That's great for AC, but what's in it for Yahoo...?
Y! gets a ready made publisher platform, with 380,000 low-paid good quality writers, and unique and well-placed articles in all niches, possibly world's biggest such platform with US-dominance to display their advertisements... what more they can ask for... and at a small price to pay considering the cost of creating, developing, maintaining,, etc etc. such a huge platform. Y! has to money to buy, AC has the will to get sold.
Now Y! can develop it further to their own liking. I have heard that already the existing established writers are scared about their future (have read somewhere that Y! will be doing a complete overhaul though on paper they are denying that.)
AC writers: Start learning about what Y! needs. Look at their website and marketplace first, study it, and know what's selling there.
I think the days of writing bluff about balls and whistles are over and the Y! market and advertisers will rule the once money-maker for good-for-nothing-else people. Put on your marketer hat and write what Y! needs. That's survival for you...
There is also a talk that Y! will open AC for international writers... I don't know exactly, but that's believable! Y! needs a chunk of world markets to stand up to the G dominance.
And I don't think they will kill the goose that lays golden eggs... why they would kill the well-established niches and related articles? By closing down AC, they could be meaning that only the good and better than good writers will be able to make a better-living there with better project (a.k.a. suited to Y! markets) and better payments... others can visit the multiple job sites from now on.
NEWS is one of Y! strong points, and so is their market place. They will further build the online readership to sell their Ads, so they need the existing set up but with a new refined and focused look. Look at this:
Code:
http://everything.yahoo.com/
Study it. The knowledge will come handy beginning the third quarter of 2010.