Ace of Spades HQ

June 06, 2011

Speaking of Disasters: AOL/Huffington Post Merger Not Super-Terrific
— Ace

From Caleb Howe, an AOL insider (supposedly) says the deal is terrible.

Dissension in edit. The editorial team is miserable and views Arianna as unpredictable and her leadership unsteady. Several editors are racing to close book deals to be write the Â“Devil WearÂ’s PradaÂ” of the digital age. Others are aggressively pitching unflattering profiles to New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, and the LA Times. The lack of maturity and loyalty among editors is stunning Â– even those close to her are extremely negative behind her back Â– which is surprising because she has done a great job taking care of her people.
...
Fear and paranoia. Large parts of the org recognize the strategy is bad for the business but everyone is afraid to speak out. Arianna is rumored to have created an enemies list across the company and has directed her loyalists to collect dossiers on other managers across the company and report back on conversations. Her list includes several key business, sales, technology, and marketing executives she wants to eliminate and replace with her people. Anyone who disagrees, even if backed by data and clear rationaleÂ’s Â– goes on the enemies list. Facts donÂ’t matter.

Speaking as an Internet Person (sadly), I would not in a thousand years put a bunch of Internet People in control of a company. You need someone on top of things running herd, and I don't think on-top-of-things type people accumulate in great numbers on internet content sites.

Some. But you're going to get a lot of flighty, do-I-have-to-bother-with-work-work-? types.

Posted by: Ace at 09:54 AM | Comments (79)
Post contains 273 words, total size 2 kb.

1 You will respect my Authoritee!

Posted by: Eric Cartman at June 06, 2011 09:56 AM (136wp)

2 I hope AOL goes down in flames. I abhor that virus-like site. And HuffPo? I can't say what I think about them or Ace would ban me.

Posted by: kathysaysso at June 06, 2011 09:56 AM (ZtwUX)

3 Schadenfreudilicious.

Posted by: Vashta.Nerada at June 06, 2011 09:57 AM (Eskni)

4 No one saw this coming? And I never heard that she took care of her people before. I heard she cashed in for millions and left everyone else hanging. If they HAD been well taken care of, they wouldn't be bitching.

Posted by: alexthedude at June 06, 2011 09:57 AM (3MfRd)

I've been watching the Microsoft E3 Press conference. God why didn't they just call it the Kinect Press Conference.

Posted by: buzzion at June 06, 2011 09:58 AM (oVQFe)

6
This must be the first time Arianna has been on top of a weiner in a long time.

Posted by: PeePeePundit at June 06, 2011 09:58 AM (+sBB4)

7 You need mongrel hordes of business people riding across a deal like that to make it work. A few heads on spikes and things seem to run eminently better.

There is nothing better to calm a bunch of prima donna, self-indulgent internet jag-offs who think they are the second coming of Luke Skywalker.

Posted by: Marcus at June 06, 2011 09:59 AM (CHrmZ)

8 I don't understand why these editors and writers are so upset. They are willing to tout the idea that an unelected bunch of bureaucrats should manage our economy. Why are they unhappy that an unelected overlord is running their professional lives?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at June 06, 2011 09:59 AM (LH6ir)

Beat you to it Caleb

Posted by: Ben at June 06, 2011 10:00 AM (wuv1c)

10 God why didn't they just call it the Kinect Press Conference.

So would I buy something that could see into my living room where my children play? Not a chance.

Posted by: countrydoc at June 06, 2011 10:00 AM (Fwb9h)

11 Arianna Huffington is the first prominent person I have googled that doesn't have a wikipedia entry in the first 5 results. I may be missing it - but I didn't even see it on the first 3 pages.

Posted by: alexthedude at June 06, 2011 10:01 AM (3MfRd)

12 My Internet sucks: I didnt see anything about Weiner's junk in this post.

Posted by: IE Con at June 06, 2011 10:02 AM (/COcn)

13 They are willing to tout the idea that an unelected bunch of bureaucrats should manage our economy. Why are they unhappy that an unelected overlord is running their professional lives?

They didn't mean their lives, they meant yours. Peasant.

Posted by: countrydoc at June 06, 2011 10:03 AM (Fwb9h)

14 Every time a merger occurs, the employee morale hits the shitter. This is to be expected. Expected and celebrated.

Posted by: MJ at June 06, 2011 10:03 AM (BKOsZ)

15 As Oscar Wilde wrote of the death of Little Nell in <i>The Old Curiosity Shop</i>, one would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.

Posted by: David Gillies at June 06, 2011 10:03 AM (OLivq)

16 Just like when she masterminded her then-husband's campaign for the US Senate. He crashed and burned and turned gay and divorced her, but Arianna made out like a bandit in the divorce. That bitch always gets her money in the disaster.

Posted by: Log Cabin at June 06, 2011 10:04 AM (uTXb2)

17 Weird on page 11 of results and no wikipedia entry. wikiquotes, bigjournalism and even britannica.com, but no wikipedia. weird.

Posted by: alexthedude at June 06, 2011 10:04 AM (3MfRd)

18
Arianna's dick is bigger than Anthony's.

Posted by: Barney at June 06, 2011 10:05 AM (gppu7)

19
The most impressive thing about AOL is how they manage to stay in business after so many colossal failures.

Posted by: le soothsayeau at June 06, 2011 10:05 AM (G/zuv)

It's the calendars again, isn't it?

Posted by: Mama AJ at June 06, 2011 10:05 AM (XdlcF)

AOL news has always been leftish but under the Puffington Host, it's faaaaar left. I'm loathe to click on the links less I give Puffington more hits.

Yes, I still use AOL.

Posted by: Max Entropy at June 06, 2011 10:05 AM (lH6z9)

Arianna (Zsa Zsa) has no managerial skills. Who knew?

Posted by: Curmudgeon at June 06, 2011 10:06 AM (ujg0T)

Nothing worse than unpredictable leadership in a workplace. Couldn't happen to nicer bunch.

cry havoc and let slip the dogs of catty backstabbing...

Posted by: lolcat at June 06, 2011 10:06 AM (7DB+a)

24 My Internet sucks: I didnt see anything about Weiner's junk in this post.

You're doing it wrong. Read the comments not the posts.

Posted by: Andrew Breitbart's thought promoter at June 06, 2011 10:07 AM (tf9Ne)

25 17 Weird on page 11 of results and no wikipedia entry. wikiquotes, bigjournalism and even britannica.com, but no wikipedia.

weird.

Posted by: alexthedude at June 06, 2011 02:04 PM (3MfRd)

Uh, dude. I just googled her and Wikipedia was the first result.

Posted by: buzzion at June 06, 2011 10:07 AM (oVQFe)

26 Arianna Huffington - Turning men gay since 1996.

Posted by: Max Entropy at June 06, 2011 10:08 AM (lH6z9)

27 sock off

Posted by: nevergiveup at June 06, 2011 10:08 AM (i6RpT)

28 BREAKING NEWS:
Liberals complain about fat-cat CEOs ravaging companies for profit
... at Huffington Post

Posted by: Dick Cheney's Warcock at June 06, 2011 10:09 AM (7mSYS)

29 oops

Posted by: chemjeff at June 06, 2011 10:09 AM (7mSYS)

30 Uh, dude. I just googled her and Wikipedia was the first result. Posted by: buzzion at June 06, 2011 02:07 PM (oVQFe) F. wish i had gotten a screen cap to prove I wasn't nuts or inattentive. When I googled her, I only got the images before, with no wikipedia link. Now I get the wiki link and the images below. CRIPES.

Posted by: alexthedude at June 06, 2011 10:09 AM (3MfRd)

31 "Others are aggressively pitching unflattering profiles to New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, and the LA Times. The lack of maturity and loyalty among editors is stunning Â– even those close to her are extremely negative behind her back Â– which is surprising because she has done a great job taking care of her people." Ah, the ugliness of canibalism. They're eating their own. Heh.

Posted by: nerdygirl at June 06, 2011 10:10 AM (j/5DA)

32
hahaha, fuck you, Jon Stewart!

Posted by: le soothsayeau at June 06, 2011 10:10 AM (G/zuv)

33 26 Arianna Huffington - Turning men gay since 1996.

Posted by: Max Entropy at June 06, 2011 02:08 PM (lH6z9)

Go on...

Posted by: Generic Bwarny Fwank Socks at June 06, 2011 10:11 AM (136wp)

34 Now I get the wiki link and the images below. CRIPES.

Posted by: alexthedude at June 06, 2011 02:09 PM (3MfRd)

Them there interwebs is a sneaky bunch...

Posted by: The Robot Devil at June 06, 2011 10:12 AM (136wp)

35
Why is it all theleft leaning "business leaders" act like like they graduated from the Lenin-Stalin Community College School of Business"??

Posted by: fixerupper at June 06, 2011 10:13 AM (C8hzL)

Yes, I still use AOL.

How are things in 1993?

Posted by: Circa (Insert Year Here) at June 06, 2011 10:14 AM (B+qrE)

When I googled her, I only got the images before, with no wikipedia link.

Now I get the wiki link and the images below. CRIPES.

Leave Weiner alone or we'll keep messing with you!!

Posted by: Google at June 06, 2011 10:14 AM (XdlcF)

38 Them there interwebs is a sneaky bunch... Posted by: The Robot Devil at June 06, 2011 02:12 PM (136wp) Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue!

Posted by: alexthedude at June 06, 2011 10:14 AM (3MfRd)

39 Shockah! Something controlled by liberals isn't working well.

Posted by: sifty at June 06, 2011 10:15 AM (2dbd9)

40 I kept AOL for a year after I got my cable provider. Their E-mail and access to BBs was much better than others. I eventually dropped it though because it was an unnecessary expense.

Also got tired of the constant upgrades which sucked more and more system resources.

Posted by: Vic at June 06, 2011 10:15 AM (M9Ie6)

41 I've been wanting to ditch AOL for awhile now. The marriage with Huff/Po was the culminating factor in this decision. Anyone have any alternative E-Mail suggestions that I can migrate my mail to?

Posted by: Batznratz at June 06, 2011 10:15 AM (anXB0)

Yes, I still use AOL.

Come on. You don't forget your first lover email address.

Posted by: ParisParamus at June 06, 2011 10:15 AM (/ztJQ)

5 American soldiers killed by rockets fired by Iraqi insurgents!!!

GOD IS GREAT!!!!!!

Posted by: Val Prieto at June 06, 2011 10:16 AM (gmq6c)

44 UNEXPECTED!

Posted by: NC Ref at June 06, 2011 10:18 AM (/izg2)

45 En Fuego!!!

Posted by: Totally Hawt Honey Badger at June 06, 2011 10:18 AM (GvYeG)

46 Anyone have any alternative E-Mail suggestions that I can migrate my mail to?

Doesn't your current service provider have e-mail?

Posted by: Vic at June 06, 2011 10:19 AM (M9Ie6)

47 Anyone have any alternative E-Mail suggestions that I can migrate my mail to? Posted by: Batznratz at June 06, 2011 02:15 PM (anXB0) http://www.reagan.com/emailintro.html Feel like being a guinea pig?

Posted by: alexthedude at June 06, 2011 10:20 AM (3MfRd)

48 Doesn't your current service provider have e-mail?

Bad idea.

Posted by: PeePeePundit at June 06, 2011 10:20 AM (+sBB4)

49 Seriously ... AOL is still in business ????

Posted by: Totally Hawt Honey Badger at June 06, 2011 10:20 AM (GvYeG)

50 Seriously ?????

Posted by: Totally Hawt Honey Badger at June 06, 2011 10:21 AM (GvYeG)

51 It moved.

Posted by: dick cheese at June 06, 2011 10:21 AM (GTbGH)

52 Q: Who has a bigger penis, Tim Armstrong or Arianna Huffington? A: Anthony Weiner.

Posted by: Anthony Weiner at June 06, 2011 10:22 AM (AZGON)

53 C'mon ... this is a joke ... right ... AOL????

Posted by: Totally Hawt Honey Badger at June 06, 2011 10:23 AM (GvYeG)

54
incidentally...

Fuck you, Fareed Cocksuckaria.

Posted by: le soothsayeau at June 06, 2011 10:23 AM (G/zuv)

55 I guess CompuServe is always a good alternative ....

Posted by: Totally Hawt Honey Badger at June 06, 2011 10:24 AM (GvYeG)

56 My shadenboner has lasted longer than 4 hours today. Help me.

Posted by: Mr Pink at June 06, 2011 10:24 AM (NjfOK)

Clearly AOL can counter this by mailing out more free sample CD's.

More CD's is always the answer.

Posted by: Ben at June 06, 2011 10:24 AM (wuv1c)

58 This must be the first time Arianna has been on top of a weiner in a long time.
Posted by: PeePeePundit
........
Naah.. I kinda figured there's a long line of libtard subby boys for whom she wears lotsa laytex and whips into submission. That accent is perfect for it!

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at June 06, 2011 10:25 AM (f9c2L)

59 Pug faced Zsa Zsa. whacked twice with the plain jane 2x4, right square in the face.

Posted by: maddogg at June 06, 2011 10:25 AM (OlN4e)

60
I married Arianna in the eighties, and she knew I was a pickle sucker before the marriage. She told me it would be great, and she had the ability to alter my orientation.

After sleeping with her, it became apparent that men were a better choice than a hoochie-momma with a stinky vajayjay.

Posted by: Michael Huffington at June 06, 2011 10:25 AM (cwFVA)

61 I wanna watch my AOL sample CD on my beta-max!!!! Woot!

Posted by: Totally Hawt Honey Badger at June 06, 2011 10:26 AM (GvYeG)

62 Wish an AOL insider would be able to tell the difference between possessive and plurals, though. "Devil Wear's Prada" or rationale's -- plurals, guy. No apostrophe. I don't care if it's the interwebs.

Posted by: Grammar Diva at June 06, 2011 10:27 AM (yI3mu)

63 You've got to hand it to Zsa Zsa Huffington -- she identified a set of suckers and exploited them to the hilt. First set of suckers: content creators willing to work for free just to get exposure. Second set of suckers: AOL, which has been rolling downhill since ubiquitous broadband. About $300 million later she's rich and happy and they're at each other's throats. But of course, since she's a lefty she's not a ruthless capitalist pig by definition, so she walks away with a smile and a wave. Brilliant.

Posted by: joncelli at June 06, 2011 10:27 AM (RD7QR)

64 Seriously ... there's still an AOL????

Posted by: Totally Hawt Honey Badger at June 06, 2011 10:28 AM (GvYeG)

65 Does anyone here need to be told that you don't need to subscribe to AOL dial up if you have broadband internet?

Posted by: Z Ryan at June 06, 2011 10:29 AM (tsC/8)

66 Does anyone know where I can get a Commodore 64?

Posted by: Mr Pink at June 06, 2011 10:32 AM (NjfOK)

67 @ 47. Thanks for the alternative, I'll check it out. I've suffered AOHELL long enough now...

Posted by: Batznratz at June 06, 2011 10:37 AM (anXB0)

68 You just made the list, Ewok.

Posted by: zsa-zsa at June 06, 2011 10:37 AM (DUOUR)

69 AOL/Huffington Post Merger Not Super-Terrific

Seems to me neither AOL or Huffington Post are "terrific" on their own; they both suck.

Posted by: Blacque Jacques Shellacque at June 06, 2011 10:40 AM (1rHeD)

70 Yes they do sell new Commodore 64s

http://tinyurl.com/26sva4a

Posted by: Vic at June 06, 2011 10:41 AM (M9Ie6)

71 They really still sell those fucking things? Jeeezus

Posted by: Mr Pink at June 06, 2011 10:45 AM (NjfOK)

72 have you guys seen the new Pinto ... what a car!!!!!

Posted by: Totally Hawt Honey Badger at June 06, 2011 10:45 AM (GvYeG)

"But you're going to get a lot of flighty, do-I-have-to-bother-with-work-work-? types."

Hey! Hey! We're idea people, not implementation people! Check out my degree - DeVry, motherfucker!

Posted by: Flighty, do-I-have-to-bother-with-work-work types at June 06, 2011 10:52 AM (xy9wk)

74 AOL is the BESTESTEST!

Posted by: Do the least you can do for Weiner at June 06, 2011 10:54 AM (lT0LC)

75 I haven't seen one Weiner story there. Though both Palin/Revere and Palin/wrong-pic-on-Fox stories were posted about 10 seconds after each one broke.

Posted by: wankette at June 06, 2011 11:00 AM (CrYip)

76 .@RepWeiner told hold presser today at 4 pm ET in NYC... Response to Ryan Medicare proposal?

Posted by: demoncrat at June 06, 2011 11:07 AM (1kwr2)

77 Hey, I'm all about the work-work. And I'd do fine, if it wasn't for you Mr.YouGottaDoWhatISayCauseI'mTheBoss assholes. Stop pressuring me, alright? Gaaahd! See, now I'm all fuzzy headed. I need to take frickin' nap.

It's called low blood sugar, asshole. It's a real medical condition. Google it. It's not my fault I get all tired and shit when you bossy-ass pricks are breathing down my neck. I get my shit done fine when there isn't all this damn pressure. Jesus! Back the fuck off. I will do it! It will get done! I just gotta lie down for a bit. Unwind. Maybe watch an old episode of Stargate. Check facebook.

I'm just gonna take a quick nap. Maybe watch a little TV. Then get some food. But I'm on it right after that, ok? Jeez, I'm not your slave, you know? Employee is not spelled s-l-a-v-e. I just need a little downtime. A little me time. Maybe some xbox. Man, I'm tired. Just groggy now. I felt fine before you brought this tsunami of pressure down on my head. Dammit.

Posted by: Internet Person at June 06, 2011 11:28 AM (QcFbt)

Mastery of Understatement! The AOL news links to HuffPo are skewed to the liberal leftist viewpoint, often with distortions to support their agenda, omissions of relevance to the subject to support their agenda, and links to poor quality, slow to load amateur websites. I have simply stopped clicking links and viewing them. The AOL commentor/members in general fully agree. The ony reason I maintain AOL is for their excellent email system and spam filters.

The AOL website is no longer reliable for accurate news links, and their feature sections are now turning mostly to rubbish. The only thing I do not understand is how AOL could so completely misunderstand their user audience. I just hope they can stay solvent, I like the email system too much to lose it.

Posted by: MisterMoney at June 06, 2011 12:35 PM (wN82N)

"...which is surprising because she has done a great job taking care of her people. "

Yeah, but her people are liberals with no moral values. So they all looking out for number 1.

Posted by: TomJW at June 06, 2011 03:17 PM (Li2G9)

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