There's little question that Yahoo!
But unlike Chuck, I attribute it to nothing more than the bugs and kinks inherent in early versions of new technology. In fact, I see Yahoo! as more savvy than Google
Despite these seemingly "di-worse-ification" efforts, Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft remain key players in online search and advertising, which will only continue to grow worldwide. Sure, Google is the undisputed leader, as Yahoo! lost focus of its core business, and MSN Network remains a distant third. But Yahoo! has shaken up the management ranks to re-emphasize its core business, which boils down to millions of loyal users using its portals and search functions. Advertisers will always want to pay up to reach this large audience, and the fact that new technology is steadily being introduced means the competitive landscape is in constant flux -- a good thing if you're not the leader.
Yahoo! has plenty of work to do to make more money from a subscriber base that primarily uses its free functions, but the high margins at some of its peers show just how much potential remains. Online advertising is a growth industry, and it's hard to argue against Yahoo! at its current levels.