4 ms·

If you own IAC stock, I’d recommend selling as soon as market opens tomorrow. Watch. Barry Diller’s hidden secret to wealth is IAC’s Adware division (called “Mi

If you own IAC stock, I’d recommend selling as soon as market opens tomorrow. Watch. Barry Diller’s hidden secret to wealth is IAC’s Adware division (called “Mindspark”. Basically Ask Toolbars to trick unsophisticated masses to install browser extensions). IAC and Google, until now, has had a backroom relationship and contracts to turn a blind eye towards Adware and Deceptive Advertising. That’s the summary.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
huac 6y ago
per WSJ that division is less than 5% of IAC revenue and shrinking. it would be surprising if there was more than a 2-3% move attributable to this news, which would bring you all the way back to, um, thursday's share price. also, this price action should be incorporated into the opening auction, so really you should sell before the market opens, not when it opens
- for_i_in_range 6y ago
  Wonder how much Profit, though. Since there’s only upfront cost and then a massive long tail collecting Google Revenue for 3-4 years the unknowing and unsophisticated user keeps it installed (all profit at that point). Chrome uninstalling would be quite the disruption to their cash cow. In the words if George Carlin (may he rest in peace), “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” The second half are who this part of IAC’s profit thrives on.
- mike_d 6y ago
  Less than 5% of direct revenue, but it is used to drive tons of traffic to their other properties. IAC buys random up and coming websites/apps/etc and turns the firehose of traffic on them.
- ballenf 6y ago
  Given IAC’s strong DIY home repair and cooking properties, I’d say they’ll continue to be strong through lockdowns.
  - for_i_in_range 6y ago
    Update for Historical Purposes: IAC share price dropped 1.62% to $143.07 by end of day. I was expecting a bigger drop. Will be interesting to see what actions or non-actions Google takes.
for_i_in_range 6y ago
P.S. This has been going on for a very, very long time. IAC/Ask Toolbar has just been constantly tweaking itself to remain compliant (in Google’s Perceptions), by farming out responsibilities of user acquisition to 3rd party performance marketers, and then blaming the 3rd party marketers whenever Google catches them. Here’s detailed research on their practices from 2006: https://www.benedelman.org/spyware/ask-toolbars/ https://www.benedelman.org/spyware/ask-toolbars/
- asddubs 6y ago
  google might not be so keen to moderate that kind of thing since they effectively do the same thing
MattGaiser 6y ago
They own all sorts of properties: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAC_(company) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAC_(company) It is almost the story of an internet giant you have never heard of (or at least that I had never heard of, even though I work for the original founder of one of their properties.)
- dehrmann 6y ago
  I haven't been paying attention; Match Group (Tinder, OKCupid, Match, and a whole lot more) was spun off this year.
- mschuster91 6y ago
  > In 2014, IAC acquired ASKfm for an undisclosed sum. Oh I knew I knew these asshats from back in ye olde days. Just about ruined the community.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

huac 6y ago

per WSJ that division is less than 5% of IAC revenue and shrinking. it would be surprising if there was more than a 2-3% move attributable to this news, which would bring you all the way back to, um, thursday's share price. also, this price action should be incorporated into the opening auction, so really you should sell before the market opens, not when it opens

for_i_in_range 6y ago
Wonder how much Profit, though. Since there’s only upfront cost and then a massive long tail collecting Google Revenue for 3-4 years the unknowing and unsophisticated user keeps it installed (all profit at that point). Chrome uninstalling would be quite the disruption to their cash cow. In the words if George Carlin (may he rest in peace), “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” The second half are who this part of IAC’s profit thrives on.
mike_d 6y ago
Less than 5% of direct revenue, but it is used to drive tons of traffic to their other properties. IAC buys random up and coming websites/apps/etc and turns the firehose of traffic on them.
ballenf 6y ago
Given IAC’s strong DIY home repair and cooking properties, I’d say they’ll continue to be strong through lockdowns.
- for_i_in_range 6y ago
  Update for Historical Purposes: IAC share price dropped 1.62% to $143.07 by end of day. I was expecting a bigger drop. Will be interesting to see what actions or non-actions Google takes.

for_i_in_range 6y ago

P.S. This has been going on for a very, very long time. IAC/Ask Toolbar has just been constantly tweaking itself to remain compliant (in Google’s Perceptions), by farming out responsibilities of user acquisition to 3rd party performance marketers, and then blaming the 3rd party marketers whenever Google catches them. Here’s detailed research on their practices from 2006: https://www.benedelman.org/spyware/ask-toolbars/ https://www.benedelman.org/spyware/ask-toolbars/

asddubs 6y ago
google might not be so keen to moderate that kind of thing since they effectively do the same thing

MattGaiser 6y ago

They own all sorts of properties: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAC_(company) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAC_(company) It is almost the story of an internet giant you have never heard of (or at least that I had never heard of, even though I work for the original founder of one of their properties.)

dehrmann 6y ago
I haven't been paying attention; Match Group (Tinder, OKCupid, Match, and a whole lot more) was spun off this year.
mschuster91 6y ago
> In 2014, IAC acquired ASKfm for an undisclosed sum. Oh I knew I knew these asshats from back in ye olde days. Just about ruined the community.