Is Yahoo insane in going on a buying spree like this?

[ForFreedom]

Yahoo! some months back could barely stand on its feet. Now they are buying successful companies and the internet users have no idea on what they intend to do with them.

[jfoster]

They seem to be targeting growing businesses that are consistent with their "global media company" ambitions. Why do you think it is insane?

[ForFreedom → jfoster]

A year back Microsoft was buying them

[jkaykin]

Previous to Marrissa Mayer, we hardly heard anything about Yahoo! Now, we are all talking about it. Don't underestimate Mayer.

[zombio → jkaykin]

...At the price of billions of dollars.

[baybal]

Answer: yes

The shelf life of a tech company is 7 years. After that, it simply loses a "cool factor"

[ForFreedom → baybal]

The company Yahoo! itself have no prospects, its search and email are not doing well. 7 years of hulu?

[lebsi → ForFreedom]

About their e-mail.. While their new interface product was in beta, it was an amazing classic e-mail interface that included an API and features left missing when it was released as the default mail application. In one day it was replaced by a boring, minimal feature set with a lacking positive experience in its whole. While Yahoo! is still one of the leaders in web based e-mail, I am certain Yahoo! can do to Tumblr what they did to e-mail in just one day.

[gexterra]

Mayer.