When I got this email it reminded me I still had a Delicious account as I had stopped using it last November when the news first broke. Makes me think I don't need to save as many bookmarks as I use to since I never did find a replacement. Thanks Yahoo, you simplified my life.
From upcoming Delicious TOS, "What Not To Do" section:
> - Attempt to access or search the Service or Service Content or download Service Content from the Service through the use of any engine, software, tool, agent, device or mechanism (including spiders, robots, crawlers, data mining tools or the like) other than the software and/or search agents provided by AVOS or other generally available third party web browsers;
So, they're telling me that I can't even write (more precisely, use) my own client?
Dear Delicious User,
This is our final notice to let you know that Delicious is transitioning to a new owner, AVOS. To continue using Delicious, you must agree to let Yahoo! transfer your bookmarks and Delicious account information to AVOS by September 23, 2011. After your bookmarks and account information have been transferred, you will be subject to the AVOS terms of service and privacy policy.
[Yes, Move My Bookmarks]
Details:
Delicious has been acquired by the founders of YouTube, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. As creators of the world's largest video site, Chad and Steve have enabled millions of people to share their interests and experiences with the world. Delicious will become part of their new company, AVOS, and retain its own brand and website, Delicious.com.
Reasons to let Yahoo! transfer your bookmarks and account information
• Continue uninterrupted use of Delicious.
• Keep your Delicious username, account information, and all your bookmarks.
• Enjoy innovative new features that enhance your Delicious experience.
What happens if you do not transfer your bookmarks and account information
• Delicious in its current form will be available until September 23, 2011.
• After September 23, 2011, you will not be able to access your existing Delicious account, including all bookmarks and account information.
About AVOS
AVOS is a new Internet company led by Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, who founded YouTube, the world's largest video site. Before YouTube, Chad and Steve were early employees at PayPal, a leading online payment service that is now part of eBay. AVOS is based in San Mateo, California.
Does this mean they may not preserve all the heavily tagged content available to the public (not just members)? I wish more sysadmins felt a sense of responsibility for the stability of the parts of the web delegated to them. Link rot is completely avoidable.
I don't recall a similar email when Yahoo! acquired delicious in the first place, why they should want permission now is beyond me.
Hurley & Chen surely can do a better job and it strikes me as though an 'opt-out' would have been better in this situation, or at least a process that would survive the actual transfer of assets between the two entities.
Yahoo! has a long history of losing their users data through shutdowns (geocities!), to see them lose user data on the spin-out and sale of a company they acquired a few years ago is probably just another 'snafu' for them.
It's a shame they're not sharing more details about what these 'innovative new features' will be though before asking people to commit to a new company. The NY times article mentions browseable “stacks” but it would be nice if Avos could elaborate a bit more on their plans:
My delicious email is not a current one so I would never have found about this without this post on HN. This short transfer window will likely lose avos a lot of users.
