In case you’ve been too caught up in TomKat news to notice, Web 2.0 is this week.
The annual conference is a showcase for what’s new and next in the online space and brings together the people and technologies redefining the web.
Speaking of people, our Managing Partners Josh Stylman and Peter Hershberg happen to be in attendance and they sent back these almost-live highlights from the InterActiveCorp CEO Barry Diller interview with Tech guru John Battelle.
Enjoy!
Battelle: Why did you buy Ask?
Diller: I’m glad you said it that way. I initially thought we’d be disintermediated by search companies, but then realized that wasn’t going to happen. At that point we were able to go on the offensive. The search box is evolving and there will be more and more convergence through it.
Battelle: What comes to mind when you think of Google?
Diller: You mean the evil that I would do to them?
Battelle: Does Google bother you?
Diller: No, why would they bother me? They’re the first to clean the page up and offer just the box – genius. And then they delivered relevant results.
Battlle: What do you make of Murdoch’s recent moves?
Diller: There’s about a billion and change to be said. Either he’s bought them very cheap or they’re worthless – there’s no in-between. He’s a great risk taker.
Battlle: What was your first reaction to eBay buying Skype?
Diller: I don’t want to comment on other businesses. That said, it’s speculative because they [eBay] bought a company for so much more than their asset value.
Battlle: What’s your view on the state of broadband?
Diller: There is no policy. Nonetheless, it’s still taking place. Not fast enough, however and the fault is with national policy. Our system may make it a longer and messier development.
The Big Takeaway: Diller is not going to try to “out-Google Google. Instead, IAC is going to focus on trying to be a totally differentiated service.
Going back to Diller’s point about Murdoch, he seemed to have a contrarian view on consumer-generated media or “prosumer media” as Battelle called it. While Diller clearly thinks it’s important, he kept the focus on the editorial process and the limited number of talented creative people who will continue to be critical to the production of media.
Finally, Diller said that his company will like produce some “product” over time, although it’s still anyone’s guess as to what exactly it’s going to be.
