Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) is about to launch a site for women between 25 and 52 years old. It must think this group does not have enough to do on the internet. The assumption is a victory of hope over reason.

According to The Wall Street Journal the new site called Shine is "aimed largely at giving the Internet company additional opportunities to sell advertising targeted to the key decision-maker in many household." The same group is the target of the websites of virtually every women's magazine and web-only operation like NBC's iVillage.

Yahoo! is very late to the game. There is no reason that the big websites for brands from Vogue to Women's Day to Allure are going to lose any visitors to the new destination. The older brands have been in business for years and women only have to much time to spend on the internet.

The launch is an example of why Yahoo! has been relatively unsuccessful in recent years. It has become a follower and not a leader in categories from maps to news.

The new operation gives Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) on more part of Yahoo! to shut down if and when it buys the company.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.