Blogcritics: Comments on Google - Too Much Power?

Comment by Scott Butki

Thu, 20 Oct 2005 22:57:53 EDT

There's a good update on this situation today in the Washington Post

Comment by Scott Butki

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 02:33:09 EDT

And more on Google bombing and yes they do manipulate the rankings.

Comment by Scott Butki

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 01:08:22 EDT

Here's the latest on Google bombing.

Comment by Bob A. Booey

Tue, 27 Sep 2005 16:40:23 EDT

No, just make me a consultant with an exorbitant flat salary in your new start-up, preferably in the porn side of the business and we're straight. That is all.

Comment by Scott Butki

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 22:01:51 EDT

Interesting idea. Are you hoping for royalties for your idea?

Comment by Bob A. Booey

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 18:36:46 EDT

Here's an idea for all you young entrepreneurs out there. What are the two biggest commercial forces on the Internet? Porn and Google, in that order. So someone should make a porn-only version of Google and Google should make a search engine that filters out all the porn spam that hides unrelated search terms in sites advertising porn. There ya go. Feel free to make millions with my idea. That is all.

Comment by Scott Butki

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 23:07:38 EDT

here- at today's posting about phone numbers - is an example of what I'm talking about. A Person types in a phone number in here and if it was a private number it could then be googleable.

Comment by Scott Butki

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 21:16:22 EDT

Oh I think they were manipulated. This is the fourth or fifth time I've seen groups pointing out that you see some anti-Bush message via google. The pranksters at Borders are related to Google and all search engines in that people are figuring out new ways to use search engines to get people in trouble, do pranks (i.e. Bush loser thing above) and information that one wouldn't expect to be available via Google - i.e. a list of women's shelters private locations - is now online. I know better than to write anything googleable but that doesn't mean others do. Is it Google's fault that these things are changing? No. But should we be concerned about what they're doing with this information, especially when they are not responsive to requests to take down links to false info? I think so.

Comment by Liberal

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 15:53:32 EDT

"Well, that just shows how the rankings can be manipulated which is a whole separate issue." I don't think the rankings were manipulated. I think someone at Google has a sense of humor.

Comment by Al Barger

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 15:50:56 EDT

Look, if YOU choose to publish things on the world wide web and then they come back to bite you in the ass, don't blame Google.

Comment by Scott Butki

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 15:47:42 EDT

Well, that just shows how the rankings can be manipulated which is a whole separate issue. I want to believe Google is doing responsible things with the data it is collecting but each time they make another move that rubs me wrong (be it getting mad when the CNET reporter collects data about the Google top exect or it trying to have off-the-record meetings) I get a little more nervous that they're not going to out-Microsoft Microsoft, i.e. find ways to make up either too dependent on them with future decisions and purchases or regret saying things we never should have said on the Net.

Comment by Liberal

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 13:43:09 EDT

Here's a Google experiment for you all: Go to Google. Type in "failure" Click on "I'm feeling lucky."

Comment by WTF

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 12:04:20 EDT

Search engines are great. We all agree on that, and they are valuable. But nothing compares to a subscription service. An EBSCO Host for example get you into college databases. But you pay for it. It's too bad the internet and the information prospects that are truely out there aren't truely available unless a cost is attached.

Comment by Al Barger

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 09:16:46 EDT

Who decides if Google has too much power? They are, as it were, democratically elected every second of the day. Consumers are voting with their clicks and dollars and whatnot. Plus, there's a recall election on their power every day. They start cheesing off their customers, they'll be gone in a heartbeat. "Why would anyone want to hire someone away from Microsoft?" Perhaps because Microsoft is the most successful company in the history of computers. Also, the pranksters in the bookstore are totally, completely unrelated to anything to do with Google.

Comment by Scott Butki

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 08:33:02 EDT

Oh and this just in: Reason #8,888 to be worried about Google getting too big for its respective britches: They are now holding conferences which they insist on being private and off the record despite the fact they make their millions out of collecting information, which some others would rather remain private.< One blogger explains the situation here.. The Google FAQ� for the event says � � All speeches and discussions at Zeitgeist are off the record. To ensure that our presenters and attendees can speak openly, no press coverage or blogging is permitted.

Comment by Scott Butki

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 08:23:57 EDT

That is a good way of looking at it - perhaps an optimistic way: That if they are becoming more like Microsoft that somewhere a new Google-like company is coming up the ranks. I sure hope so. I liked Google when it was young and growing but something does seem to happen when companies like this go from the hot new startup to the big company stampeding their way around the world. I hope they get their bearings back.

Comment by Cerulean

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 06:06:09 EDT

I'm afraid that something happened with they went public. Did they bring in "professional" executives? Now they're hiring people from Microsoft, which seems like a sign of the apocalypse. Why would anyone want to hire someone away from Microsoft? Why not RUN away from them screaming, instead? Well if Google is turning into Microsoft then someone out there is turning into Google.