Fabrice Grinda

As made explicit by my April 1 “press releases,” I am now co-CEO of OLX (www.olx.com) and Chairman of Allmydata (www.allmydata.com).

I will shortly describe why those companies and ask for the community’s feedback in terms of how best bring them to critical mass, what feature set to include, etc.

You can read a detailed Q&A on OLX on VentureVoice’s Blog at:
http://www.venturevoice.com/2006/04/exclusive_fabrice_grinda_launc_1.html

You can read an interesting Q&A on Allmydata at:
http://www.ensight.org/archives/2006/03/17/interview-with-fabrice-grinda-of-allmydata/

In the meantime, download and install Allmydata, register with OLX, put listings, DIGG the OLX story at: http://digg.com/technology/Ringtone_millionaire_launches_eBay_Craigslist_killer, and send me all your feedback to make the products the best they can be!

Thanks for everything!

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San Francisco CA – Apr. 1, 2006

In a joint statement, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), Dell (NASDAQ:DELL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and privately held Allmydata announced today the availability of a seamless, global data grid to be built into all hardware, software, and services in combination with predictive data storage and retrieval algorithms licensed from Allmydata.

With the goal of “Providing you with your data before you want it”, both Dell and HP computers will be assembled with the new Google G-drive, a device providing both storage and connectivity to other storage nodes, accessed through Microsoft’s new “Backed-Up” Vista operating system.

“By continually enhancing your data stored on the G-drive, Google-search will provide users with new documents instantly and seamlessly from anywhere” said Google’s founder Sergey Brin. “Making the consumer and business user’s life easier is always at the forefront of our minds. By not only providing worldwide access to your data, but actually providing more data itself, Microsoft takes storage and retrieval to a new level and removes the need for user input altogether.” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “We have painstakingly researched millions of users and their documents, images, and videos. Our patented algorithms of data generation are statistically proved to match the user’s next step, whether it is giving you the next picture you were about to take, touching up your Monday Powerpoint presentation for you, or just drafting a quick email to your mom, Allmydata aims to make data storage and retrieval safe, reliable, and worry-free.” said Allmydata CTO Peter Secor from an undisclosed location.

Users are encouraged to try out the new global storage grid from Allmydata at http://www.allmydata.com to prepare themselves for the storage revolution.

About Allmydata
Allmydata, Inc. provides on-line data storage and retrieval services that are accessible from anywhere, anytime. It was founded by Fabrice Grinda in 2004 after several crashed hard-drives, and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

About Google
Google, Inc. provides Web search and online advertising services on the Internet. It offers advertising solutions and global Internet search solutions through its Web site, and Intranet solutions via an enterprise search appliance. Google was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998, is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

About Dell
Dell, Inc. and its subsidiaries engage in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and support of various computer systems and services to customers worldwide. The company’s products and services enable customers to build their information technology and Internet infrastructures. The company was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell as Dell Computer Corporation and changed its name to Dell, Inc. in 2003. Dell is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas.

About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, license, and support of software products for various computing devices worldwide. Microsoft was founded in 1975 by William H. Gates III. The company is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

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Saturday April 1, 2006, 8:00 am ET

NEW YORK – Apr. 1, 2006 – OLX, the new leader in online classifieds and auctions, announced today that it acquired eBay and Craigslist.

eBay and Craigslist will be immediately renamed OLX. “Craigslist’s number one mission has always been to provide a public service to its community. Working with OLX serves that mission as it brings a slew of great new features to our community with the continued commitment to be free for consumers” said Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist. “eBay’s and Craigslist’s user bases will allow us to provide unrivaled liquidity in all the major categories” said Fabrice Grinda, co-CEO of OLX.

eBay and Craigslist users will get access to OLX unique features including:

• A city, neighborhood and zip code database so we can cover an entire country and not just pre-selected cities
• A distance field allowing you to see postings within a certain range of your zip code in the countries where it is possible
• Ability to post items in virtual worlds (e.g.; SecondLife)
• Ability to include videos and pictures in listings
• Ajax WYSIWYG editor for richer listings
• Ability to comment on listings to create a stronger community
• Advanced search allowing searches at variable regional settings
• Auction and Buy It Now options and a rating system for the For Sale category
• Ability to post listings in any language in any country
• Ability to view the site in any country in any language
• Global reach
• Mobile version

Users are encouraged to try out OLX now at www.olx.com in anticipation of all the great features they will be receiving in the near future.

About OLX, Inc.

Founded in 2006, OLX offers a new generation of classified and auction service providing a more local service on a global level. OLX includes classified listings for jobs, housing, goods and services, personals, events and community, plus a wide variety of discussion forums. OLX is based in New York and has offices in Buenos Aires. OLX is a privately held company. For more information, visit www.olx.com.

About eBay Inc.

Founded in 1995, eBay pioneers communities built on commerce, sustained by trust, and inspired by opportunity. eBay enables ecommerce on a local, national and international basis with an array of websites – including the eBay Marketplace, PayPal, Skype, Kijiji, Rent.com and Shopping.com – that bring together millions of buyers and sellers every day.

About craigslist

Founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark, craigslist is widely known as an archetype of online community – a democratic, trustworthy, and efficient platform for fulfilling basic human needs, as guided by real world communities worldwide. craigslist includes classified listings for jobs, housing, goods and services, personals, events, and community, plus a wide variety of discussion forums.

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There is something highly ironic about seeing hundreds of thousands of students in France demonstrate against the CPE “contrat de première embauche”, a more flexible labor contract for those under the age of 26 with more flexible redundancy rules for two years after which full job protection kicks in.

In the past student demonstrations have been a force for social change (e.g.; 1968 demonstrations); however, now the students are demonstrating to preserve the status quo. The revolutionaries have become conservative! It would be partly understandable if the status quo was worth preserving, but a society that has 23% unemployment rate for people below the age of 26 and unemployment rate as high as 50% for the youth in the urban ghettos “les banlieues” is not creating opportunity for its people and itself!

By fighting the CPE, most students believe they are fighting against institutionalizing insecurity and to preserve the full time job for life that rightfully awaits them upon graduation. Unfortunately, the ideal of the “job for life” that the students are fighting for is an illusion that has not existed in decades whose mirage survives only in certain parts of the public sector. In a competitive environment where companies continually adjust to demand and changing conditions, expecting them to have a fixed labor size is incongruous. Even Japan had to shed its policy during the deflationary period of the 1990s.

As a result, the students are really demonstrating to preserve an extremely unjust society where the insiders – those who get jobs – are protected at the expense of a large numbers of outsiders who can’t get jobs.

That is not to say that the CPE cannot be criticized. The, unelected, prime minister pushed it by decree without parliamentary debate – a highly undemocratic process that gives the impression that the idea would not stand debate and scrutiny. If anything it’s about time France had a real debate about where it is and where it is going.

Moreover, in its own way, the CPE continues to entrench a two speed society – those with temporary flexible contacts and those with the traditional protected contacts. This may not give a great incentive for employers to give traditional full time contracts once the two year CPE is over. Wholesale liberalization and moving to “at will” employment for everyone would be far more effective, but suggesting that in France is a sure way of getting stoned.

That is not to say France should ditch its attachment to social equity. Each society should make the moral and value judgment to select the amount of social equity it seeks to have. France would likely preserve its more redistributive choices than the U.S. However don’t sacrifice efficiency on the altar of fake equality and ideology!

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