Comments on: Beware of Google.

By: thinkMoult - Is there such thing as a good monopoly? «

thinkMoult - Is there such thing as a good monopoly? « — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:45:57 +0000

[...] of Google’s seemingly unstoppable leap into existing markets. On my previous Google rants to beware of Google and their evil, and perhaps their latest and greatest (is it?) innovation Google Wave, I have kept my polite [...]

By: Dion Moult

Dion Moult — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:47:34 +0000

Thank you for your comment, and you are right about the difference between who we now see working on computers at which level. This I believe is a great example of mass amateurisation at work – a trend technology is extremely good at showing.

By: Gordon

Gordon — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 01:56:39 +0000

It is pretty scary to think of one corporation essentially owning all the data in the world (the implicit effect of them being the gatekeeper or czar). It’s also been interesting to see how the web (and also the general speedup of technology) has and continues to change the meaning of computer science so drastically year to year (compare 1970s systems programmer to 17 year old web programmer). Anyway, kudos on making some very good points (goes for the responders as well).

By: thinkMoult » Blog Archive » The Google Operating System – Chrome.

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:51:20 +0000

[...] right, my conspiracy theory about Google (orignally posted a good month back) has come true, and it’s going to be out there around [...]

By: Marvin Lee

Marvin Lee — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:42:56 +0000

Now I found the reason for you having a harsher tone on Google Wave, I think it actually benefits you.
In fact if you have used Google Docs, this Wave thingy is just an integration among the products they already have plus creating an open source protocol and to allow developers to build on top of it.
Concurrent chat and editing on the document already exists in Google Docs.
If your idea is similar to it, why not take the opportunity to get involved in creating extensions? Join the developer sandbox and leverage its upcoming fame for the product you’re building.
I bet it will benefit you too.
If there’s anyone who could take over the Internet, Google is the one, but so far they are doing things beneficial to the community and to the world. Doesn’t look that bad right?
:-) Cheers!

By: Dion Moult

Dion Moult — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:33:20 +0000

Yes it seems pretty likely that Mozilla is going to be another major player in this – I doubt very much IE can catch up though.

Oh, and for those that usually ignore trackbacks, I highly suggest you click the trackback The DF Lab >> Beware of Google? – it’s a good response and a good read.

By: Aaron Griffin

Aaron Griffin — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:10:38 +0000

Re: development tools. That’s Mozilla’s bag, it seems like. With things like Jetpack and Bespin. We’ll see Google catch up soon :)

By: Dion Moult

Dion Moult — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:10:35 +0000

One of the reasons I had a rather harsh and accusing tone here was because I was quite upset to hear that Google Wave had practically stolen every single feature in a system I had designed earlier on and was implementing in PHP. It’s like you had thought of something great and were working on it until some big corp comes along and apparently came up with the exact same thing as you did, except with a huge amount more user interaction (because I don’t know how to code some of the things they managed to do). So obviously you’d feel pretty crap about it.

This post brings to users another perspective on the Google debacle – most other people will simply mutter something about security and privacy but what I wanted to explain here was the future and quite realistically what it may be like. You won’t find a lot of people that can look at what Google’s doing like this. This is not necessarily a bad thing – it’s been done before, and it’s for the better.

Put it this way, if you want a web czar, who’d you rather it be, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft…? I’d pick Google. No matter how shrewd their CEO is I know that they’d have to be kind to all – users and developers if they want to take up such a huge post, if not they’ll become just like Microsoft, and I’m sure they’re actually being kind, such as opening up the protocols, thus ensuring freedom in clients. I actually think it’s a brighter future out there – but just so long as Google doesn’t suddenly backstab us.

But hey, would you not want a web czar at all? Re-read my second analysis of the open source business model – we _should_ have a czar, one that defines standards, one that pushes ahead in development. I’d choose Google over the Linux Foundation any day in guiding the web – they certainly have more experience on it.

Hey, even if they stole my idea, I’m happy – that’s what open source is all about, choice. So I’m going to finish off my personal project, no matter how depreciated it’s going to get after Wave becomes de facto. I’m not stupid, I know what I’m doing, and I certainly don’t want to miss my share of the fun.

By: p.

p. — Sun, 31 May 2009 13:42:03 +0000

I am probably one of those who know nothing about desktop application AND love Google. One question:So what if Google is taking over the Internet?

Since no one else has ever thought of doing what Google is doing now,I think Google should be given a round of applause instead.After all,it’s not easy creating an empire like this,same goes to Microsoft.

The fact is,no average Joe or Jane is going to notice all that is going on here.They(me included)are going to take what everyone else is using even if it’s not-that-good.That’s herd mentality.

Don’t you think that Google has done a great job so far?Be it Google Earth or Google Docs?
(Google Docs is a very convenient tool for users,by the way.)

By: Gen2ly

Gen2ly — Sun, 31 May 2009 07:05:54 +0000

Well, whether we like it or not corporations are homogenizing and while i agree that competition breeds better products (ATi and nvdia e.g.) control of the product is what corporations are looking for. Most newspapers in america now are owned by a single entity. While this produces pretty looking products, controversies are often omitted. This in turn allows people who are not looking out for the public good and only for themselves to have greater influence. As I can see it, yes Google is a monopoly, and should be kept eye’d-on but their is still a choice and while Google may have the in-roads to web-apps, I don’t see them becoming the only application developers.