this..

Is this…

Besides the obvious fact that this message makes it look like the user did something wrong (when most of the time, it’s just the cookie timing out), this page hasn’t changed in years. Once again, you’ve got to ask if Yahoo! product managers actually use their own products?

Of course, the example above is only a small part of Yahoo!’s bigger problems — like what does the Yahoo! brand stand for and how can Yahoo! create products to match the brand? However, even if Yahoo! has a hidden, compelling brand/product vision, it certainly can’t execute on it.

When the ad revenue pool is rising all over the Internet, Yahoo! seems to have sprung a leak. Time cut out and fix the bad parts on the boat. I’d start up at the crow’s nest.

Updated: 2006-04-06

Updated: 2006-04-06: … really cheap brand building by YouTube.

…oh, and buh bye.

WTF is Apple thinking?

Recently, Apple sues Think Secret, Apple Insider and PowerPage, because they reported on some “secret” Apple information recently (such as pre-release details on the Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle). Genius! Then they decide to “punish” the publisher, Wiley & Sons, of an upcoming, unauthorized biography of Steve Jobs by pulling all Wiley & Sons books from Apple stores. Brilliant!

Fortunately, Wiley & Sons has integrity (which is apparently a scarce commodity at Apple) and plans to go forward and publish the biography entitled iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Buisness, by Jeffrey Young.

First, this strategy — if you can call it that — is doomed to fail. Banning books from Apple Stores is sure to be controversial, will generate lots of press and will only end up enhancing iCons sales. Second, does any company really want to have their brand associated with draconian attempts to control the media? In this case, I guess Apple does. And you thought the guys and gals in Redmond were bad.

I only have two words related to how Apple is acting: North Korea.