That should have been SearchEnginesWeb doing that interview - after several dumb answers he would have gotten hit with an auto penis - right on tape

I can understand him wanting to defer comments on the Microsoft/Yahoo deal/no-deal, considering his past. But when he says he has “no opinion” about the Facebook valuation question, I just have to question that.

Either he is A) lying, or B) truly has no opinion, C) just could care less or D) is too afraid to say anything that might jeopardize future opportunities.

If it’s A, that’s pretty sad. There’s no reason to lie - really ever - but certainly not in this case. That would be a mark against his character if it came out that he did, in fact, have an opinion.

If it’s B, then he just comes off looking uninformed. Choosing not to share an opinion is not the same as having “no opinion”. A dial-up AOL user living in a trailer in the woods might have “no opinion” simply because they have “no clue”, but Terry Semel? That’s unbelievable on a surface level. Someone should ask him if he thinks Facebook is worth the entire world ten times over. Would he THEN have an opinion? Ugh….

If it’s C, that’s perhaps understandable and just leads one to believe he has a pretty bad taste in his mouth for all things Tech/Silicon Valley. Maybe. I have to put my two cents in for this possibility. Just because I’m an optimist.

If it’s D, that would perhaps be the worst of all. To be afraid at his level in the game pretty much sums up why being a hot-shot powerful executive isn’t all it’s cracked up to be: You’re still beholden to “the man”, being careful to not say anything to offend the parties that may one day be writing a paycheck. If so, what the heck is the point of being CEO. I’m no big fan of guys like Jack Welch (3 marriages = dumb), but at least the guy opens his mouth and states opinions. If you don’t have strong opinions at that stage of the game, what the heck are you even good for?

There’s so little information in this interview, I thought it was an interview with Bill Belichick at first.

Someone get an interview with Yang - I’ll be he has some opinions about that Facebook question. Or even Jack Welch.

“Semel: I have no opinion about it. This is something Microsoft needs to decide on.”

But Microsoft is pushing a 15 PUBLIC valuation for later by buying private shares before an IPO. The interviewer should have asked if the SEC should get involved because it’s eventually going to artificially effect the investment banker valuation for the IPO price.

That’s why it’s a scam and why there should be regulation even though it is a private share buy in which normally doesn’t fall under that regulation.