Insider Chatter by Donna Bogatin

February 15, 2008

Antisocial Google: Googler Bradley Horowitz Mum

What is most striking about Bradley Horowitz’s farewell ode to Yahoo? The instantaneous absorption of Google’s bunker mentality, anti-social code of non-collegial communciation with industry peers.

The New York Times seizes on Horowitz’s public resignation communication to rehash the very tired Yahoo “doesn’t get it” meme, spinning an incredulous theory that Horowitz’s interestingly-timed departure is but another indication of a “rose-colored view of Yahoo, precisely the type of thinking that has landed the company in its current pickle.”

Horowitz’s “rose-colored view of Yahoo”? HARDLY! Horowitz’s fleeing to Googley pastures suggests he is thinking quite lucidly, and believing Yahoo’s current Web glass is half-empty, rather than half-full, a not uncommon point of view.

Horowitz’s public “explanation” for his sudden change of allegiance from Yahoo to Yahoo’s biggest competitor reads as a politically correct communcation aimed at smoothing his own industry relations and keeping his rolodex well primed. 

The New York Times nevertheless takes Horowitz’s personal PR effort at face value: “many people chose to leave, not because of ill will toward Yahoo but because their careers took them elsewhere.”

However, while Horowitz’s appreciation for Yahoo rings true, the disclaimer of his “unfortunately” timed departure does not:

While the timing may look “suspicious”, please don’t project your own assumptions onto my decisions. I thought that since so many people were leaving on Tuesday, it’d be a good day for me to slip out unnoticed too.

Funny? Horowitz is doing his darndest to assure his intention is not to abandon a sinking Yahoo ship. Given that Yahoo’s captain is unsure of which direction to navigate the troops towards, though, such a claim is hard to believe.

What is not hard to believe is how Horowitz’s new employer has already muzzled its new recruit, even as the new Googler waxes on, and on, about his old port of call.

The Horowitz FAQ clams up regarding what the world really wants to know:

    What will you be doing at Google? We’ll save that for another post.

UNLIKELY! Rumor has it that Horowtiz will be evangelizing Google’s “Open Social.” He ought to be more “open” as a proud new Googler then!

Want to know what another recently departed Yahoo turned Googler–STEVE SOUDERS–will be doing at Google, though? I have the Insider Chatter SCOOP: G Fast? Google Gets Yahoo’s Souders For DoubleClick, Android Speed

POOR YAHOOS? SEE: Yahoo Refugees? Hillary Clinton To Save American Dream for Silicon Valley

MORE ON ANTI-SOCIAL GOOGLE: NYT Accepts Google Muzzle: Bombs YouTube NYC Story and MOBILE Visions? Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL Open Up: NOT Google! OMMA Report

ALSO: Why Google Worship is a BAD Call in 2008 and Google Knol: The End of Google.com, NOT Wikipedia and MySpace To Google: Learn How To Sell Advertising, OMMA Report and Will John McCain Report to Google? Eric Schmidt Flexes Presidential Muscle

PLUS: Business Plans & Revenue Models: TWO Startup Must Haves and Facebook Meltdown: Is Twitter Next?

CONTACT DONNA BOGATIN

Filed under: Google
Written by: Donna Bogatin @ 11:14 am

 

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