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The journalist recognizes that Google's attraction is one of branding, and that his own laziness prevents him from switching to another search engine. Even though he feels dissatisified with the Google experience, and expresses that it used to be better years before, he still can't get past his inertia to try something else.
This is a customer on the edge of defecting.
Additionally, this journalist perceives Froogle and Book Search as commercial, rather than Search, ventures, and in his mind devalues them.
He seems to have had some vision of Google being pure, but now is overly commercial. To me, Google is the same, with the same focus as ever. It's not unreasonable for them to turn a buck- Google deserves it.
I find this journalist's article disturbing. It speaks less about Google and reams about the journalist; his inability to be an early adopter, his laziness, his midlife crisis... The list goes on.
Psst. Psst. Hey bud!
Are you truly Joe Surfer?
[edited by: martinibuster at 4:10 pm (utc) on Dec. 21, 2003]
The journalist recognizes that Google's attraction is one of branding
This could be Google's eventual downfall - what the marketing gurus call 'loss of cool.'
At least they are always looking to improve their algorithm and TRY to make it better for both the public, advertisers and webmasters. Its a hard juggling act...
I think google deserve more than just praise, for me personally they have given me exactly what i want, good results
Sad that the recent algo change has downgraded the quality of the results.
Don't get me wrong, its still good, but it has taken a step back on the test phrases that I monitor.
For many phrases now, Teoma and Alltheweb are producing better results. Of course, YMMV, and Is till start with Google, but I find myself switching to the others far more often these days.
If they try to live off the branding for too long, they are taking a big risk.
And thank Brett for providing this forum, it has become a place where we can talk about this addiction and try to minimize the impact and relax ourselves especially after Florida.
Google may be very close to their second major disruptive event which Malcolm Gladwell calls "The Tipping Point" in his book of the same name.
The first time they "tipped" was when Altavista went "wonky" and became useless for finding anything of interest to ordinary searchers.
This second event may well turn it all back and an epidemic in reverse may cause millions of people to be "cured" of their Google Addiction within a very short time frame.
I sincerely hope so. The BBC guy has a very valid point :(
This is the internet, Google won't get much time. Search hasn't gotten any better. There are certainly no measurable improvements. What people are now noticing is mediocrity. Mediocre search results, a less than mediocre price comparison search and a penchant for pushing mediocre "services" as something innovative.
The perception is that in the rush to introduce services that can easily be monetized, Google dropped the ball on search. The reporter will overcome intertia. Funny thing about inertia, yes, objects (much like people) tend to stay at rest, but once they get moving, they tend to stay moving. How long is Google willing to gamble that people will accept mediocrity? Mediocrity doesn't engender loyalty and it may serve as the impetus for people to move on...
Google rejecting ads from dodgy online pharmacies [taipeitimes.com]
Actually, google said they would be hiring a third party service to screen ads in the future. Yahoo! and Overture have been rejecting ads. The headline could have accurately read:
Google dragging feet on illegal pharmacies
The list goes on.
If you are perceived as being 'cool' - keep it, keep it, keep it! But you've blown it!
A Beeb reporter hints at losing confidence - why? - a sense of it being too commercial? Or is it a sense that you're no longer the genius Internet wizard geeks we grew to love: but mere money spinners? Or is it a feeling that despite the beautiful simplicity of your pages, and almost instant results - you're finally cashing in?
It's Shakespeare's 'bubble reputation' - so easily pricked.
[edited by: superscript at 8:34 pm (utc) on Dec. 21, 2003]
They should really listen to all the webmasters and take note of whats gone wrong?
One can only hope. The interim results do not look good in several important technical areas.
Remember that Motorola was working very hard on improving their analog cellular technology when Nokia cleaned their digital clock and IBM was just a little bit late to the personal computer party. Xerox is legendary for their call on the graphical user interface and pointing device and there are plenty of additional examples.
Doing something is one thing. Doing the right thing may be something else entirely.
I, for one, hope that Google is doing the right thing and that it will become apparent soon. I just don't see it yet and I sincerely hope that the fate of Altavista will not be their fate.
I found it surprising that the deskbar is supposedly so popular
Yup - gone from my computers too. Of little use to those without a permanent connection, and for someone with a permanent connection - what's the point? - I just hit the Favourites link as before.
On topic: the article, even though it doesn't really say much, is part of a recent trend. People are starting to clue into the fact that Google isn't god, and one can't find answers to everything on the internet... even using a quite decent SE like Google. The net still isn't a replacement for a good University reference library.
People are starting to clue into the fact that Google isn't god
No - people are clueing into the fact that Google isn't cool any more. That's the problem.
p.s. God is usually capitalised, at least in preference to Google.
[edited by: superscript at 9:53 pm (utc) on Dec. 21, 2003]
Google Tracks Packages [informationweek.com]
Google doesn't track packages.
Some folks have been scraping Fedex for years without anyone writing about it.;)
I imagine 2004 will be a hugely successful year for Google, like it or not!
Besides, BBC are like snails compared to Google!
ps: I capitalize Jah and keep lower case for generic terms.
A baker knows you don't rush the cake. A half-baked cake is not very good. Let it cook fully before you present it.
The results of Florida seem to need a little more 'cooking' before I'll call them better but I'm confident that Google is still cooking and will present more better tasting products.
I think that the 'Florida' update got many SEOs angry by Google (Why? Because that is the occupation they do, if Google doesn't do good, they will start to loose some $$$), which now, has lead to the cause that the SEOs are starting to say that "Google is loosing its cool" , I actually think "Google is getting its cool back" after the florida update.
Sid
[edited by: sidyadav at 11:27 pm (utc) on Dec. 21, 2003]
Even now, researching a new project, I'm utterly dismayed at the absolute rubbish that is being thrown up as supposed relevant material - but this is all relative to what I recall the results being like in days gone by. On the one hand I should be encouraged as my new site should do very well if good quality information is proving this hard to come by. On the other hand I still have to learn how to spam my new site to the top of the SERPS to take advantage of this.
My feelings that Google is anything but 'cool' right now has nothing to do with SEO. I use the Internet too, you know?
2odd...
Or, as time goes by, people may find that this whole time we've been working on infrastructure and algorithm improvements that will make search even better. :)
I truly hope so - Time will tell.
My feelings that Google is anything but 'cool'
If you mean "not cool" as in producing "bad results" and anything but cool as in the "design", "features" and the "was-before-algorithm", why do you use it?
AllTheWeb, according to your needs has a good "design", "features","is-now-algorithm" and is "cool" - as in good results.
Sid
