CNET

History and Ownership Changes - CNET was founded in 1992 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie. - CNET launched its online platform in June 1995. - In 1996, CNET had its initial public offering (IPO). - CBS Corporation acquired CNET Networks for $1.8 billion in May 2008. - Red Ventures acquired CNET from ViacomCBS for $500 million in October 2020. - CNET's AI-generated articles faced criticism for errors and plagiarism in 2023. - CNET's reporters claimed they were pressured to be more favorable to advertisers in 2023. - CBS Corporation sold CNET Media Group to Red Ventures for $500 million in September 2020. - ViacomCBS reached a deal to sell CNET for $500 million to Red Ventures in 2020. - CNET had region- and language-specific editions in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Acquisitions and Expansions - CNET acquired the Swiss-based company GDT, later renamed to CNET Channel, in 1999. - CNET Networks acquired ZDNET for approximately $1.6 billion in October 2000. - CNET Networks acquired comparison shopping site mySimon for $736 million in January 2000. - CNET acquired TechRepublic, providing content for IT professionals, for $23 million in cash and stock in April 2001. - CNET Networks acquired review aggregation website Metacritic in August 2005. - CNET purchased Ziff Davis in July 2000. - CNET bought trade publication TechnologyAdvice in 2021. Controversial Practices and Criticism - CNET used a machine to write articles without disclosing it, leading to serious errors and plagiarism. - Red Ventures, CNET's parent company, allegedly breached editorial firewalls and pressured reporters to provide favorable coverage to advertisers. - CNET deleted thousands of old articles to improve search engine rankings, a practice criticized by Google. - CNET faced backlash for deleting old articles to manipulate Google search results. - CNET's French and Japanese websites include businessMOBILE.fr, GameSpot Japan, and Tetsudo.com. - CNET's download platform, Download.com, bundled software with malware. - CNET was criticized for adding bloatware to its downloads. - CNET was caught adding malware to Nmap and other software. CNET's Influence and Impact - CNET launched Gamecenter in 1996, one of the first websites dedicated to computer gaming news. - Gamecenter became a leading game-focused website and received between 50,000 and 75,000 daily visitors by late 2000. - CNET founded the Gamecenter Alliance network, bringing together Gamecenter and four partner websites. - Nielsen//NetRatings ranked Gamecenter as the sixth-most-popular gaming website in the US by mid-2000. - CNET's articles and reviews were highly regarded in the gaming community. - CNET was known for its comprehensive coverage of technology news. - CNET's closure of Gamecenter.com marked a decline in its influence. - CNET's articles and reviews were often referenced by other publications. - CNET's closure of Gamecenter.com was seen as a loss for the gaming community. Related Websites and Platforms - ZDNet, TechCrunch, TechRadar, and Wired are related websites in the tech industry. - CNET's acquisition by CBS Corporation was completed in 2008. - CNET Networks merged into CBS Interactive's expanded business unit in 2008. - CNET had an official website where users could access its content. - CNET was part of the CNET Media Group. - CNET had a video platform called CNET Video. - CNET operated Download.com, a platform for software downloads. - CNET owned TV.com, a website for television-related content.