A Trend in 2011: Criticizing Google?
January 5, 2011
The Atlantic Monthly is jumping into the digital world. What better way to rack up clicks than to tackle a subject that will work like an the best a search engine optimization expert can craft. Navigate to “Is Google Too Big?” The write up explains that some folks think Google is, well, to big. On the other hand, some folks think that Google is just fine. After 153 years of operation, the Atlantic Monthly—er, Atlantic Wire—let me know that Google is either too big or not too big. I whipped out one of my candy colored 4X6 note cards and jotted down: “Google, either too big or just right.”
Does anyone remember these ads about a strong person picking on a weaker person. Some companies are now picking on Google, which is far from a weakling in our opinion.
When I was a college debater, I treasured factoids that I could use to crush my opponents argument. One never knows when a “too big, just right” factoid will come in handy. For my part, the Google has been chugging along for 11, 12 years. Google has not changed all that much in the last five years. What’s changed is that folks are now understanding the importance of infrastructure, the third party payer model, the importance of integrated services, and usage tracking.
Light bulbs have been operating on a time delay. Too bad the room illuminated has been lived in for a long time by the Math Club members. Room occupied. Look elsewhere. But picking on Google is au courant.
Here’s a run down of the “challenges” Google faces in 2011:
- Dealing with the privacy hassles related to Street View data acquisition. Various US states and a number of countries continue to bite Google’s ankles about alleged improper data matters.
- Figuring out what to do about Facebook, which continues to generate investment, traffic, and buzz. The Facebook Goldman Sachs approach seems to be a strategic variant of the method than used by Google for its IPO.
- Addressing the issues of Google TV. Rumors aside, the Internet on the TV sector is a mixed bag. The content challenge may be a bigger issue than the usability of the Logitech and Sony gizmos.
- Putting a damper on the Android fragmentation subject. Open source is free and it forks. Telecommunication companies like free and don’t like software outside their span of control. Android, therefore, is a technical Pandora’s Box. Google may have to do some fancy dancing to keep pace with the telcos approach to the Android software.
- Addressing the multi front war challenge. It may be a distorted view, but here in Harrod’s Creek it sure looks as if Google is fighting a lot of big companies. Apple and Oracle may be particularly problematic. It is not a matter of right or wrong; it is ego time.
- Responding to cloud computing threats. I am now of the mind that Microsoft is a better marketer of cloud services to the US government. Amazing as it seems to me, Amazon is out Googling Google in the cloud space as well. We like Google’s engineering, but time may be slipping away in some markets.
Google is no 98-pound weakling. The company is robust and dominant in search and online advertising. Are those criticizing Google looking at Googzilla in a fun house mirror? Is 2011 reality check time?
Stephen E Arnold, January 5, 2011
Freebie, definitely a freebie “
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