

Google is coming under increasing scrutiny thanks to its market dominance









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RE: Time to break them up
By Xavier434 on 5/8/2009 1:56:17 PM , Rating: 3
Yes and no. Some of the methods to get to the top are generally universal while others are engine specific. For example, creating a standard site map is something pretty much all search engines will pick up with their spiders which helps you get higher in the result lists. On the other hand, you can also pay individual search engines money for priority when it comes to certain key words and phrases for a certain period of time to try and "get to the top" so to speak. The majority of businesses choose to pay Google over other search engines regardless of actual quality because Google is what the majority of users use.

But again, that is not as a result of anything foul that Google has done. They are a great engine and a great business in general. They got really popular and people got very comfortable with them just like they got comfortable with Windows and IE. They will not switch for the same reasons they won't switch their OS or web browser.

RE: Time to break them up
By Motoman on 5/8/2009 1:58:47 PM , Rating: 2
In that regard though, it's not really any different than charting the popularity of, say, CBS vs. NBC. When CBS does better stuff, more people watch them than NBC. If CBS screws up, NBC's viewership goes up.

Pre-Google, Yahoo and others were exceedingly popular. Google became more popular because people liked it better. In the future, if Google screws up, or of someone else comes out with something better, the flock will move along.

RE: Time to break them up
By Xavier434 on 5/8/2009 2:31:29 PM , Rating: 5
You might be right. I am not certain which is why I mentioned in my original post that I really don't now if this is a bad thing or not yet. Here is the potential problem with your theory:

Unlike the rules of competition between a lot of other comparable products and services, Google and search engines in general rely a lot more on people's comfort. The features and quality of service is very important too, but comfort is where it is all at. What happens when you are dealing with this kind of industry is that making a "better" product is often not enough to be competitive even if the existence of your product becomes common knowledge. The reason is that even though your product/service might technically be better than the "other guy" it is the users that ultimately decide and they more often than not choose to stick with what makes them comfortable. For most users, that choice "feels" like higher quality regardless of the reality. The same cannot be said about many other types of products and services out there. None have as much power that Google does over the economy and people's lives in general either...except for maybe Windows.

However, you are spot on when you talk about the possibilities of Google "screwing up". Google could change things suddenly or even little by little which results in people comfort with their search engine and other products to decline. After enough time, people will be more willing and flexible to try something else and before you know it all of these people are now comfortable with another product.

The issue here is that all of the power lies in the hands of Google. They have to "screw up" in order for another company/product to have enough room to compete. Making a "better" product, while necessary, just isn't enough. Does that make Google a monopoly? I don't know. I do know that it is not standard competition in a free market though. The rules are different. Similar rules apply with Windows and IE.

RE: Time to break them up
By Motoman on 5/8/2009 2:48:33 PM , Rating: 3
Points taken, but I don't think Google "has" to screw up in order to let someone else take the limelight.

I don't think Yahoo necessarily screwed up when Google zoomed past them.

All it might take is one teenaged ZOMG u totly hv 2 chk this out is rox! for the next big thing to take off.


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