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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?
Once you become huge ..almost bordering on monopolistic, you become the target of attacks and villification.
I am not saying some of the concerns expressed with Gmail are unwarranted but I am amazed at how folks choose to ignore individual responsibility in these matters.
If I am not mistaken, Gmail is supposed to be free yes? Well what do you expect?
If you don't want your precious privacy violated, then get dedicated email like the rest of us.
There, said my piece.
D
It seems they roll out new ideas like their serps after major algo changes - without much testing. Perhaps someone should tell Google about focus groups. Many businesses float trial balloons, but Google seems to launch blimps.
As time went on, they continued to be ustoppable, still had superior search and were whipping the big portals at their own game, the student became the teacher and we all cheered them on even more.
Now, their search product is not that much better than anyone else's.... they seem to have gotten greedy IMHO and are trying to monetize every square inch of the web without concern of privacy or mistrust. When I say mistrust, some of the practices the products they are launching are getting more and more shady, and they're beginning to look like a Gator in disguise. You can argue all you want that they try to eliminate "legalese" and make everything in bold red print, but the point is some people will still skip over it, and others have a blind faith in google, and many others are simply clueless and will agree to anything.
I have no problem with Google trying to run a business and generate money. What I have a problem is their whole philosophy has changed. It used to be "let's create a superior search product (pure search, news, whatever) and let's gain market share and monetize it later. Now it's "let's create something that will monetize more of the web and just get it out there first.. and we'll improve it later" This is evident with Froogle, Local Search and now Gmail.
I think they're severly damaging their brand with these half-baked product launches and are now putting innovation in search products aside in preference for the allmighty buck.
Additionally, as G's ability to capture and control information on the net has increased, concerns about the amount of power and influence associated with that have grown.
With the exception of gmail, I hear little that wasn't batted around before. It is just taken more seriously by more people. Googlewatch has been around for awhile. People have been saying they want competititon in Search Engines for awhile too.
There are just more voices raising the cry. And some of those voices are louder and more influential than in the past.
WBF
Uh huh. How many words are the alphabet again?
So where is the money going?
I point this out even though my EPC went up. (I just can't trust them when they treat publishers like third class citizens).
The arrogance and denial at Google with their fiascos over the last 6 months is astonishing. But it might be understood as the popular media still is in love/bed with them. Type "Google" into Google news and see why Google spin doctors are probably the best in the world.
There should be a Google bomb for "Narcissistic" pointing to the Google home page.
I don't buy the argument they are being attacked merely because they are BIG. This level of Surfer and Webmaster dissatisfaction with Google started primarily with Florida. How much bigger was Google on Nov. 14 then they are now?
They used to be the "Peoples' Search Engine" - Now, they have that MicroSoft/Yahoo mentality while their motto, "Don't Be Evil," is a hypocritical joke.
