the weekly rumors about Palm being on the verge of being bought by RIM, Nokia, Microsoft, etc. with an bump in the stock every time... And when it was finally bought by HP, nobody saw it coming.

[admiraljkb]

Is it anti-trust?

Yahoo has basically exited the search biz, and Facebook currently has a near monopoly on social crap. This merger in theory helps increase competition in that arena, while potentially reducing it in others. Nothing is cut and dry anymore. I miss the days of things being black and white instead of shades of grey.

[Ugotta B. Kiddingme]

new name

Would the merged company be known as Goohoo! or Yahoogle! ?

[Just a random academic]

I've taken to referring to the Google-Motorola entity as Gootorola, not sure how to make that work wity Yahoo. Goohootorola, perhaps?

[Anonymous Coward]

I used to use Yahoo! Everyone at school did.

Then I saw it say that the results were powered by Google.

We then migrated, since it was a lot faster without all the news/weather stuff.

So, it wouldn't be the first time these two joined forces.

Given how often Yahoo! seems to jump in bed with other companies, I'd be afraid of catching something!

[Grease Monkey]

There's a lot to be said for using a search engine that is powered by Google, rather than google itself. One is that your details won't be slurped by Google. Another is that you don't get slapped with Google's sponsored results.

[Grease Monkey]

Is it just me or does this "news" story appear to be entirely based on rumour? And might it be one of those rumours designed to boost Yahoo!'s share price?