...Because that's what you do when you are a little startup with just a little traction and what you're doing isn't core to Google's strategy. You go to work for them. Jaiku had a bright team and I'm sure they'll contribute significantly to Google's mobile strategy.
Did you really think that Google bought Jaiku for Jaiku? Maybe you don't remember, but they already have Dodgeball... and if they really cared about the service, why wouldn't they just buy Twitter? Look at the traffic between the two sites. Clearly, this isn't about buying or using the service... and I'm glad, because getting bought by Google at such an early stage, unless you are in the business of directly monetizing audience, is just about the worst thing that can happen to your startup if you want it to grow.
Steve Rubel thinks that it will be 45 days before Twitter gets sold, probably to Yahoo!. I highly doubt it. At this point, I think serious entrepreneurs who care about building great services are thinking twice about quick exits. I'd be highly disappointed if Twitter goes to Yahoo! so soon because there's absolutely nothing Yahoo! could do to help that service grow... What strategic advantage does Yahoo! have in the mobile space? Having met @jack and @biz, I feel like they're in it for something more. Don't get me wrong, I'd never hold it against anyone for taking all that cash, but as a consumer of the service, I'd rather see it grow and innovate rather than become a victim of Web 2.0 Whack-a-mole.
Didn't we learn that early M&A stifles innovation from del.icio.us, MyBlogLog, Dodgeball, etc...?
In fact, I'm willing to bet Steve on Twitter. I'll bet $50 donated to his favorite charity that Twitter does not get acquired in 2007. (I have no insider information on that, btw... Blogger's Honor.) All I have is a hunch that those guys are more focused on building a better service, a real business and a large community.
Whaddya say, Mr. Rubel?