I don't think I'll ever understand people like you.

Im not disagreeing that in most cases these conspiracy theories are complete nonsense but I think it is pretty important that we encourage people to come up with alternate theories to events and actions and not instantly dismiss them. Always trusting the "rulers"(as they would call them) could end very badly in the long term for humanity.

Yeah, I definitely am the first to come up with alternate theories and trying to figure out motivations for things, but this was just silly. Now if there was some hard evidence or some very fishy stuff that's one thing, but I haven't seen anything to support it.

Also this is Google, so it would be so out of character that it contradicts every single thing anyone has ever learned about Google first-hand, second-hand, or third-hand. This is not how you make a conspiracy theory.

Here's the thing, it is actually a good question - "Why would a big dog at google, presumably one who has a pile of google stock, go to a floundering competitor?"

There are many good obvious reasons to accept a better job at a non-competitor, or a strong competitor, but on the surface, going to a struggling competitor seems odd.

It is worth exploring. One thing that keeps coming up in my mind is that Google is regularly mentioned in context of anti-trust stuff. That is a big deal. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Google bigwigs sent Ms Mayer to Yahoo with a blessing, saying "make Yahoo good again, we need competition". Conspiratorial sounding, yeah sure. But at the same time, completely reasonable, and totally explains what would look like an otherwise conflicted loyalty/position.

A strong yahoo also helps (everyone really) on the Facebook front.

A strong yahoo also will keep Google sharp. All of their best innovations came when they weren't the clear winner, so some competition may help invigorate the innovation again.

I wouldn't put it past Sergey and Larry to grok all of this, and say to their trusted people, "look its better if some of you guys move to our competitors, it's good for all of us, you guys can actually make that happen."

Your conspiracy theory about Google planting Marissa as a spy CEO is absurd.

I'm sure Marissa's departure was considered a huge loss at Google, especially to go to Yahoo. No company is ever happy to lose an executive.

"spy CEO" wasn't my original intention. More like "figure-head whose intention is to benefit Google and whose loyalty is still with Google". Google's leadership is very shrewd and it would be foolish to blindly put this past them.

To be fair after reading a bit more and thinking about this it could be a vanity move motivated by the promo skip.

Yea, it's more like her planting herself with the help of the Yahoo! board.

The willingness to believe in conspiracy theories, probably.

Sometimes it's OK to let your imagination run wild. Especially when the 20th employee of thriving Google chooses to be the CEO of stagnating Yahoo.

It may also help to look at it as: stagnating Google employee #20, passed over for promotion, spites Google by taking job at a competitor.

Top job, no less. For somebody who's accomplished as much as she has, it must be difficult finding worthy new challenges. The VentureBeat article on another thread states she's worth $300m. She only continues to work because she loves the challenge, clearly.

It's probably much simpler than that. You know that study where most people chose to be the top dog of a small group instead of being part of a larger group, but only a subordinate? Same goes here.

Besides, maybe she really believes she can turn the company around - who will be laughing if/when that happens?

And they would do this because Google needed to watch out for Yahoo sneaking up on them?

"Try it before you buy it." Yahoo has something that Google wants: traffic. However Google probably has doubts about the health of Yahoo as most people do. So have a friend learn about the company inside and out and then make a decision: buy the company if it looks good or don't buy it of you find out it truly is thoroughly rotten inside.

If they wanted the traffic, what would it matter if Yahoo was rotten to the core? Just buy it, take the traffic, and dismiss the bad seeds.

I don't think this is a mole planted by Google, there are plenty of other ways to figure out what's going on there besides proactively having one of your best performers leave the company.

I'm speculating, but reasonably certain Mayer went there because she was already thinking of leaving Google, after being shut out of Page's executive inner circle. Reading between the lines (and based on input of two friends who have worked with her), it wouldn't be off base to think she's going to try to outgun Google simply to prove a point -- that they shouldn't have passed her up for promotion.

Should be interesting to watch, because I think she's motivated well beyond financial considerations -- this is about payback.

If it's really about competition or payback then this will be amazing to watch! Valleywag probably just opened a few reqs.

A better conspiracy would be that Google wants yahoo to be strong to avoid anti-trust issues.