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I agree with you for most parts, but the interactions with China should not be mistaken for 'google taking the high ground'. Google was already losing horribly

I agree with you for most parts, but the interactions with China should not be mistaken for 'google taking the high ground'. Google was already losing horribly to Baidu to the point where they were giving away free music in order to try and gain users ( http://www.drmwatch.com/ocr/article.php/3726636 http://www.drmwatch.com/ocr/article.php/3726636 ). They made a sensible decision to leave, but framed it as a human rights issue to the media in order to gain sympathy. In no ways am I defending Baidu or China. I am just saying they didn't leave because of their lofty morals.

moultano 16y ago
>I am just saying they didn't leave because of their lofty morals. So they risked giving up 40% market share for the hell of it?
- gamble 16y ago
  Market share != revenue. China only represented 1% of Google's revenue when they pulled out. They saw the writing on the wall - China would not allow foreign Internet companies to be successful in the long term - and decided to pull out before corporate espionage transferred all of their technology to Chinese competitors. It's a bit much to paint that as some bold moral stand. They were fine with censorship for four years - why did it suddenly become so objectionable?
  - juvenn 16y ago
    Since the sensorship is beyond what Google's founders had expected. Even we native Chinese had not expected that then. However, given they have invested so much on the Free Music Plan, and the market was rewarding, why, all of sudden, they pulled their feet? And risking of losing the world's largest and emerging market? Though, I agree there are multiple causes about that. But simply thinking they pulled because they were losing ...
  - ratsbane 16y ago
    YouTube only represents a tiny portion (<1%) of Google's revenue. GMail, Google Docs, Google Earth, etc. only represent a tiny portion of Google's revenue. While your larger point may be correct (though I hope not) they've always shown willingness and ability to invest in market share for the long term - and 40% of China's search market is kind of a big deal.
paragraft 16y ago
They were giving away music because that was always a feature of Baidu that they had been hurting for not having. Last I heard they had gained up to ~25% market share. 25% of a market that large and with that much potential is enough to run an entire company off. I don't buy this narrative that they tossed it away out of some petulant "If I can't dominate this market I won't try" motive.

moultano 16y ago

>I am just saying they didn't leave because of their lofty morals. So they risked giving up 40% market share for the hell of it?

gamble 16y ago
Market share != revenue. China only represented 1% of Google's revenue when they pulled out. They saw the writing on the wall - China would not allow foreign Internet companies to be successful in the long term - and decided to pull out before corporate espionage transferred all of their technology to Chinese competitors. It's a bit much to paint that as some bold moral stand. They were fine with censorship for four years - why did it suddenly become so objectionable?
- juvenn 16y ago
  Since the sensorship is beyond what Google's founders had expected. Even we native Chinese had not expected that then. However, given they have invested so much on the Free Music Plan, and the market was rewarding, why, all of sudden, they pulled their feet? And risking of losing the world's largest and emerging market? Though, I agree there are multiple causes about that. But simply thinking they pulled because they were losing ...
- ratsbane 16y ago
  YouTube only represents a tiny portion (<1%) of Google's revenue. GMail, Google Docs, Google Earth, etc. only represent a tiny portion of Google's revenue. While your larger point may be correct (though I hope not) they've always shown willingness and ability to invest in market share for the long term - and 40% of China's search market is kind of a big deal.

paragraft 16y ago

They were giving away music because that was always a feature of Baidu that they had been hurting for not having. Last I heard they had gained up to ~25% market share. 25% of a market that large and with that much potential is enough to run an entire company off. I don't buy this narrative that they tossed it away out of some petulant "If I can't dominate this market I won't try" motive.