Yahoo is making it known today that the deal to acquire Tumblr has officially closed, putting the blog network in the hands of brand new owners and leaving industry observers with many unanswered questions.
“As promised, Tumblr will continue to operate as a separate business, led by David Karp as CEO,” Yahoo CEO wrote on Yahoo’s blog today. “Their product roadmap, their team, and tone will all remain the same as will their mission to empower creators and curators alike to do what they love best: create.”
(See also Buying Tumblr Will Leave Yahoo With The Same Old Identity Crisis)
But even separated like this, will Yahoo and Tumblr be a good fit? If Yahoo wants to use Tumblr as a platform to sell ads, it might find a sketchy fit on some of Tumblr’s racier blogs. And will the demographic of the tamer Tumblr outposts be a match for Yahoo’s needs?
Time will tell, but one thing that frankly horrifies us is the thought of high-level corporate messaging now including animated, rotating GIFs. Oh, the humanity!