Is Google Evil?

[Snooks]

Google is my favorite search engine!

Yeh! But is it evil? Thats what the thread is about, wether you like it or not is irrelevent, is Google evil?

(I love my wife, but she can be evil )

[deepsand]

I used to love my ex-wife, particularly when she was evil.

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[snakeair]

I thought this blog post from the seobook.com blog best fits in the Evil thread.

Don't hold back your opinions on this blog post.

Google As Publisher... They might prefer to use different labels (so as to minimize fear in the marketplace & slow down regulators), and they might claim that aggregate statistics control the investments & thus they are not really publishers, but they plan on skimming a big piece off of the top of many big markets.

AdWords was just the start!

Videos, maps & product search...look how Google self-deals in each while managing to call it a value added feature (or some such).

If Google collects data, hosts data, sorts data, recommends personalized consumption habits, and then makes small investments in new content from proven past performers (and then give them a bit of stealth promotion on their network)...how is it possible for Google to lose money? (Outside of lawsuits)?

How much of...

Continued at: http://www.seobook.com/google-publisher

Originally Posted by deepsand

I used to love my ex-wife, particularly when she was evil.

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[movieriz]

I really don't know what to say here if really google was evil. But I guess so, because as I now think that google was taking over the world. Look, if we are looking for something we search in google because everything is was in google.

[VietnamVeteran]

Google is not evil. They just will do anything to remain on the top

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by VietnamVeteran

Google is not evil. They just will do anything to remain on the top

Sounds like a definition of evil to me!

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[deepsand]

Here's particularly telling quote from Nikesh Aurora, Google Head of European Operations:

We try not to have too many controls.

People will do things that they think are in the interests of the company. We want them to understand the values of the firm, and interpret them for themselves.

From Will Google redefine insider information/trading? : The Precursor Blog.

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[~CReed]

Google using search engine to muscle into Internet businesses, study finds

WASHINGTON, DC — Google has been using its dominant position in online search to muscle its way into other Internet businesses, ultimately limiting consumer choice, Consumer Watchdog said today in a report written for its new Inside Google Website.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer group is sending the report to U.S. and European antitrust regulators.

Read the report below.

The Inside Google study found that since adopting “Universal Search,” which favors Google’s properties with prominent listings in its results, traffic to Google’s sites has soared at the expense of competitors. The controversial search practice was launched in 2007.

“Google claims that its search is neutral,” said John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with the group. “This study shows that it’s not and demonstrates the damaging impact Google’s unfair practices have had on competitors.”
Consumer Watchdog will give the Inside Google study, “Traffic Report: How Google is Squeezing out Competitors and Muscling Into New Markets,” to U.S. Justice Department and European Commission antitrust officials.

Here's a link to the report:

Traffic Report: How Google is Squeezing out Competitors and Muscling Into New Markets

[~CReed]

Google WiSpying Hit Congress; National Security Data Could Have Been Gathered

Why the increase in lobbying? Who is Google trying to influence and why?

Google’s efforts to influence Washington have soared recently. In the first quarter of this year Google increased its lobbying spending by a whopping 57 percent over the previous year as it paid $1.3 million to influence federal lawmakers and regulators. It spent $4.03 million on lobbying in 2009, according to disclosure forms filed with the Senate Office of Public Affairs.

Its political action committee, Google Inc. NetPAC, has already given $175,400 to federal candidates this year, according to The Center for Responsive Politics. That compares with only $31,000 for the entire 2006 election cycle.

[~CReed]

Here's a couple of websites that some might find interesting:

GoogleMonitor.com - Holding Google Accountable
Inside Google - A Consumer Watchdog Investigation

[ljbcool]

i like google's product, it easy to use and very useful..

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by ljbcool

i like google's product, it easy to use and very useful..

Setting aside there is no one single Google product or service, of what relevance to the subject of this thread?

Did you perhaps mean that you like the idea of living in a Google controlled company town?

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[lovingnet5]

I've just watch about Google, the most successful company around the world, on CNBC, it sounds like Google has all information in hand. And I think in myself, what a wonderful company around the world. They know everything about us, they provide the right information and they collect money. In the meantime, I would say Google is a good and reputable company. Yes Google's not evil today as it's a transparent and legal company . But I'm just waiting to see in the future....

[joelchrist]

Definitely, google will be evil, only those who use black hat seo to promote a site.

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by lovingnet5

I've just watch about Google, the most successful company around the world, on CNBC, it sounds like Google has all information in hand. And I think in myself, what a wonderful company around the world. They know everything about us, they provide the right information and they collect money. In the meantime, I would say Google is a good and reputable company. Yes Google's not evil today as it's a transparent and legal company . But I'm just waiting to see in the future....

Transparent?

So, you like having Google spy on you, looking to control everything?

Time for you to take off the blinders, and find out what Google's really up to.

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[deepsand]

*

Don't Look Now, but Google's Following You

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[activegamez]

If you think Google wants to control the Internet, I think that's a good idea if they did. I trust Google and love them, they've always been there for me and they never seize to impress me. Ask yourself, would you want anyone else controlling it?

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by activegamez

If you think Google wants to control the Internet, I think that's a good idea if they did. I trust Google and love them, they've always been there for me and they never seize to impress me. Ask yourself, would you want anyone else controlling it?

Why would I want anyone to have such control, let alone a business?

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." - John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton (1834–1902)

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[homeschooled]

I think Google has its own base at the core of the earth. There, they built a base that will shake the foundation of the earth in just one button. And there, humans wear protected gear when using their equipments. They also have their own Mcdonald's and KFC there to satisfy their fat cravings.

Google is the Sauron of the modern age.

Who wants to continue?

[Dazzler]

Google is the market leader in search. They as any other dominant market force will try and stifle competition to make sure that they maxmise profits. Thats not evil, thats capitalism. If you were in their position would you do anything different? I wouldn't.