Looking beyond Googlemania!
"Don't be Evil"- The famous motto of Google, a company widely acknowledged and even revered across the globe. But recently there have been many instances where Google has behaved totally opposite to this motto. The self-imposed censorship in China being the most publicized one. But there are also other examples in which I get the feeling that Google is having the same influence on the Internet, as Microsoft had on OSs and PCs.
I just read in Business Standard that many of the newspaper editors are writing their headlines so that they become Google-friendly, irrespective of what the readers like. Isn't this like many softwares being compatible with Microsoft Windows to get the wider coverage?
Another thing I would like to mention is Google Talk. I mean, it's one of the worst messangers. It has no facility for conference, no Appear Offline, or even emoticons. And integrating GTalk with Gmail is the most irritating part. You are just visiting Gmail to mail and then Google notifies that you are online. No privacy! In spite of this it has become very popular with users( or should I put it - Its usage has increased). Some people (like my friend Gopal) find it better than Yahoo! This increase is mostly due to bundling of GTalk with Orkut, most popular social networking site. Didn't Microsoft do the same thing with Internet Explorer to kill Netscape?
Look at recent acquisitions of Google, Youtube. Now you require Google ID to watch videos on Youtube. You can't do it anonymously. Even blogger has succumbed to Google! Orkut also has Google ads. Google has also showing many technical glitches lately, especially with Orkut and Gmail.
Talking about another aspect of anonymity, Google keeps record of all or searches to "understand the users". So what you have searched, what are your preferences all is there with Google. If Google's shopping spree continues, I wonder if they will have all the record of our online lives. And Google has given this information to authorities in the past. In fact, there was a case, when a person was apprehended for his wife's murder, because he has searched terms related to murder. Some might claim that Google must help in such instances. But there is high chance of using personal information for wrong purposes.
Google has observed amazing succes over last few years because of its simplicity and innovative idea. The fact that Google has been competing with traditional bigwigs like Yahoo and Microsoft has created a sort of Googlemania, becuase people like underdogs. But I fear that Google itself is slowly becoming a next Microsoft. Google has to be beware of this.
PS: Check out this podcast about Google to get a peek at Googleplex.
http://www.thechangingworld.org/archives/wk40.php
I just read in Business Standard that many of the newspaper editors are writing their headlines so that they become Google-friendly, irrespective of what the readers like. Isn't this like many softwares being compatible with Microsoft Windows to get the wider coverage?
Another thing I would like to mention is Google Talk. I mean, it's one of the worst messangers. It has no facility for conference, no Appear Offline, or even emoticons. And integrating GTalk with Gmail is the most irritating part. You are just visiting Gmail to mail and then Google notifies that you are online. No privacy! In spite of this it has become very popular with users( or should I put it - Its usage has increased). Some people (like my friend Gopal) find it better than Yahoo! This increase is mostly due to bundling of GTalk with Orkut, most popular social networking site. Didn't Microsoft do the same thing with Internet Explorer to kill Netscape?
Look at recent acquisitions of Google, Youtube. Now you require Google ID to watch videos on Youtube. You can't do it anonymously. Even blogger has succumbed to Google! Orkut also has Google ads. Google has also showing many technical glitches lately, especially with Orkut and Gmail.
Talking about another aspect of anonymity, Google keeps record of all or searches to "understand the users". So what you have searched, what are your preferences all is there with Google. If Google's shopping spree continues, I wonder if they will have all the record of our online lives. And Google has given this information to authorities in the past. In fact, there was a case, when a person was apprehended for his wife's murder, because he has searched terms related to murder. Some might claim that Google must help in such instances. But there is high chance of using personal information for wrong purposes.
Google has observed amazing succes over last few years because of its simplicity and innovative idea. The fact that Google has been competing with traditional bigwigs like Yahoo and Microsoft has created a sort of Googlemania, becuase people like underdogs. But I fear that Google itself is slowly becoming a next Microsoft. Google has to be beware of this.
PS: Check out this podcast about Google to get a peek at Googleplex.
http://www.thechangingworld.org/archives/wk40.php
PS: Just saw another problem with Google. Now you have to agree terms and conditions even while uploading photo on your own blog!
posted by ninad @ 11:47 pm
4 Comments:
Hi Ninad,
I think this ones a wonderful article keep writing more as it is really knowledgable
My point is that in spite of Gtalk being inferior to yahoo, its usage is increasing, just because people want to use messanger which would provide connectivity with orkut. And presently there is only 1 messanger which can do that which is Gtalk. Thus, even though it may seem that consumer is having a lot of option, he has only 1 option, i.e., to use Gtalk. Google must provide some mechanism whereby we can talk to our friends on orkut using other messangers as well. Only in that case, there will be a perfect competition!
i'll say only thing "google roxs"!
Hi,
One more important point is that gmail 'reads' all you mails...and chooses to display related adv besides it depending on keywords appearing in email contents.
Is reading your mails before you have opened it, breach of your privacy? Then why do people accept it? Or do they not know?
Post a Comment
<< Home