Google

I'll admit it: Google scares me.

We don't compete with Google (at least not yet <g>), but I'm more concerned with how Google is doing business and the type of data they are collecting. If Microsoft were to do half of what Google is doing they would (a) have the U.S. DOJ and EU all over them (b) privacy people going nuts (c) consumers angry. Somehow Google does not.

The recent announcement of Google providing Urchin, the web analytics software they recently acquired, for free is fantastic. But it also means Google just acquired more of something they love: data about how people visit and use web based software. So far Google runs on my desktop, in my browser (search toolbar), email (GMail), etc.

Companies like Wal-Mart, a giant retailer here in the U.S., is now also starting to view Google as competition, as does Microsoft. Why? Google is able to sift through it's massive database on consumer profiles and site information and then provide predictive patterns about consumer behavior.

Furthermore, while I can absolutely appreciate free functionality, such as Urchin, it's a just a bit anti-competitive. Google doesn't care about selling analytics software, what they really want is usage data.

I like Google, they've made the experience of the web better. But, I liked them much better when they were just a search engine.

~= Edit =~

A macro-point which I didn't clearly make here is that Google is being allowed to do things that Microsoft wouldn't be allowed to do.

Published Tuesday, November 22, 2005 7:53 AM by Rob Howard

Comments

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 9:21 AM by karl
Rob,
humm..dunno where to start. This all sounds a bit FUDish. I think the only people, at this point, who should be afraid of Google are Microsoft shareholders - as mini continously points out. if you do a google search for "gmail privacy" you'll find atleast one of your points disproved.

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 9:25 AM by Rob Howard
Yeah, I know it may sound FUDish and I'm usually not one to jump to these conclusions. But the more I learn and see what Google is doing the more concerned I've become.

The main point, which may not have come across very well, is that if Microsoft did this there would be all kinds of problems.

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 9:29 AM by Dan Bartels
I too have the same feeling... To me, now that they are a public company, they seem to be just one board of directors or hostile takeover away from being very evil. The have obtained a very high level of consumer trust thus far, but it doesn't mean their high standards will continue forever...

Think of the power they garnish... If they want to erase you from internet search results, or relegate you to page 53... What can you do about it? If your business relies on traffic from the internet, Google can certainly "shut you down"...

To that end, I have been wondering how this vital internet resource will survive in the face of capitalism...

Will the future be AI search result harvesting, which will do things like give you the union and intersection of result sets from multiple search databases?

Does the popularity of community based search databases signal the future? Del.icio.us or the microsofts start.com

Or will it be something bolder, more decentralized, Something like a P2P engine, where cache or local search databases from millions of users can be queried anonymously...

Dan

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 10:11 AM by Dan Bartels
On the FUDish points... lets just throw in a bit of conspiracy theory for good measure...

Regardless of privacy policies, it is now very easy for the US government to go sifting through your gmail... in-fact google even indexes it for them... Further many of the warrants issued forbid the disclosure of their execution. Which means they cant even tell you someone when looking through your stuff...

But that aside... we live in the information age, and are using information technology, so we shouldn't really harbor this notion of privacy anyways... Do you really have something to hide... Probably not... Its all just this silly notion of privacy we are talking about... Get over it =)

Your gmail for instance did have a recipient or two on the other end, and was required to be re-constituted by a mail server or two along the way (not exactly a sealed envelope)...

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 10:20 AM by Kyle
"If Microsoft were to do half of what Google is doing they would (a) have the U.S. DOJ and EU all over them (b) privacy people going nuts (c) consumers angry. Somehow Google does not."

Maybe that's because Google isn't percieved as "the evil empire." (Rightfully or wrongfully so). They've managed to stay below the radar screen, and not really make anybody mad. I think it's because they're offering so many *good* services for free. People generally are willing to tolerate more "invasion" (and scream less about it) when they percieve they're receiving a valued benefit for free.

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 12:11 PM by Mr. Franklin :-)
They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security
-Benjamin Franklin

Now reaplace liberty with privacy and security with savings

:-)

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 2:06 PM by Ogre
Yeah I have the same issue man. MS gets a bunch of flak for HailStorm and now Google is doing almost the same thing and everyone calls it "innovative"!?

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 3:09 PM by Bill Brown
Here's an idea: don't use Google if they worry you. Whoa, that was easy. Don't like Walmart? Don't go there. Think Microsoft is evil? Use Mac or Linux.

You (and your elected representatives) really shouldn't have any say in how a company operates, what products it offers, how comprehensive its products are, or how it prices its products unless there are laws being broken or rights being infringed. No one is forcing you to use Google and no one was forcing anyone to use Windows.

The fact that all three of the businesses I've mentioned are *hugely* successful indicates that people want to use their products and will willingly spend their own money to use them. Are you prepared to second-guess hundreds of millions of people's decisions?

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 3:18 PM by Rob Howard
Bill,

Believe it or not, I do agree with you. I believe in markets regulating themselves and am strongly against government intervention. The macro-point that I was making, which is perhaps not clear, is that MSFT wouldn't be allowed to do this, yet MSFT is likely the best one to compete with Google here.

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 3:39 PM by Travis
Have to agree with Rob. Its almost not funny, MS would surely be on the lynch list! Maybe MS should create a Linux search engine (http://www.google.com/linux) and then they could become "cool" again.

# re: Google

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 3:48 PM by Scott Willsey
Kyle has it right, it's because of Google's ability to fly below the radar and because when they announce services like this, regulatory bodies don't have a clue what it means. It's only when complaints are lodged (as they were against MS by various parties) that the DOJ gets involved. And right now, Google probably hasn't done anything wrong. But I believe they are secretive for a reason.

Google makes me nervous in a lot of ways too, and I'm a person that thinks the more competition to MS the better (although I do all my programming and much of my personal work on my XP workstation, which I love, I'm writing this on my mac mini, which I also love).

# re: Google

Monday, November 28, 2005 12:02 PM by John Watson
I agree with both sides. I also read the Business Week cover story this past weekend and their potential for harm can be summed up simply in this graphic

h t t p : / / www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_49/b3962004.htm

# re: Google

Monday, November 28, 2005 10:53 PM by Eric A. Duncan
I completely agree with Rob.

(slightly off topic) NPR has some recent stories about this very thing. One recently touched on how Steve B. wanted to get more into Search, but Google beat them to it. They also touch on the XBox department.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5016446
Date: Nov 17th, 2005
Title: Microsoft Finds Itself at a Crossroads


# re: Google

Tuesday, November 29, 2005 12:37 PM by Jason S.
Wow, a slashdot-like thread but without the "penguin roxers, you suxors" comments.

I would only add that I think the reason for the cause of the macro point is that Google is really the biggest competitor for MSFT right now in many markets. I think many people view that as a good healthy counterbalance and perhaps are willing to put up with an amount of spookiness. Or they're just too happy to see the competition that they are just now starting to maybe worry about the things that Google may do.