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It seems Google can't please anyone these days.
What is the root of it all?
a) The Florida update?
b) Big - just plain bigness (everyone loves to pick on the big guy)?
c) Poor management?
d) Public relations dept screw up?
e) Competitors planting seeds of division?
f) All of the above?
we fund 95% of all research and development World-wide
Thank you very much for that (from the rest of the World, i.e. the other 5%)
You know, I guess I read it in an email somewhere. I'm sure it originated from the USA though. Maybe I should contact the originating ISP?
We're discussing Google on WebmasterWorld.com. Nearly all of us are doing this using a PC running some version of Microsoft Windows on an Intel or AMD processor. All of these are American companies. Why is that?
I'm not trying to say that America or American corporations are inherently good. We all know that's not true. My point is that for a business to try their best to make a profit is not inherently evil.
Google may have fallen out of the good graces of many people. Some of this is a result of their own bad business decisions, though some of it is just inevitable over time. Trying to provide a free service for people who want it and having others pay for it through advertising is not a bad thing, and I certainly wouldn't critisize them for being innovative.
not just here in America where we fund 95% of all research and development World-wide
This info brought to you by the same bunch who told us about the WMD.
On-topic:
Google's recent make-over looks spammy in my eyes. The Gmail stuff is over the top. We all know they're in business to make money, (nothing wrong with that), but the Pollyanna act about how decent and honourable they are is a bit of a joke.
we fund 95% of all research and development World-wide
Now what's that saying? - I know - 90% of statistics are just made up.
Kaled.
Yes, I run MS Windows, but I also run SuSe (German), my monitor is Japanese, and my home-built PC comprises bits from all over, including Europe and China. But all these companies have one thing in common - no matter what their size, they are competing in a global marketplace, and are subject to global pressures. For example Microsoft has just been fined $500 million (approx) because it offended European law, and many European countries are looking to Linux for their government agencies.
And who owns a US company anyway? It might be registered in New York, but shares are a global commodity.
Google is also at that stage. It can no longer afford just to please its US audience but in order to be "the best SE" has to cater to global perceptions as to what is appropriate search results. China is the big growing market, and there Google is in competition with home-grown SEs like Baidu, not to mention Yahoo's Hong Kong holdings.
One difficulty I see is that while it is relatively straightforward to cater for regional sensibilities by creating .co.uk. or .fr databases, etc., it is difficult to create a specifically US database because .com is global. Therefore it has to please everybody, which is probably impossible.
Google are (or at least were) good at providing free services while Microsoft (for example) are good at selling products. We're witnessing just how hard it is for an organisation to make the transition from giving away to selling.
I am not sure about this but i think its true in the drug research - Most of the new life altering/saving drugs come from american research and american people pay billions for it in way of high price while the rest of the world enjoys a low price by means of government controlled pricing (europe/canada) or govt ok'd patent abuse copycats (asia/africa)...
Ever think what will happen if the american govt decide to be less evil and impose price control? - there will be less incentive for drug companies to develop new drugs and a cure for "cancer/diabetes" or for that matter "hair loss" may never come :)
[webmasterworld.com...]
If I can put in my two cents, any competing company can do anthing they please to get a bigger share of the market in all fairness as long as they don't revert to illegal means to do so and the same goes vice to the versa for Google to anyone else. Point.
Of course one could go on and on about the legitimacy of backroom deals and antitrust accusations - but as far as I know (and IMHO) there are no laws against the former and those calling themselves the latter are often misplaced or besides the point.
As for monopolies, they are very hard to maintain without resorting to covert means or government 'support'. The bigger you get the bigger the target you become, sure, but don't forget that it costs money to maintain a monopoly because it is so huge and hard to control. Most importantly, companies that build ramparts around themselves tend to stagnate, lose touch with the real market and lose their competitive footing.
Purist 'fair' is a good product getting a good share of the market because of consumer satisfaction. Google gained its popularity because of this for sure.
Back to Brett's orginal questions.
While Google's current problems may be due to an immature growth spurt, it appears that sellers are being pushed into purchasing positions in order to appear - So my response would be that Google has changed from being the best in its field to being the first with its hand out.
What is really sad is that even teenagers are noticing that you can't get good search results with Google anymore.
It's been a long time since Florida, and yet the problems continue.
I want my OLD Google back!
>> we fund 95% of all research and development World-wide
I am not sure about this but i think its true in the drug research - Most of the new life altering/saving drugs come from american research and american people pay billions for it in way of high price while the rest of the world enjoys a low price by means of government controlled pricing (europe/canada) or govt ok'd patent abuse copycats (asia/africa)...
Britain, France, Germany, Japan and, dare I say, Cuba all have highly successful pharmaceutical industries.
One thing that really annoys Europeans about Americans is their belief that they invent everything. Even rewriting history (e.g. U-571) and if rumours are true, Tom Cruise plans to make the Battle of Britain an American victory.
Sorry chaps, but whilst the USA has invented/developed many products over the years, this 95% figure is just pure garbage. I don't care what field you are talking about (except, perhaps, space exploration) the rest of the world is developing it as well.
As for the topic of this thread, Google have lost their way - it happens everywhere. Empires, companies, pop groups, sports teams, nobody stays on top forever. Will Google find their way again? Perhaps yes - but only if they genuinely realise that they are getting things wrong. So far I see no sign of that.
Kaled.
