Press Release: For Immediate Release
1 April 2010
MELBOURNE, Australia. (April 1, 2010) – ProBlogger, the web’s #1 Blog Tips site, today announced that it has been acquired by Google.
This acquisition will be a part of Googles extension of the ‘Blogger’ brand and a precursor to their new professional blogging suite of applications – ProBlogger.
“Blogging continues to grow in popularity, not only for personal use but by entrepreneurs and businesses around the world. Once seen as a ‘fools game’ – blogging has now grown up.” said a Google representative today. “Google’s new professional blogging suite, ProBlogger, will put an amazing array of tools into the hands those wanting to take their blogging to the next level.” said a Google representative today.
“What better brand to align these new tools with than ProBlogger, a blog that has consistently produced blog tips for professional bloggers for just under six years.”
“Some have called me a ‘fool’ for even considering selling ProBlogger,” said founder of ProBlogger Darren Rowse, “but I’d be a fool not to allow the ProBlogger brand to be developed by one of the world’s most innovative companies. I’m excited to see where Google will take ProBlogger going forward.”
The acquisition of ProBlogger will allow Darren to concentrate on his other projects including his main site – Digital Photography School – and an upcoming project – FoolsMedia.
Darren Rowse will remain a part of ProBlogger over the next 331 days where he plans to to begin a series of posts entitled ‘331 days to Build an Even Better Blog’ – a follow up to the successful 31 Days to Build a Better Blog.
About ProBlogger
ProBlogger is a blog about blogging. Kinda sad really but not as sad as having a blog about Tweeting… or a book about blogging… that’d be sadder! ProBlogger was founded by Darren Rowse on September 23 2004. Since that time Darren has published 5,356 posts and the blog has received 178,448 comments. A Foolish endeavour? Maybe – but perhaps not as foolish as this press release!
Haha,
I’m sure with your Australian timezone this will fool quite a few people.
I have a feeling you won’t be approving comments like this one ;)
Hey Darren,
April 1st…I’m just enjoying my bowl of cereal on March 31st.
Have a wonderful day…
Josh
First day of April. A good day for press release on Google’s acquisition! ;)
I didnt expect this!! Its a wile shock! But I’ll be interested to see how it goes. All the best in the future Darren
Will you still be writing here?
Ha ha, but in India its 31st night :))
“I slap floor” gets off to an roaring start. Darren has an unfair advantage because it’s already tomorrow!
Haha, Darren – You’re too funny. I’m not going to spoil this one just yet.
Great joke..
I got confused, in Denmark it’s still the 31 of March, so a bit of confusion there.
Though, this was one of the better april fools!
Thanks for a good laugh!
btw isnt this post a day early ;)
Nice one! I hope Google does not come out with a April Fools press release saying Google has been acquired by ProBlogger. Now that would be something, wouldn’t it :-)
Excellent. Your Tweet had me clicking immediately before I realised the time.
Got me. :)
The old April-Fools-Day-gets-to-Australia-before-the-rest-of-us Trick strikes again!
Almost bought it, but laughed when I saw FoolsMedia as your new project… Nice!!
Hah, good one Darren. And I literally just tweeted that folk watch out for this kind of thing ;-)
That’s amazing. You’re success is well deserved. Oh wait, you got me…
LOL! Keep up the good work, Darren!
Ha, Ha! That was funny. :)
Congratulation :) and waiting for the series ‘331 days to Build an Even Better Blog’.
Oi, you got me! Clicked through Twitter and it even had #aprilfools with it… *facepalm*
Good one though, had me going.
It’s been a very long time since someone fooled me on April Fools Day. Congratulations.
Tag of April Fool is a killer or else many would consider this to be true.
LOL… I didnt expect that.
Hahahah hahahahaha I cannot stop laughing. I am lucky to see this great news early as I am still awake.
1:23 AM Melbourne and wishing Problogger and Google all the best.
Happy April Fool Day
Sjay
Lol. I’m 2 hours before April 1st (as of writing). Good to have a blog owned by Google though :)
You really had me going!!
Good poll question though! Do you think Darren would sell out to Google if the price was right?
Geeze, what if it’s true? Oh, I should ask that one tomorrow here on the left coast of the US.
It’s about time. This blog has been sorely in need of some innovative thinking for a long time. Maybe now, with Google in charge, we’ll start seeing some articles that are worth reading again. The current line-up has been so bad that I haven’t even been to ProBlogger.net in several months.
lol mate that’s a good one!
Darren, that was great! I am still laughing. A great way to take a mid-day break on the 31st!?
It would be interesting to track how fast this gets posted through the blogsphere and the like before someone catches on that it’s all a joke!
May be more difficult in the timezones where it is only the 31st! But a great April’s Fool all the same.
Oh, no – they’ll probably migrate the blog from WordPress to Blogger :(
Very nice. It caught me off guard for a half second, since it’s 9:30 AM on Macrh 31st here :)
Ah…. just when i was hoping to never have to read another whining screed about ad blocking killing people’s dreams and children… oh well.
By the way, I love the profile pic on FoolsMedia — it captures the essence of the entire project.
What makes it funny that it could happen!
I was about two sentences in when I caught on that it was an April Fools joke, even though it’s the morning of March 31st where I am.
Good one.
Congratulations and thanks for all the good advise you have delivered all of these years.
I got this on the 31st too and almost had a meltdown when I read the title. Then I remembered tomorrow is April Fools Day..so I was able to breathe again.
Can’t be a joke. It’s March 31! Darren is a multi-millionaire!!! Congrats, mate!
Phew.
Ha! You’re a funny fella… brilliant work
S
Tehe :)
ProBlogger = ProGoogler
Still March 31st here too.
Cheers.. Are
Really great joke, or is it a wish? At all it is the first April Fool that reached Germany. It is still the 31st of March here
Indeed, it’s way too early for Singapore! Haha, I even tweeted, and time to see how many response it gets. Good one.
Amazing one Darren… I knew it was an April Fool’s before I read it but what a good one it was! By the way, love the FoolsMedia profile pic!!
Infact, Fools Media is actually a really good name (I really hope your going to do something with it!!)
You almost got me if I do not read the about pro blogger part. Great april mop post. :D
For a minute I though Problogger was acquiring Google… too bad… :)
I’m the first follower of fools media. :) Well, I have a feeling that if some executives at Google read it, he will strike with the idea of acquiring Problogger. Don’t you think Darren gave intelligent reasons why Google would consider acquiring Problooger.
Hahaha, very good joke indeed :)
I have seen similar joke on Shoemoney blog last year!
Yeah, the time difference totally threw me off. It’s 11am on the 31st here right now on the US East Coast.
Oh my god, I actually believed this one!
And the price ?????
We want to know the price !!!
LOL
LOL – you got me. It wasn’t until I started reading the comments and then I went back and reread the press release.