That's the most mean spirited, and inaccurate, post I've ever seen from your crap ass site. I've worked at Ask for over 4 years. IAC doesn't give a shit about the news product (which is part of the problem with IAC) and, thankfully, he doesn't look at all like that photo in person. He's actually quite cute!

Firing someone for delaying the Ask.com news site is like killing someone for baking you muffins.

I'm no fan of Ask.com or Jim Lanzone, but it is really a very difficult gig to have to fight against Google for market share. Jim Lanzone is obviously NOT the right guy, but I give him some credit for trying.

You're missing a crucial point here, Ace, which is that irrespective of the Google empire factor, no one (including Safka) will be able to make Ask perform to its outdated, aged front-facing icon...and I ain't referring to Jeeves.

BTW, my comment above is in response to SGGRF. It's too early for me to navigate the actual response cue.

Sixstring --- I agree competely with that, too. It would take someone with a very strong persionality and real creative vision to push the "old" stone up the hill. One of my points is that Jim Lanzone wasn't the right person to do that.

@sggrf: Funny to read the posts about Jim from folks saying Ask needed a stronger personality and creative vision. Anyone who spends 5 minutes with Jim figures out bloody quick that this guy has a stronger personality and more vision than a lot of folks at Goog or Yahoo or other competitors. He is scrappier, harder-driving and more aggressive than most in the valley. He's a badass mofo. It'll be tough to find someone who can match that. Don't know much about Safka, except his credibility as a marketer from Match, but is that really what Ask needs? (case in point: did Yahoo really flourish when it brought in heavy-hitting traditional marketing geniuses?) Garrell is a stud, so it's cool seeing him get more props, but I don't know that in Barry's empire, the best personality, vision and the right roadmap are enough to help you survive.

btw, the cut the fat comment headline is pretty funny, especially coming from you Tubby Thomas. :)

Ask is not playing by the sames rules as Google --- paying big dollars for distribution, etc. They need to do that in order to build their audience. Jim should've "badassed" himself into Barry's office and threatened to quit if he didn't get the budget for dealmaking.

weird sex factor=barry likes his boys to look young & healthy. lebda (lap-dog) and lanzone were no longer hot enough to keep diller from overlooking their lackluster business performance.

@safetydance: No no no no no. Lazone may no longer have the luster but Lebda still definitely inspires the lust with his rockin' bod and sexy smirk.

@brandnew_yerretro: I'd say it takes one to know one.

Why do people who know the least know it the loudest? Despite Valleywag's rigorous fact-checking, superbly qualified sources, and high journalistic integrity, you have mistakenly allowed (just this one time!) total garbage to be printed on your site. Do you honestly think a delay in what probably amounts to one of 50 projects is grounds for dismissing a CEO with a superb track record? The fact is that shit flows downhill, and the Chairman of IACI (52-week low today) is a guy who is trying to patch up a fading legacy and bruised ego by picking a totally undeserving scapegoat.

Unfortunately Jim's strong personality did not translate into business. Great guy but wrong job! Did not make money for Diller and knew next to nothing about managing a shop larger than ten people. Great news for ask - with pros like safka coming...

Jim Lanzone has been managing the whole show (Oakland, Jersey, London, Pisa) for years - long before he took the CEO title. He had 12 direct reports and an open door to everyone else. He's am amazing manager, product builder, and leader. There's a good reason people have called him the "soul of ask." I hope Safka is half the leader Lanzone has been. He's going to be missed terribly.