Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Discuss Go2Net's acquisition of our beloved SI -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ally who wrote (106)	4/24/1998 12:40:00 PM
From: peter michaelson	Respond to of 446

Denise: Nicely said. Those circumstances very often occur in mergers because the acquiror does not truly understand the acquiree, and is often different at heart. All companies, particularly SI, can be viewed as living organisms with souls - and acquirors tend to play God - and find out later that they aren't. I witnessed it over and over again in my former M&A career. I have a lot of faith in the SI sponsors, but they are inexperienced in business. Anything can happen. Perhaps the collective wisdom of the SI posters can help them stay out of trouble. It is quite a collective wisdom. regards, peter

To: Ally who wrote (106)	4/24/1998 1:38:00 PM
From: jjs_ynot	Respond to of 446

Denise, >>> We breathe life to the board and create the value of what it is today. And the amazing thing is that a new company may not realize the effect on the culture by imposing small (to their view) changes. This lifeblood of contributors could dry up in a heartbeet. People are here primarily for two purposes: to tap into the minds of others with different experiences and viewpoints and to use others as a sounding board for one's own view to determine if there are fallacies. Take those away and you have an empty server.

To: Ally who wrote (106)	4/24/1998 1:45:00 PM
From: Scott Pedigo	Respond to of 446

GO2NET should always bear in mind that we are the substance and the life to SI. We are the "performers". Without our active participation on the threads, there is no show. Exactly. I agree with the rest of your post completely. A takeover destroying a culture is not limited to BBSs, by the way. I've seen it happen to a manufacturing company of high-tech machines, where the know-how and creativity was lost when the good (actually all) employees were lost due to arrogant management in the buying firm. In our case, almost ALL the content of SI is produced by those who have purchased lifetime subscriptions. There are guest articles, links, and various services provided by SI itself, but the heart of the company is the messaging system (an excellently designed one) and of course the messages. If the subscribers don't feel they are treated fairly, then what we will see is lots of threads filled with messages berating GO2NET. What irony if that happens - the product itself turns on its master. They can't afford that. It won't be a flame-fest about a product, the product will BE the flame-fest. So because of that risk, and because of the assurances of Brad previously posted on this thread, I feel confident that for the short to medium term nothing will change for those who have already subscribed. Ten years down the road, who can say. That is an eternity in the world of computers and the Internet.

To: Ally who wrote (106)	4/24/1998 3:47:00 PM
From: Paul Phillips	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 446

> I suggest that the new management: > > 1) recognize the unique culture of the SI community and > maintain it as it is. Hi. I am the CTO here at go2net and thought I would make a few comments regarding the news and the varied reactions to it. It is completely understandable to have some anxiety about a new company coming in and wanting to run the show its own way. I can assure you that we thoroughly understand that SI is as valuable for the people who participate in discussion as it is for the people and technology behind it. So it is clearly in all our interests for go2net to preserve all the elements that have made SI into what it is today. I have been involved in all kinds of communities on the Internet, since well before there was a Web at all, and I know that poorly thought out changes can have deeply negative effects. We have no intention of rushing into any changes to SI, and we know that Brad and Jeff understand the community and site better than we do, so they'll be central to any decisions regarding its future. So, I hope that people won't rush to any conclusions regarding the go2net acquisition. go2net is still a relatively small company -- SI is not being swallowed by some corporate behemoth. We're excited about integrating SI and are confident that together we can take SI to new heights. -- Paul Phillips <paulp@go2net.com>