Google as the default search in firefox?

[Johnsie]

According to the BBC the makers of firefox receieved $50m in advertising revenue for putting the Google seach engine as the default search engine in their product. Is it a good or a bad thing that a big advertising company like Google has so much dominance in the search market. And does Google have too much information about us?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6745749.stm

[ButteBlues]

According to the BBC the makers of firefox receieved $50m in advertising revenue for putting the Google seach engine as the default search engine in their product. Is it a good or a bad thing that a big advertising company like Google has so much dominance in the search market. And does Google have too much information about us?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6745749.stm
Would you prefer Yahoo or Windows Live Search? ;)

There are worse companies than Google.

[forrestcupp]

This is one of those areas where people show their wavering standards. Everyone is all crazy and mad about Microsoft's "virtual monopoly," but Google is great because they use Linux. Google is just as much of a virtual monopoly as Microsoft is. If that is your reason to hate one, it should be your reason to hate them all.

But to me, I don't care. I don't hate either. Actually, I'm glad Google is in Firefox. It's a useful tool.

[starcraft.man]

According to the BBC the makers of firefox receieved $50m in advertising revenue for putting the Google seach engine as the default search engine in their product. Is it a good or a bad thing that a big advertising company like Google has so much dominance in the search market.


Firefox is open source and a great product. I don't see any problem with them receiving funds from Google for searches in their browser. As it is, even if Google wasn't the default search engine in Firefox, I would make it so. I use google all the time and I find I get my best results with them. I don't see why Mozilla Corporation shouldn't be making some money to help them continue development, besides a few milion may seem a lot to you but its peanuts in corporate cash.


And does Google have too much information about us?

Google has as much information as you choose to give it. Remember, you choose to use their search engine and its up to you to be informed about their privacy policy and how much info you are giving them about yourself. As it is, I prefer Google to have my info (who uses Linux and has yet to screw over their clients in some evil way like MS) than Yahoo (I don't see a difference between Google and Yahoo, both essentially the same online model for the most part) and MS/Live Search (I wouldn't trust MS to keep hold of my spit... besides they probably are already spying on you in their OS and Office suite, you can't know for sure...).

Thusly, I find the amount of info Google knows about me to be acceptable. They are popular because people use them, if they burn their users they will be dropped like a rock. Switching search engines is painless unlike OS.

Edit:

This is one of those areas where people show their wavering standards. Everyone is all crazy and mad about Microsoft's "virtual monopoly," but Google is great because they use Linux. Google is just as much of a virtual monopoly as Microsoft is. If that is your reason to hate one, it should be your reason to hate them all.

But to me, I don't care. I don't hate either. Actually, I'm glad Google is in Firefox. It's a useful tool.

I think your wrong there forrest. Last time I saw a market share report I think google had only 65% at most. Yahoo/Live had the other 30% with 5% or more from other. That is far from a monopoly, and yahoo and live do actually offer competitive services in a serious market. Windows has 90%+ and MS bullies everyone else in order to maintain that. Thats more of a monopoly IMO, not to mention like I said you can switch search engines in a second and OS is more of a lock in due to the way it works.

Oh and I will search for market share to support those percentages... they are just estimates off what I remember.

[Johnsie]

At least the good thing is that we get a choice.... Even if most people do go for the Cococola of search engines. It would be alot worse if google was locked as the default search engine. And with firefox being open source I'm sure it wouldn't b too hard to compile and release an alternate version with a different default search. Google is a good search engine....I just like to be different :-) Oh and I didnt give them permission to publish photgraphs of my house lol jk ;-)

[ButteBlues]

At least the good thing is that we get a choice.... Even if most people do go for the Cococola of search engines. It would be alot worse if google was locked as the default search engine. And with firefox being open source I'm sure it wouldn't b too hard to compile and release an alternate version with a different default search. Google is a good search engine....I just like to be different :-) Oh and I didnt give them permission to publish photgraphs of my house lol jk ;-)
Such images are legally public domain. ;)

[Johnsie]

That depends what country you live in. Different countries have different privacy laws.

[smoker]

if you don't like google, or whatever, search engine in the firefox browser, it can be removed with a couple of clicks.

[Lord Illidan]

Google's high position in the search engine market is far more fickle than of Microsoft's position in the OS market.

[zekopeko]

and google can't lock you in. you can easily switch to another provider.

[brim4brim]

I have no problems with a monopoly that keeps improving its products like Google has.

I don't have a problem with Windows but it doesn't work for me. I got sick of having programs installed to protect the OS and now with Vista, it just isn't reliable enough to use, the license is dodgy (compared to XP's), there is the potential for DRM problems which I want to avoid.

[forrestcupp]

if you don't like google, or whatever, search engine in the firefox browser, it can be removed with a couple of clicks.

And, if you would rather have Yahoo or a number of other engines, all you have to do is click the down arrow next to the Google "G" and choose a different one.

[maniacmusician]

maybe mozilla should use some of those $50m to, oh I don't know, fix XUL or at least make it snappier on Linux.

[Spr0k3t]

I'll take google any day of the week over other sub par search engines. I've built my own search routine on the google engine (kind of like yub-nub on acid and crack) and find everything I need just fine. As for the latest privacy scare... they can have all the information on me they want... I'd rather google have it than most other systems.