The Almighty Google

In an attempt to get a bit more activity, I'm starting a new topic!

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Google, the brainchild of Sergey Brin and Larry Page, was incorporated in 1998, and focused on search the Internet. Since then, Google has grown in leaps and bounds, with many services such as GMail, Google Docs and Google Maps emerging over its eleven year life. Recently, the giant announced their operating system, Google Chrome OS, after much speculation that their mobile phone OS, Android, would be announced for laptops and desktop computers.

From humble beginnings as a personal project in 1996, Google has evolved into a key part of the modern world, but many people hate it.

The question: is Google getting too big?

It's meant to be slightly ambiguous to get more discussion.

Go on, give me your thoughts.

In all seriousness, I think it could use a filter at the very least.

I think that it's wonderful Google is going to take over the world. Not only is it going to be easy for me to access any information at any given time, this modernized SkyNet is going to probably one day own the programming for our vehicles, houses, computers, cell phones, all forms of communication. And what will they do then? Oh, what every company does when they turn greedy and go to earn some more bucks, add some fees!

As long as Google stays free for most services, I have no issues with it. Once they start to charge money is where the problem will begin. At this point they are solely making money off of advertisers, and have done greatly thus far. Once they start to charge the consumer things may change a bit, and they may turn into a monopolizer in the market, as most feel they have done now. Only problem is as of yet, they don't charge for almost anything.

I would tend to agree with D3v. I kinda like how Google does lots of free and open-source type stuff, because it's a good way to promote the development of great things. Once they start trying to own everything I'll have a problem with it. For now, I think Google does a lot of good.

Actually, Google makes money through contracts with buisinesses to provide Software as a Service. Many buisinesses have contracted with Google to use Google Docs instead of MS office, for instance. An even bigger group has contracted with Google to run their corporate e-mail.

My university's e-mail system is being transitioned to a gmail implementation.

In my mind, the only way the Internet is going to progress in any meaningful way is if Google do it - not only do they have the infrastructure for something amazing, and not only do they have some of the best programmers in the world working for them, but they do more or less everything for free.

I'd be happy to pay a few pounds a month to use a Google service, because I know I'm getting quality, and I can't find the same standard anywhere else.

As for them getting too big, well, let's face it, if Google sneezes then the whole world knows about it. For the moment, I believe they could do with reigning themselves in a little, and focusing on some of their more promising products and projects, but when the world economy has recovered enough for them to do so, Google should get into as high a gear as possible and run with everything.

So how much longer before Google monopolizes technology in general. They bought some $850 million marketing firm just yesterday and are set to still release their OS in the future.

Android is gaining steam (and analysts predict it will be second only to Symbian by 2011, with about 30% of the market share), they've recently announced that 47 airports in the US will have free WiFi until January 15th 2010, and Wave is freakin' awesome!

The firm they acquired yesterday was AdMob, I believe - a marketing firm who specialise in mobile advertisements.

I can't wait for the inevitable Google takeover!

The question: is Google getting too big?

This topic seems vaugely familiar...

I dunno. I like google because they're festive with the layouts and such. Plus, I hate every other search engine, so... google4life.

we are all willing to our ignorance, we must be brainwashed

we are all willing to our ignorance, we must be brainwashed

Mdselctr, give D3V his account back.

Google set to replace your telephones..

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/13/g...ice/index.html

Google is set to become your new phone company, perhaps reducing your phone bill to zilch in the process. Seriously. Google has bought Gizmo5, an online phone company that is akin to Skype but based on open protocols and with a lot fewer users. TechCrunch, which broke the news on Monday, reported that Google spent $30 million on the company. Google announced the Gizmo acquisition on Thursday afternoon Pacific Time. Gizmo5's founder Michael Robertson, a brash serial entrepreneur, will become an Adviser to Google Voice. It's a potent recipe -- take Gizmo5's open standards-based online calling system. Add to it the new ability to route calls on Google's massive network of cheap fiber. Toss in Google Voice's free phone number, which will ring your mobile phone, your home phone and your Gizmo5 client on your laptop. ÿþ Meanwhile you can use Gizmo5 to make ultracheap outgoing calls to domestic and international phone numbers, and free calls to Skype, Google Talk, Yahoo and AIM users. You could make and receive calls that bypass the per-minute billing on your smartphone. Then layer on deluxe phone services like free SMS, voicemail transcription, customized call routing, free conference calls and voicemails sent as recordings to your e-mail account, and you have a phone service that competes with Skype, landlines and the Internet telephone offerings from Vonage and cable companies. That's not just pie in-the-sky dreaming. Ask longtime VOIP watcher and consultant Andy Abramson, who introduced the idea of integrating Gizmo5 and Grand Central (now Google Voice), long before Google bought either.

How exactly do you get paid, if you work for google?