Facebook buys start-up Parakey for undisclosed sum: ka-ching!

by Actual News Geezer | July 19, 2007 at 07:10 pm | 521 views | add comment

Wow - Facebook just bought Parakey ! I love Parakey!!

No I don't. I haven't a clue what it is about. If you go to the Parakey website, you get an official-looking notice that proclaims:

"Give your computer the bird."

Here's another clue: have a look at the photo (right) of Blake Ross (thanks laughingsquid), one of the founders of Parakey. Behind him is a Powerpoint slide that says, I think, "Annilhilate Bill Gates and feast upon the remains of his shattered empire."

Ah...so Parakey is really about flipping the bird to Bill Gates! So how exactly does Parakey do that?

Parakey is a Web-based computer user interface proposed by Firefox contributors Blake Ross and Joe Hewitt [1][2][3]. Ross describes it as "a Web operating system that can do everything an OS can do." The idea behind it is to make image, video, and writing transfer to the web easier. He explains that the current problem with transferring data to the web is that in order to move an image onto the web you first have to transfer pictures from your digital camera, then upload them to a place like Flickr. Or, if you want to rant, you launch a blog on blogger.com before you can start talking.

Here is the Reuters story.

(Let me know if you know something sinister (or interesting) about Parakey)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Privately held social networking site Facebook Inc. said on Thursday it has acquired Internet startup Parakey, run by the co-founders of Web browser Mozilla Firefox, for an undisclosed sum.

Parakey was described as a "platform that bridges the gap between information on the Web and the desktop."

As a result of the transaction, Mozilla Firefox founders Blake Ross and Joe Hewitt will help develop the Facebook and the company's Web site.

JUST IN!

Blake Ross has posted a FAQ about the sale to Facebook and it is hilarious!

Why did you decide to sell to Yahoo?

Two words: Ka-CHING! That’s the sound Fred and I make whenever we think of you, our loyal user. In fact, we didn’t even want to sell, but
we didn’t think that would be fair. To you.

Yahoo is a perfect fit for us in a number of generic ways. They have
tons of resources and we only have, like, six. We both have a vision. And something about their culture.

Fred and I are so excited about the new opportunities that we’ve
decided to remain at Yahoo to pursue them through July 11, 2010 at 11:59PM PDT, during which time we’ve elected to demonstrate a good faith effort to be of service to Acquirer in the Transition Period.

How do I get help with the changes?

Many of you know our current Customer Service department, Cynthia, and her scrumptious blueberry muffins. Unfortunately, she did not fit into Yahoo’s New Delhi-based vision. Of course, you can still receive support by calling +18004692466. Press 4, say “waffle” and type a pentagram on the number pad. In negotiating this acquisition, Yahoo executives assured us that your call was important to them.