How about your opinion of Google?

[hoppipolla]

In a kind of... sequel to my Apple opinions thread I thought it would make sense and be interesting to make this one as well to kind of... compare opinions on the two and get a better scope of the two companies ^_^

Ok, so what do we think of Google?

Maybe it's best I actually DON'T bombard people with my opinion yet this time, but let's see what comes out of this!

Hoppi :)

[pwnst*r]

this thread's been done before, but i'll reiterrate - i have absolutely no problems with google, i love them without being blinded by a corporation. they're my email, my search engine, and my default browser in windows. and each of those they do extremely well.

[RiceMonster]

I like them. I think they're innovative and I like some of the tools/software they've made like google earth and chrome. Plus, they release some stuff as open source. That's always a plus in my eyes.

[hoppipolla]

I like them. I think they're innovative and I like some of the tools/software they've made like google earth and chrome. Plus, they release some stuff as open source. That's always a plus in my eyes.

Yeah me too hehe, for the same reasons really - so much of their stuff I can use and enjoy, is open source, and is available on Linux! :)

Plus, I really think Android is cool!

[sunchiqua]

Google have been my main page on all browsers/systems, for the last 5 years .. Nothing I could highlight - pure respect.

[oldsoundguy]

Add to this the fact that the Google answer to the iPhone is out and runs a Linux base .. plus the new Google OS is Linux based (actually Ubuntu based). Those alone will get the hardware manufacturers off of the pot and get them to contribute to DRIVERS .. always a weak point in Linux because so many have to be reverse engineered by the developers with little or no co-operation from the hardware makers!

And that will also be good news to gamers as the game makers will have to port to a Linux base in order to run on the Google OS.

It won't happen overnight, but there is far more movement away from the MS addiction today than there was even a year ago, Windows 7 notwithstanding!

[marchwarden]

Generally I like their products and often feel that the scaremongering around their privacy policy gets more weight than it really deserves.

[Dragonbite]

I like them overall, and I like their technology. I only trust them so far, though, and it isn't the "snooping" conspiracy either.

[Jesus_Valdez]

Hes a cool guy with innovative technology and some open source and doesnt afraid of anything.

The ugly face is stuff like google books, great for everybody except the book industry itself.

Right now Google fast flip is my new best friend.

[jryprt]

Google is great
Google is in my city.

[y6FgBn)~v]

I use their search engine but thats about it.

[hessiess]

I use their search engine but thats about it.

Same, use the search engine but wouldn't trust them with anything else.

[hoppipolla]

Same, use the search engine but wouldn't trust them with anything else.

Weirdly though I was going off them a bit until I saw Chrome and Android, they are both very good don't you think?

[Sinkingships7]

They're fantastic. They're a fun-loving, hard-working corporation that's (for once) NOT bent on taking over the world and stealing your soul.

If I had to choose and trust one corporation to have a huge monopoly, it would be Google. They're innovative, always attempting to bring something new to the table and never charging you an arm and a leg to do it. They provide the fastest and most efficient gateway to virtually all the information on the world wide web, and give us the tools to manage that information, as well as most of our digital lives (think iGoogle). Most of these tools are free, and some are even open-source. They're not greedy, but at the same time emit a corporate professionalism that's not only to be respected, but embraced.

[hessiess]

Weirdly though I was going off them a bit until I saw Chrome and Android, they are both very good don't you think?

I haven't used eather, but a Linux based os in the embedded market is a step in the right direction. Anyway I was mostly referring to there services like Gmail and so on. I will not put my data in the control of anyone besides myself.

[hoppipolla]

They're fantastic. They're a fun-loving, hard-working corporation that's (for once) NOT bent on taking over the world and stealing your soul.

If I had to choose and trust one corporation to have a huge monopoly, it would be Google. They're innovative, always attempting to bring something new to the table and never charging you an arm and a leg to do it. They provide the fastest and most efficient gateway to virtually all the information on the world wide web, and give us the tools to manage that information, as well as most of our digital lives (think iGoogle). Most of these tools are free, and some are even open-source. They're not greedy, but at the same time emit a corporate professionalism that's not only to be respected, but embraced.

Haha yes man :)

Best combo at present would be Google and Canonical side-by-side! Man that's a technology world and internet I would be PROUD to be a part of! ^_^

[Joe_Strummer]

Haha yes man :)

Best combo at present would be Google and Canonical side-by-side! Man that's a technology world and internet I would be PROUD to be a part of! ^_^

I think that would cause people's heads to explode. :shock: Awesomeness does have its limits...

[Sinkingships7]

I think that would cause people's heads to explode. :shock: Awesomeness does have its limits...

If that's true, then explain your avatar.

[Chronon]

I have nothing negative to say, really. I think working for them would probably be a pretty good gig. I have been told that the founders (and a lot of employees too) go to Burning Man each year and I think that's pretty damn cool. They certainly are an important and innovative part of the tech world at the moment.

I do have certain reservations about any one party controlling too much information, though. I like them but I still don't think it's wise to blindly trust them.

[Mateo]

I think they make good products, and I don't understand the privacy concerns of some people. Google Books is a good example of this. I don't understand the argument against the Google Books deal. Anyone care to explain?

[starcannon]

The Google search engine makes things much easier for me; so yeah, I really like the Google search engine. As far as the company goes, /shrug, I have no opinion; I don't really know anything about them as a company. I hear things about targeted advertising, and privacy issues, and what I'm always left with when people are discussing how evil those practices are, is this, a company like Google exists to make money so that the owners, employees, and share holders can pay bills, buy homes, send kids to college, etc. So they offer up this service that uses information garnered from its users to make advertising work; it is not unknown that they do this, it is no secret now that they do this, and I don't really think it ever has been; and as far as myself, I am willing to trade my Google user data for access to Google's services, it has in my experience been a very fair and equitable exchange.

GL and HF
~Starcannon

[blur xc]

I use gmail, google search exclusivley, and I have an igoogle home page. I love their products and services, and will continue to feel this way, until they declare themselves supreme emperor of the world. then I might switch to hotmail/bing/msn home page :D.

BM

[hoppipolla]

I use gmail, google search exclusivley, and I have an igoogle home page. I love their products and services, and will continue to feel this way, until they declare themselves supreme emperor of the world. then I might switch to hotmail/bing/msn home page :D.

BM

haha quite well said lol :)

[speedwell68]

I'm still undecided about Google. I like what they do, Earth is great, Picasa is a good product, Street View is awesome, their search engine is second to none, I love iGoogle and so on. Whilst I accept that Chrome is a good browser, I still prefer Firefox and I am excited about their forthcoming OS. I am pleased that they are giving Microsoft a run for their money too. However I have my reservations, they are in danger of becoming as monopolistic as Microsoft, they already are in the search and advertising markets. I also worry about privacy. Yes they have a nice and friendly corporate image, but I am suspicious about a company that wants to control every part of our lives. Soon they will be in the position of controlling our searches, our browsing, our computer OS, the videos we watch, our mobile phones, the maps we look at and all the adverts we see. I'm not so sure that is a good thing. We'll see I suppose.

[hoppipolla]

I'm still undecided about Google. I like what they do, Earth is great, Picasa is a good product, Street View is awesome, their search engine is second to none, I love iGoogle and so on. Whilst I accept that Chrome is a good browser, I still prefer Firefox and I am excited about their forthcoming OS. I am pleased that they are giving Microsoft a run for their money too. However I have my reservations, they are in danger of becoming as monopolistic as Microsoft, they already are in the search and advertising markets. I also worry about privacy. Yes they have a nice and friendly corporate image, but I am suspicious about a company that wants to control every part of our lives. Soon they will be in the position of controlling our searches, our browsing, our computer OS, the videos we watch, our mobile phones, the maps we look at and all the adverts we see. I'm not so sure that is a good thing. We'll see I suppose.

True, true.

Problem is, a company was always going to rise to that position, as once a company starts to gain pace and gets enough financial backing and know-how, they begin to acquire more markets and spread further.

I certainly trust them more than a lot of their competitors, but I totally understand your concern =S

[RabbitWho]

Google are wonderful, they've proven you can take over the world by creating the best product possible and making it available to people, you don't have to use any underhanded tricks.
They even managed to make ads less annoying, now that they're related to things I'm interested in and less obtrusive on a page and less picture based to slow down my connection.

The only reason why they're becoming "in danger of being a monopoly" is because they provide the best product and people naturally use it. There is NOTHING wrong with that. As long as we all swap over as soon as something better comes a long, so say a new search engine comes along that's faster and better than google, but we stick with google because we're used to it and we're loyal to them, that would be anti-competition and anti-innovation.

Brand loyalty is bad, it makes companies lazy, and means they can "hold back" new discoveries and release them in drips and drabs etc. etc. That's where a monopoly becomes a problem. (Or when the company take arms against their competitors rather than just trying to be better than them)

[earthpigg]

i use a lot of their services, but i do keep a skeptical eye on them possibly abusing market share.

[dragos240]

I like their search engine. But I never really use anything else of theirs. Undecided.

[schauerlich]

I like their services. I don't worship them like some people do. I don't think they're trying to invade my privacy like some people do. I just use their stuff when it's better than the other guys', which I find happens with reasonable frequency.

[HappinessNow]

Google overall is awesome and I prefer to use their products over Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc., etc.

I wish they were more aggressive about their services...it would nice if they developed a service to map blood sugar levels and one day even DNA.

They could develop a mouse like device that does finger sticks uploads the information on a spreadsheet in Google Documents and shares it with selected doctors and health care providers.

It would also be nice if they archived medical records on their servers and allowed access to select health care providers of your choosing or if needed in emergency medical situations. It could save lives in the long run.

[speedwell68]

Google are wonderful, they've proven you can take over the world by creating the best product possible and making it available to people, you don't have to use any underhanded tricks.
They even managed to make ads less annoying, now that they're related to things I'm interested in and less obtrusive on a page and less picture based to slow down my connection.

The only reason why they're becoming "in danger of being a monopoly" is because they provide the best product and people naturally use it. There is NOTHING wrong with that. As long as we all swap over as soon as something better comes a long, so say a new search engine comes along that's faster and better than google, but we stick with google because we're used to it and we're loyal to them, that would be anti-competition and anti-innovation.

Brand loyalty is bad, it makes companies lazy, and means they can "hold back" new discoveries and release them in drips and drabs etc. etc. That's where a monopoly becomes a problem. (Or when the company take arms against their competitors rather than just trying to be better than them)

You have just reminded me of a company that were around in the late '70s....






















































...Microsoft.

[Hyporeal]

I don't like Google. I have never been a big fan of advertising (or "deals" or "sponsored links" or whatever the latest euphemism is). I have never found advertisements to be useful, even (and especially) when they're targeted ads. Getting your product information from the guy who wants to sell you the product is simply a bad idea. I know what I need and am willing to do my own research to find the correct product for the job.

Why am I harping about advertising? Because that's all that Google really does. Everything they create is built from advertising dollars and intended to generate even more advertising dollars. Many people don't have a problem with that, and I'm glad it works for them. I personally don't like it. I think we can do better than Google.

[Chronon]

I doubt most people "like" advertising. I think many people consider it a necessary evil in many cases. What revenue streams would be appropriate? I certainly like the price tag, for the end user, of many of Google's services. They have to cover their costs somehow (server farms don't grow on trees!).

[SuperSonic4]

They're OK, neither good nor bad

[HappinessNow]

I don't like Google. I have never been a big fan of advertising (or "deals" or "sponsored links" or whatever the latest euphemism is). I have never found advertisements to be useful, even (and especially) when they're targeted ads. Getting your product information from the guy who wants to sell you the product is simply a bad idea. I know what I need and am willing to do my own research to find the correct product for the job.

Why am I harping about advertising? Because that's all that Google really does. Everything they create is built from advertising dollars and intended to generate even more advertising dollars. Many people don't have a problem with that, and I'm glad it works for them. I personally don't like it. I think we can do better than Google.If you know of a better way then build it; If you build it they will come.

A nice field of dreams is always awesome when it materializes.

[gnomeuser]

I really like Google. With their recent Data Liberation Front they show that they live in a world where they cannot lock in data and instead have to compete on the quality of their product. I think things like this helps to keep them honest.

They fund Open Source projects with millions every year via Summer of Code, their own contributions, projects and research. They put plenty of excellent content out on the net free.

They do a lot of important work, they have smart people working on innovative solutions to interesting and critical problems.

I think they do their job well, they are generally our ally in the fight for open standards and a free internet for all.

That is not to say one shouldn't consider what data one gives them and what they might do with it but I generally think they are true to their slogan "do no evil".

In fact in my household we tend to refer jokingly to Google as "our good friend who knows everything". I don't remember the last time I used a different search engine for anything except comparison, they fuel my email, my web browser, they host my pictures and year after year they pay my peers to code on projects I care about. I am very thankful for those services and the code they gave me under open licenses.

[hoppipolla]

I don't like Google. I have never been a big fan of advertising (or "deals" or "sponsored links" or whatever the latest euphemism is). I have never found advertisements to be useful, even (and especially) when they're targeted ads. Getting your product information from the guy who wants to sell you the product is simply a bad idea. I know what I need and am willing to do my own research to find the correct product for the job.

Why am I harping about advertising? Because that's all that Google really does. Everything they create is built from advertising dollars and intended to generate even more advertising dollars. Many people don't have a problem with that, and I'm glad it works for them. I personally don't like it. I think we can do better than Google.

It's the only real way to fund their business whilst keeping it free for the consumer...

[RabbitWho]

It's the only real way to fund their business whilst keeping it free for the consumer...


Yes, advertising is good. Without advertising I'd be unemployed right now, it was an ad for jobs in Prauge that made me realise it's easy to get work in the Czech Republic as an English Teacher and start applying there.
So if it wasn't for ads I'd be unemployed or in Spain. And i didn't want to go to Spain.

Money is a really good thing, if it wasn't for money we would all be poor.

[purgatori]

I'm quite fond of Google. Not only do they make great software and web apps (Picasa, Gmail, Google Talk, Chrome, etc.), but many good things have come from their Google Summer of Code, not to mention the opportunities that the Adroid platform opens up for developers looking to enter the mobile market.

Unfortunately, they don't release the source code of everything they develop, but they still remain big supporters of Linux/FOSS with the aforementioned Google Summer of Code, as well as code.google.com, and good ports of many of their products such as Google Desktop, Picasa, and Chrome.

I use many of their services myself, as I find them very convenient, low on bloat, and well thought out. Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Video, and Google Desktop are all products that I use on a daily basis, for both work and recreation, and I think I'd be hard-pressed to find a satisfactory replacement for any of them, let-alone one which tied all of these services together, the way that Google does.

On the downside, there is their capitulation to the Chinese government in matters of user-anonymity/privacy -- a lapse in ethical standards that still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There is, as others in this thread have pointed out, also a danger that their business/service model will become more restrictive as they become a more monolithic and all-encompassing entity. This danger is, however, offset by the fact that they have released so much source code, and even built the capacity for users of their web apps to run them on their own servers, or even locally. Already we have seen a fork of Chrome by users who dislike the privacy features -- or alleged lack thereof. If Google "go evil" we'll still have Linux, which will (in all likelihood) be as open and free as ever, and we will be able to move on from Google having gotten some nice code out of the bargain ;)

[aysiu]

I have mixed feelings about Google, but it's mostly positive feelings.

Their search engine is the best. I keep trying the new ones that come out (Cuil and even Bing), and nothing matches up in terms of the speed and simplicity of Google's interface (and the search results are good, too).

Google Docs I've played with a little bit, and it seems like a good idea, but I haven't really had a lot of occasion to use it (not a lot of remote collaborative word processing).

I have established non-commercial email accounts that I've used for ages, so even though GMail is pretty speedy, I don't really use my GMail account for email.

Google Voice is awesome, though. Great service. Too bad the interface is so cumbersome. Hopefully they'll polish that once it's released to the general public.

Fears about privacy are exaggerated, and I think Google has a much better track record than some other companies in terms of the amount of resistance to government subpoenas for information. It also doesn't scan emails any more than any other email provider does (any provider with a spam filter, anyhow).

Android is nice, and it's open source. It could still use some refining.

I don't think Google can do no wrong, but they do a lot right.

[HappinessNow]

I don't think Google can do no wrong, but they do a lot right.

+1 (Well stated.)

[RabbitWho]

I'm quite fond of Google. Not only do they make great software and web apps (Picasa, Gmail, Google Talk, Chrome, etc.), but many good things have come from their Google Summer of Code, not to mention the opportunities that the Adroid platform opens up for developers looking to enter the mobile market.

Unfortunately, they don't release the source code of everything they develop, but they still remain big supporters of Linux/FOSS with the aforementioned Google Summer of Code, as well as code.google.com, and good ports of many of their products such as Google Desktop, Picasa, and Chrome.

I use many of their services myself, as I find them very convenient, low on bloat, and well thought out. Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Video, and Google Desktop are all products that I use on a daily basis, for both work and recreation, and I think I'd be hard-pressed to find a satisfactory replacement for any of them, let-alone one which tied all of these services together, the way that Google does.

On the downside, there is their capitulation to the Chinese government in matters of user-anonymity/privacy -- a lapse in ethical standards that still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There is, as others in this thread have pointed out, also a danger that their business/service model will become more restrictive as they become a more monolithic and all-encompassing entity. This danger is, however, offset by the fact that they have released so much source code, and even built the capacity for users of their web apps to run them on their own servers, or even locally. Already we have seen a fork of Chrome by users who dislike the privacy features -- or alleged lack thereof. If Google "go evil" we'll still have Linux, which will (in all likelihood) be as open and free as ever, and we will be able to move on from Google having gotten some nice code out of the bargain ;)


Re: Google in China

"Google said it planned to notify users when access had been restricted on certain search terms."

No other Chinese search engine does that as far as I know. It was either do this or pull out of China all together, they had no choice and they did the best they could.
At least now, even supporters of the government will have the reality of the restrictions staring them in the face every day.
You know yourself there is nothing more frustrating than going to view a video on Youtube and seeing: "This video can not be displayed in your country"
And that's just copyright! Not political repression!

[hoppipolla]

Re: Google in China

"Google said it planned to notify users when access had been restricted on certain search terms."

No other Chinese search engine does that as far as I know. It was either do this or pull out of China all together, they had no choice and they did the best they could.
At least now, even supporters of the government will have the reality of the restrictions staring them in the face every day.
You know yourself there is nothing more frustrating than going to view a video on Youtube and seeing: "This video can not be displayed in your country"
And that's just copyright! Not political repression!


Yeah well said, and I also think purgatori's post was really cool too - once again we agree but you have put it far better than I ever could! :)

And man I wish I had the money for an Android phone... lol :)

[homeloans]

I really like their all products. I love to use google and bing for my searching but my first preference is google. Google is my home page for my firefox. Its the best search engine.