“Yahoo: Alive & Kicking, With Grand Schemes for Artificial Intelligence on the Horizon”

“Yahoo Is Still Here—and It Has Big Plans for AI”

“As this newsletter turns two, an elder statesman of the industry it covers celebrates a grander anniversary. Yahoo, as established and old school as internet companies come, turns 30,” so states the original article in its opening remarks. Here’s an unequivocal salute to Yahoo, that unfading colossus of the realm, as it marks a stolid milestone of 30 years.

The internet, forever a fickle friend, stood steadfast with Yahoo. With an almost palpable air of gravitas that can only be earned with age, Yahoo has stood as an unshakeable pillar of the industry. And it’s not just about the years in its bag. Yahoo embodies the narrative of many netizens’ first-ever interaction with the big, bad virtual world.

The credit for Yahoo’s stubborn refusal to dissolve into digital oblivion largely goes to Jim Lanzone, the newest CEO to take the helm. Here’s to the ever-growing line of brave souls stepping into the role, clutching at straws to keep the ship from sinking, and also whipping up another storm, with eyes firmly set on the prize, the digital media frontier.

In a valorous push, Lanzone aspires to rebrand Yahoo! Mail, along with the company’s suite of apps, essentially turning it into a turbocharged information engine. A lofty goal, indeed. But as the enigmatic CEO rises to take the challenge, it secondarily serves as a spectral reminder of Yahoo’s long, tumultuous history.

It’s hard to manage a sober smirk as we think of Yahoo’s noteworthy flubs – take the brazen rejection of Microsoft’s acquisition offer. Not to mention handling the largest data breach in history. Oh, speaking of history, let’s not forget their arduous journey of changing CEOs than a chameleon does its colors.

Keeping Yahoo relevant in the face of the inebriating allure of the likes of Google and Facebook is no small task. But to stay in the race, you’ve to roll with the punches, a motto Yahoo seems to have internalized well. Aptly put, Yahoo is more of an internet survivor than a net enabler nowadays – essentially akin to having been around the block once or twice, and coming out on the other end with a defiant smirk.

As Yahoo turns 30, it’s not just about surviving, it’s more about indicating a broader trend in digital media – that older internet companies can still stay in the game, despite the odds. It’s a lesson in resilience, showing the world that an old dog can indeed learn new tricks and fight the good fight, even if the wrinkles are showing.

And so, with a quiet nod of acknowledgment and a slight tip of an imaginary hat, here’s to Yahoo. It has been nothing short of an improbable journey, filled with highs and lows and an authenticity that’s hard to match in a digital world of constant change. So, chin up, Yahoo! You’ve earned your place in internet history (as much as any digital entity really can). Cheers to the questionable decisions, the resilience, the reinvention, and, yes, the thirty years you’ve been kicking dust in our streaming faces.

Read the original article here: https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-yahoo-turns-30-jim-lanzone/