David Pogue Leaves The New York Times for Yahoo

David Pogue:

But 13 years is a long time to stay in one place; we all thrive on new experiences. So I was intrigued when Yahoo invited me to help build a new consumer-tech site. Actually, “site” doesn’t even cover it. I’ll be writing columns and blog posts each week, of course, and making my goofy videos. But my team and I have much bigger plans, too, for all kinds of online and real-world creations.

Now, listen: I realize that Yahoo is an underdog. I’ve given them a few swift kicks myself over the years. But over the last few months, as I’ve pondered this offer, I’ve visited Yahoo headquarters. I’ve spent a lot of time with its executives. And what I found surprised me.

This is a company that’s young, revitalized, aggressive — and, under Marissa Mayer’s leadership, razor-focused, for the first time in years. Since she took over a year ago, Yahoo has regained its position as the #1 most visited Web site on earth. She’s overseen brilliant overhauls of several Yahoo sites and apps, and had the courage to shut down the derelict ones.

I try not to write too much about the comings and goings of who’s writing for whom in this racket, but, Pogue leaving The Times is a big deal — especially since it comes hot on the heels of Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher leaving The Wall Street Journal. Raises a couple of questions: Who replaces him as The Times’s technology columnist and product reviewer? Who is he recruiting for this new thing at Yahoo? How long can he hold out omitting the silly exclamation mark at the end of “Yahoo”?

So I’ll be starting there in a few weeks. (I’ll still keep up my NOVA specials on PBS, my “CBS Sunday Morning” stories, my Missing Manual books, and my Scientific American column.)

Hard not to admire Pogue’s prolificacy.

★ Monday, 21 October 2013