4 ms·

"If Google was, in truth, motivated by the highest ideals of service to the public, then it should have declared the project a non-profit from the beginning, th

"If Google was, in truth, motivated by the highest ideals of service to the public, then it should have declared the project a non-profit from the beginning, thereby extinguishing any fears that the company wanted to somehow make a profit from other people’s work." I think Google might win over some critics if they resumed the project; set it up as a non-profit, but not some slick non-profit that really doesn't help anyone other than Google? The bylaws would be lawyer proof, and BOD proof. The out of print(out of copyright) books would be available to anyone for free. I was very excited about this project, and it did seem to just die? I used to like and defend Google. As of the last few years, with the tracking, plethora of Ads, and the way they ruined YouTube, at least for me.(Yea, I didn't like the way they took it over. I don't like all the advertisements. Plus, I still have embarrassing videos up there that I literally can't get off. Some kind of password screwup that is beyond the helpful customers at the "Help Boards". See Google employees can't be bothered with trivial stuff like my videos. (I asked, and was told to figure it out.) So Google, if you are listening, go back to your roots. Some people, including myself, hold no loyality to your company anymore. My sister uses Bing. I used to tell her, you might like Google better. Those days are long gone. I'd tell her about Duckduckgo, but it's just not quite their yet.

benbristow 11y ago
> I don't like all the advertisements. Google's an advertising company. Of course they were going to add adverts. Even if the original founders still ran the site it'd probably eventually have gotten adverts. Bandwidth isn't free, especially at that scale. You expect Google to run it out of the love of their hearts after paying a huge sum to buy it? If you don't like the adverts, just use Adblock Plus/uBlock Origin and call it a day.
- LeoNatan25 11y ago
  The tone you have taken to answer, together with the last comment, make no sense together. So you support the ad model, including the silly "out of the love of their hearts" rhetoric, but conclude with installing an ad blocker.
  - roblabla 11y ago
    Well, it does. OP said it makes sense from youtube's point of view to put in ads, and was to be expected of them. He didn't support the ad model himself, just claimed it made sense.
- blub 11y ago
  Well ben, if you don't like comments criticising Google, just stop reading them and call it a day. Google is not just showing ads, they're tracking their users and building profiles which include contacts, location, e-mail content, what you search for, which sites you visit, photos, videos and so on and so forth. No one really expects them to give their stuff away for free, but many consider this data-for-product deal much worse than simply paying for a product, and they shouldn't be silenced with trite recommendations such as "use adblock".
  - vanzard 11y ago
    Yes Google is just showing ads. They collect data about you to target their ads well, but that's basically all they do. They don't send your info to the NSA, they don't send you SPAM, they don't sell your info to private investigators. Their end goal is just to show you targeted ads. That's it.
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
    - blub 11y ago
      Your whole post is just nonsense. First you say they just show ads, then in the second sentence you say yourself that they do much more then that. Then comes the strawman that they don't send spam and sell the info.
    - marincounty 11y ago
      You're kidding--right? I imagine the NSA has complete control over Google's head honchos? ("Give me the data, or we will audit every stock trade, every dime that you put into a bank? Every aspect of your private life will be scrutinized, if you don't go along with our polite requests?"). Hell--I wouldn't be surprised if the NSA has a pipeline directly attached to Google servers? In my world, SPAM is any ad, including targeted ads? I actually miss the phalus enlargement ads? They don't sell your information to Investigators(government, private, etc.), I imagine they give it away, if their lives, money will be affected? I do feel their end goal is to sell you products, and services, but just the amount of information they have on us is staggering? Why do I feel they can predict the future? I wouldn't be surprised if they know right now who will become the final two, or three presidential candidates? I have no evidence for these outlandish claims. I'm just a guy who doesn't believe in what these companies are telling us? Conspiracy theory nut--maybe I am? Or, maybe I watched Three Days of the Condor too many times? I just think they do a lot with that data? I think the government does a lot with that data? I'm in no mood for a debate, I need to remove seven rivets in order to change my ball joints(horrid manufacturing/engineering), and the neighbors don't like noise. Need to complete the job before 7:00 p.m., or I might get a visit from the Blue boys? Love my kind neighbors?
jericht 11y ago
I think you don't understand the economics of the situation, of course everyone agrees it would be lovely if all companies hired a personal concierge for each user that attended to their every whim. But for that to happen, that concierge has to be paid a salary. Now extrapolate how many users each concierge has to manage to make it viable if your margin per user is microscopic, like fractions of a cent microscopic? Your only option to make it work is to make it a paid service...then those users are suddenly not interested, and move to the platform with crappy customer service but no subscription fee.

benbristow 11y ago

> I don't like all the advertisements. Google's an advertising company. Of course they were going to add adverts. Even if the original founders still ran the site it'd probably eventually have gotten adverts. Bandwidth isn't free, especially at that scale. You expect Google to run it out of the love of their hearts after paying a huge sum to buy it? If you don't like the adverts, just use Adblock Plus/uBlock Origin and call it a day.

LeoNatan25 11y ago
The tone you have taken to answer, together with the last comment, make no sense together. So you support the ad model, including the silly "out of the love of their hearts" rhetoric, but conclude with installing an ad blocker.
- roblabla 11y ago
  Well, it does. OP said it makes sense from youtube's point of view to put in ads, and was to be expected of them. He didn't support the ad model himself, just claimed it made sense.
blub 11y ago
Well ben, if you don't like comments criticising Google, just stop reading them and call it a day. Google is not just showing ads, they're tracking their users and building profiles which include contacts, location, e-mail content, what you search for, which sites you visit, photos, videos and so on and so forth. No one really expects them to give their stuff away for free, but many consider this data-for-product deal much worse than simply paying for a product, and they shouldn't be silenced with trite recommendations such as "use adblock".
- vanzard 11y ago
  Yes Google is just showing ads. They collect data about you to target their ads well, but that's basically all they do. They don't send your info to the NSA, they don't send you SPAM, they don't sell your info to private investigators. Their end goal is just to show you targeted ads. That's it.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
  - blub 11y ago
    Your whole post is just nonsense. First you say they just show ads, then in the second sentence you say yourself that they do much more then that. Then comes the strawman that they don't send spam and sell the info.
  - marincounty 11y ago
    You're kidding--right? I imagine the NSA has complete control over Google's head honchos? ("Give me the data, or we will audit every stock trade, every dime that you put into a bank? Every aspect of your private life will be scrutinized, if you don't go along with our polite requests?"). Hell--I wouldn't be surprised if the NSA has a pipeline directly attached to Google servers? In my world, SPAM is any ad, including targeted ads? I actually miss the phalus enlargement ads? They don't sell your information to Investigators(government, private, etc.), I imagine they give it away, if their lives, money will be affected? I do feel their end goal is to sell you products, and services, but just the amount of information they have on us is staggering? Why do I feel they can predict the future? I wouldn't be surprised if they know right now who will become the final two, or three presidential candidates? I have no evidence for these outlandish claims. I'm just a guy who doesn't believe in what these companies are telling us? Conspiracy theory nut--maybe I am? Or, maybe I watched Three Days of the Condor too many times? I just think they do a lot with that data? I think the government does a lot with that data? I'm in no mood for a debate, I need to remove seven rivets in order to change my ball joints(horrid manufacturing/engineering), and the neighbors don't like noise. Need to complete the job before 7:00 p.m., or I might get a visit from the Blue boys? Love my kind neighbors?

jericht 11y ago

I think you don't understand the economics of the situation, of course everyone agrees it would be lovely if all companies hired a personal concierge for each user that attended to their every whim. But for that to happen, that concierge has to be paid a salary. Now extrapolate how many users each concierge has to manage to make it viable if your margin per user is microscopic, like fractions of a cent microscopic? Your only option to make it work is to make it a paid service...then those users are suddenly not interested, and move to the platform with crappy customer service but no subscription fee.