Thoughts 03 Dec 2007 07:42 pm
Six apart sells Livejournal to Russian media company.
Blogging software maker Six Apart Dec. 3 said it has sold social networking software maker LiveJournal to Russian online media company SUP for an undisclosed sum.
The Kommersant business daily in Russia says the price-tag was in the neighborhood of $30 Million.
As part of the deal, SUP will create an American management company, LiveJournal Inc., to manage the social network’s operations. SUP will also form an advisory board that includes Brad Fitzpatrick, LiveJournal’s founder who now works for Google.
Six apart owns Vox, Movable Type and Typepad. All of which appear to be losing marketshare. They have also been under license to run LiveJournal.ru since 2006.
SUP owns Championat.ru which is one of Russia’s top three sports sites. They control/own a couple of advertising firms, including the one that controls the Russian ads on Last.fm.
The part that worries me is Russia’s trying to control all media. By controlling an online community and complete with blogs they can portray themselves and their perceived enemies in any manner they wish and give it an air of legitimacy.
Thinking about this makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, wondering what our own fearless leader and his appointees are up to.