Purch Acquires AnandTech, Dominates Tech Expert and Enthusiast Market

[bearxor]

Why would this be a sign that the site is going downhill? Is it common for companies like Purch to say they aren't going to change anything, and then change a bunch of stuff anyway?

Yes and no.

Essentially, everything will be the same for the first 9-15 months. But slowly, the editorial staff will begin to feel like they're not being listened to or that they feel pressured to do something they don't want to do. So you'll start to lose some writers. As new ones are hired, they will start to reflect the ideas and opinions of the parent company as opposed to the editor. So the editor will get frustrated and leave. This will probably take a couple of years at the most.

Now, the parent company will hire a new editor. This editor will take on the attitude of the parent company and changes will accelerate because this editor feels like they need to establish themselves in the hierarchy and will stray even further from the original site vision.

Now... Is all of this on purpose? Of course not. It's organic. It's changes that may even have been made by Anand (or whomever) were he still in charge but it won't FEEL right. Things will be off just enough so that long-time visitors will notice.

And the company that makes the acquisition will always say that they can't control what the site will look like in 6 months, 12 months, two years, etc. But it will come.

But I pretty much have checked out of this site as soon as Anand left. That was the plainly visible writing on the wall. The site is how it is because of Anand. He's like the Steve Jobs of this site. It was his vision and he was the one who said yes or no to things and he was ultimately the final word. His departure is the crippling blow. I'll still log in every once in a while just to check up on some things and conduct some business in FS/T but I'm basically done with the regular site.

Cheers!

 

[jpishgar]

From the other thread:

Does this mean that the forums won't go down every Saturday night?

Absolutely not. If your forums currently go down every Saturday night, you can and should expect to see the forums continue to go down every Saturday night.

The acquisition changes very little in the day-to-day. We can work to improve things as they are identified, but will do so with your input and at your urging.

I don't know about the rest of you, but having a large block of tech / review sites controlled by one group is a bad thing. It essentially destroys the credibility of AT as a source of reliable tech reviews and information.

The editorial teams exercise control over what they cover and how deep they cover it. Credibility isn't threatened by being part of the same parent company. The only major difference is that the AT team is going to have access to a greater number of resources now than it has in the past.

 

[gothamhunter]

Wait, these are just forums for some other website?

 

[boomerang]

Right now there is AnandTech and there is Tom's. They used to be rivals. Now, under the same ownership, there will be a "spirit of cooperation", some synergy and whatever other lingo type crap corporate America is spewing these days. Where it will ultimately end up is with one site. The only way two sites will survive is if one goes in a different direction. In the tech world, what direction will that be? Good tech and bad tech? At some point somebody is going to say why are we running two sites that are essentially doing the same thing? Why are we essentially competing with each other?

Where is Pontiac? Where is Saturn? Where is Oldsmobile? If you are going to have competing brands under the same roof, they need to have distinctions between them that justify their existence. Will there be changes? You bet.

I could have done better with this but the road ahead is clear. It's just a matter of when. Two men enter, one man leaves.

 

[Erenhardt]

Lets put it straight:
Question:
Do you plan to put any kind of AdBlock (and alike) policies, detection (etc) which will in any way influence using the site or the forum?

 

[Anubis]

wait, these are just forums for some other website?

lies, lies and slander

 

[Phoenix86]

The editorial teams exercise control over what they cover and how deep they cover it. Credibility isn't threatened by being part of the same parent company. The only major difference is that the AT team is going to have access to a greater number of resources now than it has in the past.

Such as?

 

[Nebor]

This website reviews tech hardware? I thought it was a blog for a fiscally irresponsible, attention loving, overweight 40-something guy from Florida who was trying to turn his life around by becoming the third baby daddy to a single mom. I have been grossly misled.

 

[boozzer]

I have never liked tom's HW. but I did like AT's reviews though. until 970 review. it was basically the same thing, over and over, like all the other review sites, instead of a real review.

it would really be a shame if AT end's up like tom's hw.

 

[Pulsar]

Lets put it straight:
Question:
Do you plan to put any kind of AdBlock (and alike) policies, detection (etc) which will in any way influence using the site or the forum?

If you're going to ask that, you might also ask at what point they're going to add all the freaking popup 'recommendations' windows that Tom's had.

Seriously, companies like purch don't purchase a brand to improve it. They purchase it to monetize it, string it along as long as they can, then dump it when some other brand name builds up a user base. The DAY Anand left, this place was living on borrowed time. Now we all just have to sit and wait for the popups, nag screens, censorship and other evils to slowly wade their way in.

Sheesh.

In the mean time, hush up, act like nothing happened, and continue posting.

 

[jpishgar]

Now... Is all of this on purpose? Of course not. It's organic. It's changes that may even have been made by Anand (or whomever) were he still in charge but it won't FEEL right. Things will be off just enough so that long-time visitors will notice.

You are, actually, pretty spot-on there. But this is organic with pretty much any and every site out there. Churn happens, attrition happens. Tom's is definitely not the same place it was back in 1996, but neither is Anandtech - and they won't be in ten years how they are now. Sites and communities are ideas that take form and exist as a life unto themselves. They grow, evolve, the flavors change. There will always, always be the desire for a nostalgic return to "the way things were before", and the golden era was the one you just barely missed. I can't offer you a guarantee that the feeling will remain the same, but the essence itself remains, and what is built here endures.

I can say that the team who is here takes their roles as reporters and servants to the community of readers very seriously, and have high standards to live up to and meet. I think that's a very strong part of the Anandtech culture, and something not found on every other site out there.

The site is how it is because of Anand.

It started that way, and the same could be said of Tom or any other founder. The strength of their personalities forged the core of the communities that coalesced around them. But there's a life unto its own now for both. Apple continues without Jobs, Microsoft without Gates (as a full-timer), Tom's Hardware continues without Tom. Anandtech is in great hands with Ryan and the team, and has a stellar future ahead of it that excites the crap out of me and everyone else at Purch.

 

[Jeff7]

Does Purch employ any people named Anand?

 

[mmntech]

Ugh, Tom's Hardware is seriously buying up AnandTech. Well, there goes the neighbourhood. Everything I've seen on that site doesn't exactly leave me bristling with confidence regarding the new owners.

Wonder how much they paid for this luxury and whether the deal is still on the table. If anybody here is willing to invest.

 

[jpishgar]

Do you plan to put any kind of AdBlock (and alike) policies, detection (etc) which will in any way influence using the site or the forum?

No changes are planned to any of that.

Such as?

Sharing of resources like time, money, people, contacts, networks and product - per request. Expecting that much to start with.

 

[_Rick_]

This website reviews tech hardware? I thought it was a blog for a fiscally irresponsible, attention loving, overweight 40-something guy from Florida who was trying to turn his life around by becoming the third baby daddy to a single mom. I have been grossly misled.

u so jelly!


I wonder if the new management will do anything about the secret lifer subforum.

 

[Chaotic42]

Fuck.

I mean, just... fuck.

I especially love how a new "community manager" comes into the thread without an announcement to the community and starts directing things. While it might be a simple misstep it's a terribly way to say hi. Actually, it's confirming how things have already changed.

He did make an announcement at 11:16am.

 

[bearxor]

You are, actually, pretty spot-on there. But this is organic with pretty much any and every site out there. Churn happens, attrition happens. Tom's is definitely not the same place it was back in 1996, but neither is Anandtech - and they won't be in ten years how they are now. Sites and communities are ideas that take form and exist as a life unto themselves. They grow, evolve, the flavors change. There will always, always be the desire for a nostalgic return to "the way things were before", and the golden era was the one you just barely missed. I can't offer you a guarantee that the feeling will remain the same, but the essence itself remains, and what is built here endures.

I can say that the team who is here takes their roles as reporters and servants to the community of readers very seriously, and have high standards to live up to and meet. I think that's a very strong part of the Anandtech culture, and something not found on every other site out there.



It started that way, and the same could be said of Tom or any other founder. The strength of their personalities forged the core of the communities that coalesced around them. But there's a life unto its own now for both. Apple continues without Jobs, Microsoft without Gates (as a full-timer), Tom's Hardware continues without Tom. Anandtech is in great hands with Ryan and the team, and has a stellar future ahead of it that excites the crap out of me and everyone else at Purch.

I have two responses to you.

1) You probably shouldn't be using Tom's Hardware as a prime example of how your company treats sites.

2) I firmly believe that you and your company believes that "Anandtech is in great hands with Ryan and the team, and has a stellar future ahead of it that excites the crap out of me and everyone else at Purch."

Let's revisit the second point this time next year.

EDIT: I would also point out that the two companies you gave examples of continuing on without their founders both suffered massively in one way or another until the founder was brought back in. These are also probably not good examples to use to make your point.

 

[felang]

This website reviews tech hardware? I thought it was a blog for a fiscally irresponsible, attention loving, overweight 40-something guy from Florida who was trying to turn his life around by becoming the third baby daddy to a single mom. I have been grossly misled.

LOL

 

[taq8ojh]

Purch’s industry-leading combination of high-quality content and integrated commerce experiences makes complex buying decisions easy for more than 100 million consumers and professionals monthly. With the acquisition of AnandTech, Purch furthers its mission to simplify purchase decisions for in-market tech consumers by adding one of the most popular computer components, hardware, and mobile reviews sites to a brand portfolio that already includes category heavyweight, Tom’s Hardware.

I don't even understand what this means. Sounds like lawyer talk: say as little as possible with the largest amount of words.

 

[jlee]

Purch’s industry-leading combination of high-quality content and integrated commerce experiences makes complex buying decisions easy for more than 100 million consumers and professionals monthly. With the acquisition of AnandTech, Purch furthers its mission to simplify purchase decisions for in-market tech consumers by adding one of the most popular computer components, hardware, and mobile reviews sites to a brand portfolio that already includes category heavyweight, Tom’s Hardware.

I don't even understand what this means. Sounds like lawyer talk: say as little as possible with the largest amount of words.

"Purch makes it easier for people to buy stuff."

 

[waffleironhead]

Purch’s industry-leading combination of high-quality content and integrated commerce experiences makes complex buying decisions easy for more than 100 million consumers and professionals monthly. With the acquisition of AnandTech, Purch furthers its mission to simplify purchase decisions for in-market tech consumers by adding one of the most popular computer components, hardware, and mobile reviews sites to a brand portfolio that already includes category heavyweight, Tom’s Hardware.

I don't even understand what this means. Sounds like lawyer talk: say as little as possible with the largest amount of words.

They grey the line between article and advertisement to the point there is effectively no difference.

 

[TwiceOver]

You guys should buy out Kyle too. I'm sure he's feeling a little left behind these days.

Also, you guys should sell off TopTenReviews that is pure clickbait. I hate it when people come to me "Well TopTenReviews says to buy this model" foregoing any other research on their part.

 

[andylawcc]

You guys should buy out Kyle too. I'm sure he's feeling a little left behind these days.

lawlz

 

[bearxor]

You guys should buy out Kyle too. I'm sure he's feeling a little left behind these days.

Hah, You just got a PM didn't you?

"Do you know if he's willing to sell?" -Purch Representative

 

[Printer Bandit]

What kind of name is Purch anyways? meaning?