The VAR Guy

The VAR Guy likes writers who buck conventional wisdom. In recent weeks, most pundits have been bashing Microsoft’s proposed Yahoo! takeover. But James Nicholson, a CNet veteran, has an interesting take on the proposed Microsoft-Yahoo! combo that caught The VAR Guy’s eye.

In a blog entry for SeekingAlpha.com, Nicholson suggests that the so-called McroHoo! combo can beat Google by doing three things:

• Stop producing content; instead become the platform for user-generated content.
• Buy a social network; interesting — but one question from The VAR Guy: Can’t Microsoft acquire a social network without buying Yahoo!?
• Become the center of the blogging universe.

Bingo. The VAR Guy loves that last suggestion, and he’s ready to place a for sale sign on his front lawn. The asking price? He’s not sure yet.

Kidding aside, blogging does remain hot. The VAR Guy’s sons — not yet in junior high — have already started their own blogs. And it seems as if many users now spend far more time in blog tools than they do working in traditional word processors.

Still, Microsoft and Yahoo! aren’t leaders in the open source world. Open source and free blogging platforms like WordPress are growing exponentially.Of Nicholson’s three ideas, The VAR Guy thinks the MicroHoo! combo should definitely listen to concept #1: Get out of the content business… and leave that part of the market to The VAR Guy.