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March 7, 2008 2:30 AM PST

Report: Google, Microsoft, and two media companies bidding on Digg

by Caroline McCarthy

If every blog rumor were to be believed, social news site Digg would have been bought a dozen times over by now, so take the latest one with the requisite grain of salt.

TechCrunch reported early on Friday that four companies are in the running to place bids on Digg--Microsoft, Google, and two unidentified "media companies"--and that a sale may happen soon. It'll likely be less than the $300 million that Digg was once rumored to go for; TechCrunch's Michael Arrington cited sources who said that Google is prepared to bid $200 million to $225 million and that Microsoft, which currently serves ads on Digg, is aiming slightly lower. That's a good bit less than the $300 valuation that was floating around when Digg reportedly hired investment bank Allen & Co. to shop it around.

As for the media companies, no specifics are given, but keep in mind that Digg has deals with several traditional media companies' online arms, like CBS and News Corp.

In an interview several weeks ago, Digg founder Kevin Rose told CNET News.com that he thought selling the company to a big buyer could get in the way of running it efficiently.

One TechCrunch commenter noted, "Good for them, but Diggers will complain either way," referring to the site's active and opinionated crowd of regular users. "There's no pleasing them."

Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline.
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For the love of the English language, proper grammar!
by iamreallypicky March 7, 2008 6:22 AM PST
For all news reports, I think it necessary that the King's English be
used. Please avoid split infinitives! "If this one turns out to not be
true," should read "If this one turns out not to be true".

Surely, Star Trek fans will use "to boldly go where no man has gone
before" as justification in a response...
Reply to this comment
Grammar
by if62668 March 7, 2008 9:06 AM PST
"If this one turns out to not be true"
"If this one turns out not to be true"
"If this one turns out to be not true"

you know, they all carry the same meaning and there is no "rule" in English against splitting the infinitive if meaning isn't lost...in the apocryphal words of Churchill
"This is the kind of pedantic nonsense up with which I will not put!"
I hope MSFT gets them.
by Penguinisto March 7, 2008 9:03 AM PST
The look on the Digg community's collective face would be priceless.

(don't matter to me - I prefer Slashdot).

/P
Reply to this comment
Go goog!!
by Cougar.pt March 7, 2008 11:49 AM PST
\o\
/o/
\o/ Go goog :P
something like digg should be worth at least a million trillion dollars
by bellgong March 8, 2008 1:38 AM PST
...
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About The Social

CNET News' Caroline McCarthy is a downtown Manhattanite who believes that, despite popular opinion, the Web can actually help your social life. She's happily addicted to fun social-media tools from Twitter to Yelp to Facebook, sends an inordinate number of text messages, and has a tendency to waste time at the office reading restaurant blogs. Here, she explores all facets of the Web's gregarious side, as well as the unique tech culture in her home city of New York. (Don't call it Silicon Alley.)

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