Wow. What a load of sensationalist crap. See Tim O'Reilly's piece on this for a less hysterical position. posted by sriracha at 6:15 AM on September 5, 2005
That being said, I'm only going to worry about Google when the three people I currently know working at Google get worried.
They're extremely hardcore about their privacy ethics, and I can't see them working - natch, loving to work - at a company that's evil. You couldn't pay them enough to work at Microsoft, and that's the thing Microsoft doesn't get. It's not the shoddy products, or the pay, it's their entire toxic culture. From what I've heard, working at Google is very nice, fun, often laid back and yet still often intense.
Those links make few valid or strong arguments against Google other than the whole centralization thing. Google as far as I can tell isn't anti-competitive. They love competition. They just make really good stuff, and they'll step up wherever possible and match/exceed other offerings.
Jesus, I sound like I'm drinking the Kool-aid right now. *gulp* posted by loquacious at 6:20 AM on September 5, 2005
Supercalifragilisticgoogleuberalles? posted by Faint of Butt at 6:21 AM on September 5, 2005
Gesundoogleheit! posted by loquacious at 6:29 AM on September 5, 2005
it is too late for complaints, anyway, because google controls earth!*
*note: typing "earth" into google turns up no reference to google earth on the first page (that is, if you set your page to only ten results. if so... chump.) posted by Hat Maui at 6:32 AM on September 5, 2005
Did you find the Google Earth easter egg yet, Hat Maui? I just wiped out Tokyo with a proton beam from L5. Solid. posted by loquacious at 6:36 AM on September 5, 2005
are you serious, lo-dog? do tell! I SEEK TO DESTROY!*
(also, i search and destroy. because i am the world's forgotten boy.) posted by Hat Maui at 6:39 AM on September 5, 2005
Oh, shit. You might want to run or something. posted by loquacious at 6:45 AM on September 5, 2005
yo, maybe i'm a dummy and shit, but those coordinates, how does one implement them? especially with all the "correcting beam focus"? posted by Hat Maui at 6:51 AM on September 5, 2005
You've seen this, right? posted by Miko at 6:53 AM on September 5, 2005
google uber alles posted by titboy at 6:53 AM on September 5, 2005
uoogle goober alles! posted by delmoi at 7:00 AM on September 5, 2005
Also, yes it sucks but in our capitalistic cesspool of a nation, everything is goin to come out of some kind of corporation.
Fortunetly, some of them are drowning in profit and don't need to worry about squeezing blood from a 'consumer' at every turn. posted by delmoi at 7:01 AM on September 5, 2005
Google comes off as more of an "apple" way of thinking. Sure it's money but if you do a google search for "google watch" it is right there as the very first link. posted by Dean Keaton at 7:09 AM on September 5, 2005
scalar.google.com posted by bonaldi at 7:34 AM on September 5, 2005
Google comes off as more of an "apple" way of thinking. Sure it's money but if you do a google search for "google watch" it is right there as the very first link.
Huh, is that why apple killed the clone biz? Is that why the sued the Med Student for leaking Tiger? Apple is one of the worst companies out there, morals wise. Great marketing, average products, and a shitty business ethic. posted by delmoi at 7:40 AM on September 5, 2005
It's not that there's any one strong reason to dislike Google. Just that their innumerable little flaws add up to a dramatic failure to live up to their ridiculously over-hyped name. Gmail came close, but it was the video player that was the final straw for me, tipping my perception of Google right into the same category as Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL. posted by sfenders at 7:41 AM on September 5, 2005
Apple is one of the worst companies out there, morals wise
Name one major technology company that would not sue over the theft of intellectual property. posted by realcountrymusic at 7:52 AM on September 5, 2005
Remember that Google Watch was founded by a guy pissed that Google wouldn't hand-edit search results to make his site higher. After this initial "problem," he started researching all of Google's "evil."
The guy's not a master of logic. The 2038 cookie, for example: who the hell keeps a computer for 38 years? Even then, the porn users empty their cookies, cache and history daily. Public systems like libraries render the data less individualized. So do corporate and organizational proxies.
Finally, Google's not the only corporation with that kind of record-keeping, and they won't always be the most powerful. posted by NickDouglas at 7:53 AM on September 5, 2005
I'm pretty sure there were other such posts, but I'm getting bored thinking of ways to search for them. Anyway, have fun, but remember: Paranoia will destroy ya! posted by languagehat at 7:55 AM on September 5, 2005
I prefer FuckedGoogle for a delicious source of anti-Google ranting. posted by sfenders at 8:06 AM on September 5, 2005
So Google is the new MS? I missed the memo but now I'll uninstall everything. No MS, no Google, I'm sure Yahoo is evil too. Ah hell, back to pen and paper. posted by AspectRatio at 8:48 AM on September 5, 2005
Huh, is that why apple killed the clone biz? Is that why the sued the Med Student for leaking Tiger?
Closing down a money-losing program, and suing someone for breach of contract? Yes, totally immoral. posted by cillit bang at 8:51 AM on September 5, 2005
No MS, no Google, I'm sure Yahoo is evil too. Ah hell, back to pen and paper.
For almost everything Microsoft and Yahoo do, there are less-evil alternatives that happen to also be functionally better, for my purposes anyway. Not so much for Google, which is why I still use it even though it's tasting a bit sour. posted by sfenders at 9:09 AM on September 5, 2005
The GMail link resolved to my GMail inbox. OH NOES, IEV BEEN HACKED!!1 posted by emelenjr at 9:59 AM on September 5, 2005
You've seen this, right?
I love the large role that Friendster gets. It's like watching a sci-fi movie from the 50s that has a guy from Brooklyn going on about the Dodgers... posted by PinkStainlessTail at 10:08 AM on September 5, 2005
You couldn't pay them enough to work at Microsoft, and that's the thing Microsoft doesn't get. It's not the shoddy products, or the pay, it's their entire toxic culture. From what I've heard, working at Google is very nice, fun, often laid back and yet still often intense.
I hate to tell you this, but I used to work at Microsoft, and that's just what it was like. Very good pay, too, and I was just a contractor. Like many others working there, I was not a die-hard fan of the company in general. But there can be a big difference between the outward face of a company, and the way it treats its people, and in my experience, that was certainly the case at MS. It may outwardly be an ever-expanding borg, but inwardly, the culture is hardly 'toxic.' posted by bingo at 10:12 AM on September 5, 2005
You think maybe Google is an International Illuminati plot? Does any of this have any connection, pro or con, with LaRouche? posted by davy at 10:50 AM on September 5, 2005
No, I think it's all part of scalar technology. But... come to think of it, I'll bet the Illuminati are in on that! Hey, loquacious, whaddaya think? posted by languagehat at 11:20 AM on September 5, 2005
Oh, come on now. Don't be silly. It's perfectly obvious to everyone that the Illuminati have to be in on it. Therefore they probably aren't. posted by sfenders at 12:10 PM on September 5, 2005
The Illuminati aren't in on the companies you know about; they're in on the companies you don't know about. posted by boaz at 12:48 PM on September 5, 2005
and here are some screen shots of GOOGLE OS, or at least some well photoshopped ones. posted by sourbrew at 1:01 PM on September 5, 2005
but what about their os? now with tasty screen shots
might be faked, who knows..... still teh hotness posted by sourbrew at 1:08 PM on September 5, 2005
their os being
freakin
GOOGLE OS.... in case you were wondering posted by sourbrew at 1:08 PM on September 5, 2005
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posted by Hat Maui at 6:03 AM on September 5, 2005