When information was leaked from a Yahoo! employee that indicated that Delicious would be getting the ax in the near future, the social bookmarking community cried out against the move. Yahoo has been quick to make a statement denying an imminent shutdown, but even then, there are different opinions on whether Delicious will survive.
According to a post from the Delicious blog, Yahoo’s intention with Delicious are fairly clear. Their statement was very clear that “No, we are not shutting down Delicious.” They do acknowledge that it was among the projects that don’t contribute toward Yahoo’s strategic aims, however, and that it would be better placed with another company “where it can be resourced to the level where it can be competitive.”
They then go on to elaborate on the future of Delicious, one they envision with a good home outside of Yahoo. What that home may be, no one quite knows. Yahoo gave no names, stating instead that they were “exploring a variety of options,” and promised they would give more details once official plans had been made.
Beyond seeming to contradict the leaked information in these statements, there are doubts on how well Delicious can actually be sold. A report from Mashable gives us the perspective of Stephen Hood, former project manager at both Yahoo and Delicious. While Hood made it clear that he would love to see the site live on, he says it’s not likely another company will buy it.
The reasons are manifold, but include both the obvious and the subtle. The site, while it has a vocal and loyal visitor base, is neither highly profitable nor difficult to replicate in functionalities. Hood continues to state that the infrastructure of Delicious relies too heavily on Yahoo technology — technology that would have to be sold in tandem with Delicious to make the sale worthwhile
