AOL's Bebo buy was controversial among execs, blog reports

Not everyone at AOL was in favor of plunking down $850 million for social network Bebo, the Silicon Alley Insider reported Thursday.

Citing anonymous sources, editor Henry Blodget said a number of senior managers at the struggling dot-com thought--and still think--that Bebo won't turn out to be an ad revenue treasure trove.

Executives at several key AOL divisions, including Advertising.com, the Platform-A ad network, and the Userplane chat software product, were not consulted on the acquisition, according to Blodget's sources. "Our sources believe that Ron (Grant, chief operating officer of AOL), at least, was aware that several senior AOL managers were against the deal," Blodget explained, "and that, as the deal progressed, these managers were intentionally kept out of the Bebo loop."

So why were those shadowy senior managers skeptical? Well, Blodget wrote, they had some specific qualms about Bebo's profitability, mostly tied to the all-too-common wisdom that social networks just don't bring home the bacon. There were also concerns that the social network's growth wouldn't go on much longer and that its executives would jump ship as soon as they could.

As for why AOL did buy Bebo, the anonymous sources indicated to the Silicon Alley Insider that it might have done so to make AOL itself a more attractive buy. Jeffrey Bewkes, chief executive of AOL parent Time Warner, has said he would consider spinning off all or part of the Web 1.0 mainstay.

An AOL representative, speaking to the Silicon Alley Insider, called the prospect of sealing dissident senior management off from the deal "ludicrous."

[FoxusSpiritus]

If a significant part of AOL's management was blindsided by the deal, just imagine how the USERS feel!!!! IN some parts of AoL's Chats it is routine to check profiles when you see a new face. They're there to give you some idea if the person dropped in by mistake, or what their specific interersts are, say nothing about refreshing one's memory if a infrequently seen visitor comes in.
In the Roleplaying segments of AoL, profiles are critical, literally defining once character, and distinguishing friend from foe, amoung other things. The 1000 keystrokes Bebo allots is less than Aol2.1 profiles allowed 13 yrs ago! Many players could not list their affiliations in that small a space.

Add to this the failure of AOL to notify the impending switch over. Granted they've been advertizing Bebo since November, and like most people I checked it out. IF I wanted a social networking "face" I would have moved one of my mundane, not character, profiles there long ago. I want <B>nothing</B> to do with "Social Networking." I'm Clergy, not a minor, sexual pervert, or preditor who needs that kind of trouble. TO have forcably transfered every profile out of AIM into Bebo without the benefit of at least a weeks notice ( they gave us a months warning before dropping "hometown" and relocating pictures), is a grossly unprofessional and inconsiderate act. Unauthorized transfer of copy writed material, my own included, is actionable -bet the legal department will love THAT!

Had they given fair warning, and better still, made Bebo an Option, their tech support personal and fFEEDBACK readers would not have the headaches that they have today. I am appaulled that a company whose service I have paid for for 13 yrs, for whom I've been beta testing for nearly that long, would pull such and underhanded action. If there were an alternative out there - and believe me Roleplayers have LOOKED for somewhere more compasionate - I'd switch as would thousands of others.

AOL you SNAFUed this one!! Now do you have the brass to own up to your foolishness or are you going to disband something like you did the hosting programs that lost you so many customers several years ago??

One ANGRY Reverand,