Google Makes A Case That It Isn't So Big

nytimes.com:

Google, a $22 billion company, handles roughly two-thirds of all Internet searches. It owns the largest online video site, YouTube, which is more than 10 times more popular than its nearest competitor. Google makes more money from advertising than any media company in the world.

With all those riches and more, how is Google a relatively small company, one that is vulnerable to competition and whose luck could turn any day?

Dana Wagner is happy to explain.

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[wadenelson1]

900# Gorilla: "I'm really only 897. I hope to be down to 850# by September."

[iamvalid]

I believe we ALL should put our trust in Microsoft. After all, haven't they proven time after time that they produce top quality products that work each and every time. Microsoft is always on the cutting edge of computer performance as evidenced with Vista. They listen to their customers complaints as witnessed with Vista and of course Windows ME. I am sure with Microsoft's long history of competitive friendliness and the ability to share ideas and technologies, they alone will be able to restore the security and reliability of computing.

It's also so doggone cute when Steve Ballmer throws chairs across the room at the mention of Google.

[frantaylor]

Google certainly does not live up to their slogan, but they do make a lot of contributions to free software. Firefox would not be the browser that it is without google employees working on it. Google contributes to Firefox development because they benefit from a good browser. Google contributes many new features and bug fixes to Linux as well. One could say that Google and Free Software have a symbiotic relationship.

Compare and contrast to Microsoft, who hoards all their work to themselves and won't share any of it unless you give them money.

[textynn]

Yep and the Trojan Horse was just a humble sculpture. Gmail actually takes the info in your emails and advertises the same products to your contacts when they open your mail. Ever get that feeling that you can never get ahead. There's always someone with a better game. Yeah that "someone" has your game and every average citizen's game in the country combined.

Google is taking your hard earned ideas, thoughts, contacts, prices, customers, material sources and using and selling that info to your customers and your competitors and whoever else is interested. Why do you think that the Patriot Act had to be thrown up in the dark of night. Spying on you includes STEALING from you. Your thoughts, your projects, your inventions, your art is valuable. BIG-BIZZZNESS adds their big money with you life's work and THEY HAVE A NEW PRODUCT. INFORMATION IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD.

[NotBob]

Well, you can always setup a mail client on your computer like outlook or thunderbird and and use gmail's pop3 or imap servers instead of web mail. Then you will go no keyword searches.

If the price tag of having keyword ads on your free email is too much, you can buy your own domain name and pay for a hosted mail and web server. its not that much, $9 bucks a month for some hosts.

You have a lot of choices for mail and searches so if you don't like Google, go with somebody else.

[frantaylor]

If you actually read the fine print on the agreement that you agreed to, you would find that they inform you in advance of all of these things. By creating an account, you acknowledge that you agree with all of the terms. So your phony indignation is just out of line.

[Rumplestiltskin]

Its time for the EU to start suing them. Suing successful US companies is a good source of revenue for the EU.

[TJCole]

Google is the commercial wing of DARPA and the NSA, and they spy on everything we do..!

[frantaylor]

That makes no sense, because Comcast etc. can do the job far more effectively by simply monitoring your connection.