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[washingtonpost.com...]
"The employees of Google Inc. came aboard standard commercial buses. (It was cheaper than flying but meant that employees left company headquarters at 5:30 a.m. for the five-hour drive.) The rooms were crammed to maximum occupancy. (It wasn't unusual for strangers to be assigned to share double beds.) And while most of employees were at the resort or in transit for 36 hours, the company provided only two cafeteria-style, buffet meals. (The restaurants at the resort were too pricey.)"
Which gives a whole new meaning to G$
Although true, that's not the case for many of us. Indeed, many of us former-loyal-to-G$ webdevelopers have seen the beginning of G$'s own self-caused demise. They betrayed the honest webmasters and have created a SE with useless SERPs.
For what it's worth I continue to find highly relevant SERPs at Google. I sometimes wonder if peoples negative comments towards Googles SERPs are a function of the fact that they are not ranked in the positions they feel they deserve. (And this is not directed at you MultiMan - just a general observation)
Outside of this webmaster community, I continue to hear generally positive reviews about Google SERPs from people who do not have a vested interest in the results.
Outside of this webmaster community, I continue to hear generally positive reviews about Google SERPs from people who do not have a vested interest in the results.
Whooooooooooosh...get ready to duck apparelman2, they have their guns trained on you now...how dare you even suggest the "average" user is positive:-)
It makes you wonder if some people have lost the capability of communicating without using hyperbole.
The reason M$ works is because you are replacing the 'S' with an 'S' shaped character. As it is, even the Microsoft employees that I deal with will use that abbreviation.
It just doesn't work for Google where there is no 'S' in their name.
As for the SERPs, I have only had one search in the last few months where I have failed with Google, yet was able to find good results on Yahoo. I suspect that the average surfer gets similar results.
Even with words that I think I should be highly ranked on, but ain't, I have to admit that Google still returns results that would satisfy most searchers.
When I have gotten totally useless results on Google, I have generally gotten similarly useless results on Yahoo and MSN.
When it comes to why some people choose to believe their worship of G$ and try to obfuscate genuine points (like the ones I have made) by trying to imply negative things about me or my motives, I think the thread at
[webmasterworld.com...]
explains how people can do that.
For those who are not a paying supporter like I am, the title of that thread is:
Study: Most Users Don't Know Ads From SERPS
It is filled with evidences from posters showing how completely uninformed most people really are about the internet in all kinds of ways.
Wow. The media sure loves Google. They report on everything they do.
Yeah makes me wonder. Watch though..once the media starts loving someone... it usually does not take long for them to dig up dirt. Media like that can be a curse.
Hey! I would be happy to get away on a company trip like that! Skiing is Skiing! Who care about sleep!
Outside of this webmaster community, I continue to hear generally positive reviews about Google SERPs from people who do not have a vested interest in the results.
Word spreads fast. My wife knows nothing really about the SERPs let alone try to understand my line of work. While complaining about the results, I suggested 2 other engines. [note: highly popular searched item related to her work] she found it right away. I explained to her why she found what she did in short and let it be.
See... my wife is one case where she passed this on to her co-workers. She now tells me others have made a switch. [made a switch means their default search engine is no longer Google]
Yes, Google still provides some 'good' results. Google still provides a lot of traffic.
Popularity came from happy customers/users etc...
There is a saying for ever one unhappy customer [in this case users] that customer tells 10 other people. (or something like that).
I really don't know what Google is doing - I know by large small businesses have heard the news about G and there are concerns and where there is doubt business is business and people may seek ROI in other places.
That maybe true, but it also depends who you talk to. It's like saying, I can't believe Bush got elected, no one I know voted for him.
Numbers don't lie; Google still has a majority but it's closing. Consdering that G's only claim to fame and $$ is search, and that MSFT and (until recently) Y! ignored search, Google should own at least 75% of the search market. They don't.
I don't remember another Internet company catching press as if it were a celebrity such as Paris Hilton or a major politician.
I do, but it's been a few years.
I do, but it's been a few years.
Hey thats not fair. What other company?
How we do business today versus 10 years or even 5 years ago has undergone a very big change world wide. M$ had a lot to do with it and so did Apple and IBM ... but who other than Google has made such an impact in regards to online information storage, retieval and delivery?
Give credit where credit is due. A handful of people/businesses have changed the landscape of the entire world in a relatively short period of time. They are celebities ... and far more newsworthy than Paris Hilton!
If I were Atlas ... I would shrug right about now! :)
who other than Google has made such an impact in regards to online information storage, retieval and delivery?
Oh my gosh. Wonders never cease!
Talk about G$ propaganda -- completely disconnected from truth and reality.
I need to pick myself up now after vomiting from that G$-worshipping falsehood...
People who worship G$$gle need to pull their heads in...
If I were Atlas ... I would shrug right about now!
-10 points for the Ayn Rand reference.
Seriously though, Google has had a major impact on how people work/interact online.
Does G frustrate me almost daily? Yup. Does G annoy me as much as MS? Not nearly. Is G as ubiquitous as MS? Not nearly, but in the general world of the public's perception of computing tasks, I'd rate them a second overall to MS in the mind of the public (a completely unscientific estimate).
G has made a big impact in the online world. If your work is in the online world, paying attention to what G is up to makes a lot of sense.
Is the G retreat more newsorthy than, say, the antics of Paris Hilton or any other celeb? Not in the least. It's just glitterati obsession of a different sort.
IMHO
I don't remember another Internet company catching press as if it were a celebrity such as Paris Hilton or a major politician.
I feel sure you've heard of Amazon?
It also depends which side of the Atlantic you were. Lastminute.com and Boo.com (remember them?) had enormous press and Lastminute still attracts a lot of attention nowadays with its profitability and acquisitions.
Martha Lane Fox was always seen as a dot.com babe by all and rightfully so:-)
Incidentally, does anyone know how she is after her car crash last May? Information is a bit scarce.
