Google: The New Evil Empire?

I think that Google are pretty evil.

@ Jeff. I tend to agree somewhat that Microsoft have sold 3rd rate products to the world. I guess that's what happens when to try to be all things to all people. Apple avoided that to most degree by locking their systems so tight that there was little room for error (or compatibility for that matter).

Google don't offer the best search engine. Most of their search results are little more than spam. Okay, so I'll concede that they do have a very nice localization to their search and that's useful. But for information searches... I'll say no more.

1. Most of the products that Google have created over the years have fallen by the wayside. Does anyone remember Google Video? It seems that Google have indeed taken a leaf out of Microsoft's book and realized that it's often easier, quicker and more cost effective to simply buy out their competition - can anyone say YouTube?

2. Free... I'm still on the fence about this one. But so far my support from Microsoft has been fairly good. Generally I feel you get what you paid for. After all, is there such a thing as a free lunch? Check out this for an idea on price your free products come at.

3. Not trying to crush competitors. Um... I felt pretty sorry for Mozilla when they launched Chrome, so much for buddies there. Not to mention that by launching new products all the time, they are trying to take some of that market - that's business but surely they're going to squeeze someone out... usually the small guy. But hey, lets wait for the latest anti-trust cases against Google to see how they're not trying to monopolize the market.

The "don't be evil" bit is nice. But then again, if we believed every corporate motto we'd be a very gullible bunch wouldn't we?

I'm no Microsoft fan boy... or Google... or Apple for that matter. I'm just calling it the way I see it. Yes, just about every business once it reaches a certain threshold will be called evil.

I don't think Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Brin & Page intended to be evil... it's just business. But that's how it goes.

Jeff, you bring up many valid points about MSFT and their history. And there’s no arguing that Google started out as a darling with its “Don’t be evil” prime directive.

But companies do change. And there are many ‘evil’ directions one can take. My point being that Google’s perceived image as a virtuous company might be evolving as an unavoidable side effect of the company’s sheer size, dominance and control of information. And there just seems to be an absence of transparency from Google.

That’s why I suggested that the company might be risking a public backlash from its aggressiveness. And that’s why ‘I suggested that 'Big Brother’ might be a more appropriate nickname.

Consider that Google controls the fate of many companies with their organic search results. And its infamous ‘Florida Update’ of November, 2003 left many mom and pop small business devastated during that holiday season.

Abraham Lincoln said it best, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”

Jeff, my view isn’t alone. Read this recent article from ‘Tech Crunch’ that was published just four days after my original blogpost. Just keep in mind that I'm NOT for government regulation as its author is. ;-)

Not sure I agree with the "Evil Empire" moniker for Google. If you recall, most people didn't hate MSFT because they were dominant, but because:

a) They sold 3rd rate products and had almost no desire to make them better from a user standpoint
b) They charged extortionate prices for these crappy products
c) They used their market dominance to routinely squeeze out better products through unfair business practices.

In effect, MSFT was called "evil" because they behaved that way. Now let's look at Google. In contrast to MSFT, Google:

1) Produces superior products. They rose to dominance because their search engine was simply better than anyone else's. MSFT rose to dominance as a legal shield between IBM and the real inventor of the technology underlying DOS.

2) Provides those products free to end users, mostly on an advertising supported basis. Gmail, google calendar, Google Docs, Google Analytics - all free. You can't get any more opposite to MSFT than that.

3) Has never aggressively moved to squeeze out competitors, other than by providing "good enough" services for free. Android isn't squeezing out the iPhone. Google isn't trying to crush Bing. Other analytics tools still exist and are prospering alongside GA. etc.

To quote Forest Gump, "evil is as evil does" and Google's still a far ways off from becoming the next Evil Empire. Hell, their corporate motto is even "Don't be evil."

- Jeff