Until I read Ken Auletta's article "Searching for Trouble" (The New Yorker, Oct. 12, 2009), I was unaware of the problems eating at Google's business structure.
Everyone talks about Google in such high regard. I have even been known to call Google the master of all search engines. Because it is. There are others (Ask, Yahoo!, and the Microsoft's new engine, Bing, to name a few). But what other search engine has become a verb? People don't go around saying, "Let me Bing that!" No, we are culture of Googlers.
With that statement, I think it's clear Google does have something that could be considered monopoly. People know it, use it, talk about it and research it. And as Google keeps expanding its horizons like it did with e-mail, maps, news, video and more, the name will be synonymous with the ability to easily find answers.
Like all businesses, though, Google is vulnerable. Chaos management will eventually knock Google off its feet, so they need to get organized. It's not enough to be the smartest group of guys in the world if you can't manage those smarts.
Everyone talks about Google in such high regard. I have even been known to call Google the master of all search engines. Because it is. There are others (Ask, Yahoo!, and the Microsoft's new engine, Bing, to name a few). But what other search engine has become a verb? People don't go around saying, "Let me Bing that!" No, we are culture of Googlers.
With that statement, I think it's clear Google does have something that could be considered monopoly. People know it, use it, talk about it and research it. And as Google keeps expanding its horizons like it did with e-mail, maps, news, video and more, the name will be synonymous with the ability to easily find answers.
Like all businesses, though, Google is vulnerable. Chaos management will eventually knock Google off its feet, so they need to get organized. It's not enough to be the smartest group of guys in the world if you can't manage those smarts.
Its true, Google has become our standard for finding information. I like the idea that Google has many intelligent people but may have a flaw in its management. nice ideas.
ReplyDeleteGreat point about "Google" as a verb! And great evidence of its monopoly. Isn't it interesting how we can use the term and never really realize the extent to which Google impacts our lives?
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Chloe. They need to get their cost structure figured out. But I have a hard time believing $11 million profit a day will go away.
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