CNET.com reports that “they actually signed the deal before the conference audience, although they did not say anything about valuation during a conference focused almost exclusively on start-ups, venture funding, and exit strategies.”

I'm Ca$hing in B*tches!

Although Armstrong is said to have promised Arrington that he would have complete editorial freedom over content posted on TechCrunch, only time will tell if this is indeed the case. Blog acquisitions are somewhat tricky in that the main force behind a blog, that attracts millions of visitors and followers, is the “voice” of the blog.

So depending on how much control Arrington actually has on his former blog, the site’s popularity may continue to increase, stall or even decrease and die a slow painful death.

It is also important to note the acquirer – AOL.In the past, we have seen quite a few of AOL acquisitions die slowly. If that happens to techcrunch.com (I hope not!) then it would be a seen as a blessing by other up and coming technology news sites and blogs.

Because until now, TechCrunch dominated this niche.