3 ms·

I agree with what you wrote, but the comparison is apples to oranges: Google customers are businesses; end users (who CAN switch easily) are the product. Right

by beagle3 10y ago

I agree with what you wrote, but the comparison is apples to oranges: Google customers are businesses; end users (who CAN switch easily) are the product. Right now the only (supposedly) viable competitor is Facebook, but it's more of an advertising duopoly that divides the market - all the people I know who advertise say that you use FB for brand/interaction/marketing and Google for sales, and for a specific spend it is usually clear which one gets it (and seldom if ever anyone other than FB or Google).

jhall1468 10y ago
> Google customers are businesses; end users (who CAN switch easily) are the product. I am a Google customer. They provide me with a product (Google) which I pay for by allowing Google to display advertisements on the results. A business is also a Google customer. They pay Google to display ads to a visitors to the website. But that distinction is moot anyway. Businesses aren't covered by consumer protections because they aren't "consumers".
- bunburying 10y ago
  I think you're being a bit mischievous with you definition of customer. You're really a user; not a customer. Customers pay. Google is selling your eyeballs to advertisers. Advertises are Google's customers.
  - notatoad 10y ago
    >Customers pay And the important distinction if you want to counter the argument that the person you're replying to is making: Customers pay with money. "paying" with a currency like privacy or convenience isn't actually paying. If you aren't paying for something with money you aren't a customer, you're a user.
- beagle3 10y ago
  You are a google consumer/user. You are not a google customer in the usual sense of the word. Rest assured that if you were a google customer, the IRS would want their pound of flesh from that barter exchange you and google are having.

3 ms·

I agree with what you wrote, but the comparison is apples to oranges: Google customers are businesses; end users (who CAN switch easily) are the product. Right

by beagle3 10y ago

jhall1468 10y ago
> Google customers are businesses; end users (who CAN switch easily) are the product. I am a Google customer. They provide me with a product (Google) which I pay for by allowing Google to display advertisements on the results. A business is also a Google customer. They pay Google to display ads to a visitors to the website. But that distinction is moot anyway. Businesses aren't covered by consumer protections because they aren't "consumers".
- bunburying 10y ago
  I think you're being a bit mischievous with you definition of customer. You're really a user; not a customer. Customers pay. Google is selling your eyeballs to advertisers. Advertises are Google's customers.
  - notatoad 10y ago
    >Customers pay And the important distinction if you want to counter the argument that the person you're replying to is making: Customers pay with money. "paying" with a currency like privacy or convenience isn't actually paying. If you aren't paying for something with money you aren't a customer, you're a user.
- beagle3 10y ago
  You are a google consumer/user. You are not a google customer in the usual sense of the word. Rest assured that if you were a google customer, the IRS would want their pound of flesh from that barter exchange you and google are having.