The venerable beleaguered Yahoo, once the hottest property on the internet, is changing its name after completing its acquisition by Verizon. The new name will be:
Altaba.
Uh huh. That’s right. Because all the good domain names are already taken.
Actually, it’s supposed to come from “alternative” “Alibaba.” Like that term for racists alt-right, Yahoo is becoming alt-Chinese sell everything company.
It turns out that Yahoo owns 15% of Alibaba, so the new company is, as the Washington Post says, “is now essentially a vehicle for holding Alibaba’s stock.”
I know a few people who write for Yahoo, and I hope their jobs are not in peril. While the company has been a disaster in recent years, it is one of the defining brands of the internet. Times have changed. And all the good domain names have been taken.