May 2011 – OnMedea

May 19, 2011May 20, 2011

LinkedIn Acquired By Monster.com For $37,242

Jeff Weiner, Nick Besbeas, Steve Cadigan, Mike Gamson, David Henke, Robby Kwok, Deep Nishar, Erika Rottenberg, Steve Sordello, Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly, jean-Luc Vaillant, A George "Skip" Battle, Leslie Kilgore, Stanley Meresman, Michael J. Moritz, David Sze, Sal Iannuzzi, Timothy T. Yates, John Gaulding, Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Cynthia P. McCague, Jeffrey F. Rayport, Roberto Tunioli, James M. Langrock, Andrea Bertone, Darko Dejanovic, Ted Gilvar, Edward Lo, Michael C. Miller, Lise Poulos, Mark Stoever, Patrick W. Manzo, OnMedea, Jill Kennedy, Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Ben Silverman, Sumner Redstone, Jeff Zucker, Ari Emanuel, Rupert Murdoch, Bob Iger

The year is 2014.

The people of the world have abandoned social networking after going out on too many creepy dates.

LinkedIn, once a Wall Street darling, was acquired today by Monster.com for $37,242 – basically the value of the copper wire in the walls of their unfinished (and unpaid for) $1 billion dollar office complex in The Presidio.

At its peak in late 2011, LinkedIn (a groundbreaking social network in which people could send messages to each other) had a market cap of $560 billion – more than the top 2 companies in the world combined.

The stock began its plunge after CEO Jeff Weiner cashed out and left the company to become CEO of Apple at the beginning of 2012. Ironically, Apple’s stock began its plunge immediately after he became CEO.

It’s really a tragic story of greed and the inability to create a product that people can actually use. And if they did use it, it was only because they thought they should be doing it – because others were – and no one wants to be left out. But now everyone is left out.

About the sale, Mr. Weiner said: “I work at Apple now. I’m just thinking about running this company. LinkedIn was just a blip in my long career. It was really Reid’s baby, Reid’s vision (State Senator Reid Hoffman D-Palo Alto). I just worked there.”

And made over $2 billion while there.

Senator Hoffman was unreachable by phone but did release a statement through his office: “LinkedIn should have been my ticket to wealth beyond my wildest dreams. Thinking back, I wish I would have sold all (or even some) of my stock when it peaked like Jeff Weiner did. That bastard made $2 billion! It’s a God damned shame. State politics don’t pay shit.”

So LinkedIn, you were great once (in valuation), but now you’re gone. To quote The Lion In Winter – “The sun was warmer then…”

Shine on you crazy diamond!

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

May 18, 2011May 18, 2011

What Hath AOL Wrought On TechCrunch?

Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Arianna Huffington, Eric Hippeau, Roy Sekoff, Jai Singh, Thomas B. Edsall, Willow Bay, Daniel Froomkin, Nico Pitney, Colin Sterling, Ashley McAdams, Ryan Grim, Howard Fineman, Peter Goodman, Anya Strzemien, Danny Shea, David Flumenbaum, Kimberly Brooks, Cara Parks, Alan B. Elias Kornfeld, Katy Hall, Sara Wilson, Adam Rose, Marcus Baram, Jonah Green, Jennifer Sabella, Ethan Axelrod, Amy Hertz, Bianca Bosker, Leah Finnegan, Whitney Snyder, Billy Silverman, Kate Auletta, Paul Raushenbush, Ben Craw, Nicholas Graham, David Weiner, Mark Blumenthal, Emily Swanson, Russell Bishop, Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald, Dan Collins, Simon Johnson, Dean Ornish, Lloyd I. Sederer, Susan Blumenthan, David Katz, Mary Kyman, Rachel Naomi Remen, Mark Smith, Michael Roizen, Janet Taylor, William Sears, Elyse Siegel, Ryan McCarthy, Jeff Muskus, TJ Ortenzi, Alexander Belensy, Carly Schwartz, Clay Chiles, Meghan neal, Hilary Moss, Katla McGlynn, Michael Klopman, Jack Mirkinson, Travis Donovan, Stuart Whatley, Matt Sledge, Derstin Picht, Sebastian Howard, Grace Kiser, Lila Shapiro, Gazelle Emami, Hallie Seegal, Jason Linkins, Sam Stein, Arthur Delaney, Amanda Terkel, Shahien Nasiripour, Chris Kirkham, Laura Bassett, Nicholas Wing, William Alden, Amy Lee, Craig Kanalley, Rob Fishman, Rebecca Harrington, Hunter Stuart, Nora Ephron, Greg Coleman, Phil Cara, Andy Wiedlin, Taylor Gray, Sam Figler, Peter Cherukuri, Terry City, Brian Kaminsky, Hanna Volkman, Cindy Murphy, Marc Walker, Marcia Greenblatt, Laura Krebill, John Shankman, Lauri Baker, Jennifer Carroll, Robert Schmerler, Jennifer Cherniske, Mandy MacKay, Stephanie Barolomeo, Mehmet Cereb, Adam Gross, Rachel Taxman, Lindsey Rempell, Julia Steers, Daniela Perdomo, Camille Norris, Maeve Kennedy, Victoria Wright, Morgan Holland, Lindsay Warren, Stephane Bejhar, Sophie Dabuzhsky, Diana Smith, Trey Green, Michael Macher, Paul Berry, Cindy Jeffers, Sandeep Chayapathi, Theo Burry, Ben Regenspan, Travis Morrison, Mike Sparks, Jim Bartus, Rich Ochoa, Rodrigo Garcia, Amanda Chan, Mari Ruiz, Eric Ashman, Chris Davis, Ellen Shell, Alex Maccallum, Jackie Greaney, Melaine Fuentes, Sharon Dhanraj, MIranda Cheng, Scott Hoos, Mike Cardarelli, Patty Elvey, Jeff Swafford, Lorraine Baker, McCall Marshall, Kathleen Kane, Rachel Truong, Jonah Peretti, OnMedea, Jill Kennedy, World's Largest Media Company, Tim Armstrong, Kathy Andreasen, Jon Brod, Ned Brody, Brad Garlinghouse, Alexander Gounares, Lauren Hurvitz, Jared Grusd, Julie Jacobs, Jeff Levick, Artie Minson, Maureen Sullivan, Alberto Ibarguen, James Stengel, Fredric Reynolds, Michael Powell, Patricia Mitchell, Susan Lyne, Karen Dykstra, Richard Dalzell, Heather Harde, Michael Arrington, Erick Schonfeld, MG Siegler, Leena Rao, Jason Kincaid, Alexia Tsotsis, Robin Wauters, Vivek Wadhwa, Gene McPherson, Jon Orlin, Ashley Pagan, Paul Carr, Cyan BAnister, Elin Blesener, Andrew Keen, Lora Kolodny, Sarah Lacy, Steve Gillmor, Steve Cheney, Serkan Toto, John Biggs, Bryce Durbin, Dave Freeman, Devin Coldewey, Matt Burns, Nicolas Deleon, Greg Kumparak, Simon Chester, Gagan Biyani, Mike Butcher, Steve O'Hear, Roxanne Varza, Ryuichi Nishida, Vaughn Brown, Rahul Nihalani, Laura Boychenko, Jeanne Logozzo, Tanya Porquez, Vineet Thanedar, Rip Empson, John Murillo

So, I went to TechCrunch moments ago – and was greeted by this:

Maybe it’s a test to see how many ads you can stuff on one page and still make it look “classy”. They seem to be breaking their own advertising rules of ads per page – though, suddenly, I have an odd urge to look at the new T-Mobile tablet.

Next stop – Huffington Post.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

May 13, 2011May 13, 2011

Haley Reinhart? WHY????

American Idol, Ari Emanuel, Ben Silverman, Bruce Gowers, Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Freemantle Enterprises, Gaude Lydia Paez, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, John Pritchett, Kara DioGuardi, Ken Warwick, Kevin Reilly, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., Nigel Lythgoe, Nikki Finke, Paula Abdul, Peter Rice, Randy Jackson, Rupert Murdoch, Ryan Seacrest, Scott Grogin, Sharon Waxman, Simon Cowell leaving American Idol, Simon Fuller, Terry Semel, Haley Reinhart, James Durbin, Scott McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Silverman, Jimmy Iovine

Am I the only one in America who thinks she is undeserving of all these accolades?

TOP 3 on American Idol? Seriously?

Whenever she sings it’s like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. About a 1/4 tone under the note with no life to her voice at all. That blank stare without emotion, the inability to move in a natural way.

Is she related to a producer on the show or something?

Is she the Goddaughter of Jimmy Iovine?

I think we need Dan Lyons (the guy who exposed the Facebook smear campaign against Google) to do a full investigation into the popularity of Haley. Because something is not right here.

Based on Jennifer Lopez’s reaction last night, she also knows that something is rotten in state of Hollywood.

What am I missing?

People, please help me understand why America is brainwashed to think Haley is talented enough to win this competition.

James Durbin has probably the best and most natural voice this show has seen in years. He has a four octave range. Scotty has a four note range. James could scream all day and never lose his voice – Haley has been hoarse all year.

Please, help me understand?

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

May 12, 2011May 12, 2011

All The Facebook’s Men

1000Memories, Accel Partners, Amish Jani, Andrew Hyde, Andrew Mason, Andy Sack, Ashton Kutcher, Aydin Senkut, Ben Silverman, Bin 38, Bob Davis, Bob Iger, Brad Feld, Brian Kempner, Chris Hughes, Christopher Steiner, Dan Nova, Daniel Gaisin, Danielle Hootnick, Dave McClure, David Brown, David Cohen, David Kirkpatrick, Demi Moore, Demo Day, Diego Gutierrez, Dustin Moskovitz, Edmond Yue, Eduardo Saverin, Emmett Shear, Eric Lefkofsky, Fergal Mullen, FirstMark Capital, Founders At Work, Francis Duong, Gaurav Tewari, Gerald Levin, Gerald Poch, Greg McAdoo, Greylock Partners, Harjeet Taggar, HBO, Highland Capital Partners, Irena Goldenberg, Jared Polis, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jessica Livingston, Jessica Mah, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, John Hsin, John Palfrey, Jon Miller, Jr., Justin Kan, Justin.tv, Khan Manka, Larry Wilson, Laurence Albukerk, Lawrence Lenihan, Li Ka-shing, Loopt, Manish Patel, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, Matt Nichols, Michael Arrington, Michael Gaiss, MySpace, Nick Marsh, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Paul Cianciolo, Paul Graham, Peter Bell, Peter Thiel, Reddit, Richard de Silva, Richard Heitzman, Rick Heitzmann, Robert Morris, Ron Conway, Rudy Adler, Rupert Murdoch, Sand Hill Road, Scott Shane, Scott Switzer, Sequoia Capital, Sergey Nazarov, Shabbir Dahod, Shawn Broderick, Sheryl Sandberg, Sterling Phillips, Sumner Redstone, Tapzilla, TechCrunch, TechStars, TextPayMe, Toy Story 3, Trevor Blackwell, Y Combinator, google, Eric Schmidt, Tina Brown, The Daily Beast, Barry Diller, Dan Lyons, Google Smear campaign, Burson-Marsteller, Chris Soghoian, Jim Goldman, John Mercurio,

As soon as I read The Daily Beast story about Facebook’s alleged smear (whisper) campaign against Google, I immediately thought of the scene in “All The President’s Men” with all the newspaper editors sitting around deciding which stories to run the next day.

When Watergate is brought up, there is stiff resistance from a couple of the editors.

This scene (replacing ‘Watergate’ with ‘Facebook’) could easily have played out at The Daily Beast with the change of a few words in the screenplay:

INT. THE DAILY BEAST – BUDGET MEETING

SEXY BEAST EDITOR: Let me tell you what happened when I was having lunch today at Locanda Verde–

TINA BROWN: Correction – when you were drinking your lunch at the bar of Locanda Verde–

The room erupts in laughter.

SEXY BEAST EDITOR: –this Facebook guy, a good one, a pro, came up and asked what is the “Google smear” compulsion with you guys and I said, well, we think it’s important and he said, if it’s so goddamn important, who the hell is Dan Lyons?

INNOVATION EDITOR: Fake Steve Jobs for one – but I digress. Ask him what he’s really saying – he means to take the story away from Dan Lyons and give it to his people at the Sexy Beast.

SEXY BEAST EDITOR: Well, I’ve got some pretty experienced people sitting around, wouldn’t you say so?

INNOVATION EDITOR: Absolutely, and that’s all they do, sit sit sit – every once in a while they reprint Michael Arrington, some reporting–

SEXY BEAST EDITOR: Well, what if Dan Lyons get it wrong–

TINA BROWN: Then it’s Barry Diller’s ass, isn’t it? And we’ll all have to go work for a living.

The room clears, only a couple of Editors and Tina Brown stay behind:

SEXY BEAST EDITOR: I don’t think we should cover this story, period.

TINA BROWN: Go on.

SEXY BEAST EDITOR: It’s not that we’re using unnamed sources that bothers me, or that everything we print Facebook denies.

TINA BROWN: What then?

SEXY BEAST EDITOR: I don’t believe the goddamn story, Tina, it doesn’t make sense.

TINA BROWN: It will, it just hasn’t bottomed out yet, give it time.

SEXY BEAST EDITOR: Look, why would Facebook do it? My God, Google is self-destructing before our eyes – just like MySpace did, Friendster, the bunch of ’em. Why would Burson-Marsteller send emails to bloggers urging them to write negative stories about Google, unless they wanted to get caught? Why would Burson go to Politico, The Washington Post and The Huffington Post, unless they wanted to get caught?

TINA BROWN: Are you saying Google started a whisper campaign against itself?

SEXY BEAST EDITOR: Jill Kennedy at OnMedea thinks it’s possible – Google needs some positive press, corruption’s always a good one. Get off the story, Tina – or put some people on Google’s public relations team – fair is fair, even in our business.

—————————————-

Hey, we’re early enough in this conspiracy where all theories are in play.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

Click here to read the scene from the original script of “All The President’s Men”

May 4, 2011February 1, 2017

The Huffington Post Is Dead – R.I.P.

You had a really great thing going, Arianna.

The Huffington Post was one of the more exciting and visually striking destination sites on the Internet. There was a fantastic sense of community – a “we’re-all-in-this-together” kind of feeling that will be nearly impossible to replicate anywhere else.

Whenever I went to the Huffington Post (before the buy-out), I could literally see the hustle and the bustle (new stories posted by the minute with user comments multiplying before your eyes).

You rallied and recruited celebrities and experts who blogged about subjects that were important to them. So important they didn’t want or need to be paid. Huge communities sprung up overnight on hundreds of topics. It was an amazing success story.

But it’s gone.

You cashed out.

You became an employee of AOL. AOL? One of the most hated brands in the world.

When I go to the Huffington Post now, the excitement is gone.

Topics have been slashed. HP content is painfully lacking in any kind of passion. The only interesting things to read are those that are reposted (some say stolen) from other websites.

You alienated those that meant the most to you – the celebrities and citizen bloggers – because you couldn’t share the wealth. You became irrelevant and for what? $315 million (for which, reports say, you received $18 million). You were already rich. Was it worth that extra $18 million to become irrelevant?

Dumb question. We all need an extra $18 million. But politically you are nothing now – just another rich person on the cocktail party circuit (which may have been all you wanted anyway).

As for AOL… there’s really nothing to say. It will always be AOL. And that’s who you work for, Arianna.

I guess if things really go into the shitter, you can always write columns for the Brentwood Patch.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea