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These rogue extensions are "surreptitiously monetizing web searches" - but doesn't Google conspicuously monetize web searches? So it seems the Google TOS bans

These rogue extensions are "surreptitiously monetizing web searches" - but doesn't Google conspicuously monetize web searches? So it seems the Google TOS bans competition in search monetization using their "open source" browser. Isn't it odd that an "open source" browser is apparently designed to provide a monopoly on search monetization by the nice people who give it to you for free? And being 80% or so of all searches: https://www.statista.com/statistics/216573/worldwide-market-share-of-search-engines/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/216573/worldwide-market-... It seems like Peter Thiel's claim that google is a search advertising monopoly masquerading as a (competitive, non-monopoly) technology company might be spot on.

HeatrayEnjoyer 2y ago
Small info piece: Chrome isn't open source. Otherwise I agree (even if it means agreeing with Peter Thiel in this case).
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- Over2Chars 2y ago
  Well shiver me timbers, if that isn't a hoot. Maybe my vernacular is off, "source available" ? ah "licensed freeware" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome
  - asddubs 2y ago
    chromium is open source, chrome is chromium + proprietary stuff added on top
- surajrmal 2y ago
  99% of its source is open. I wonder what you think of open source applications that make API calls into closed source cloud systems?
  - thowawatp302 2y ago
    Where does that 99% figure come from?
    - Over2Chars 2y ago
      I think it's 100% open source chromium, minus some unknown percentage that's closed source surveillance blobs = ~99%. That's the maths I'm inferring.
grues-dinner 2y ago
> Peter Thiel's claim that google is a search advertising monopoly masquerading as a (competitive, non-monopoly) technology company That's not a very deep insight, it's been pretty obvious since they bought out DoubleClick in 2007.
- Over2Chars 2y ago
  I agree, I think it's not a deep insight, but Thiel notes (in his 'zero to one' speech he gave) that Google actively pretends not to be a search advertising monopoly, and instead pretends to be a competitive technology company, in a wide range of technology fields, to "hide" their monopoly. Thiel is openly advocating monopolies, and says competition is for losers. I think he's just calling GOOG out for their marketing, and noting their market strategy to deflect attention away from their monopoly. I, for one, have never heard anyone publicly mention this besides Thiel. Have you?
  - alephnerd 2y ago
    I'm not sure I buy Thiel's argument becuase plenty of their non-search businesses such as Google Cloud, GSuite, Waymo, and Verily have become pretty successful in their own right, and vertical integration is another form of monopoly that tends to cracked down on.
    - Over2Chars 2y ago
      Check out the big blue box. I think Thiel's point is spot on: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1093781/distribution-of-googles-revenues-by-segment/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1093781/distribution-of-...
    - whatshisface 2y ago
      If I had a monopoly on sugar and traded in silver and healthcare, I would still have a monopoly on sugar.
      - tsunamifury 2y ago
WrongAssumption 2y ago
Can you quote the relevant section of the TOS?
- Over2Chars 2y ago
  I cannot. I am simply paraphrasing the leading sentence: "The people overseeing the security of Google’s Chrome browser explicitly forbid third-party extension developers from trying to manipulate how the browser extensions they submit are presented in the Chrome Web Store. " I assumed that this explicit prohibition would be a "TOS". I could be wrong. Maybe it's somewhere else or called something else.
wbl 2y ago
The competition is a click away.

HeatrayEnjoyer 2y ago

Small info piece: Chrome isn't open source. Otherwise I agree (even if it means agreeing with Peter Thiel in this case).

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
Over2Chars 2y ago
Well shiver me timbers, if that isn't a hoot. Maybe my vernacular is off, "source available" ? ah "licensed freeware" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome
- asddubs 2y ago
  chromium is open source, chrome is chromium + proprietary stuff added on top
surajrmal 2y ago
99% of its source is open. I wonder what you think of open source applications that make API calls into closed source cloud systems?
- thowawatp302 2y ago
  Where does that 99% figure come from?
  - Over2Chars 2y ago
    I think it's 100% open source chromium, minus some unknown percentage that's closed source surveillance blobs = ~99%. That's the maths I'm inferring.

grues-dinner 2y ago

> Peter Thiel's claim that google is a search advertising monopoly masquerading as a (competitive, non-monopoly) technology company That's not a very deep insight, it's been pretty obvious since they bought out DoubleClick in 2007.

Over2Chars 2y ago
I agree, I think it's not a deep insight, but Thiel notes (in his 'zero to one' speech he gave) that Google actively pretends not to be a search advertising monopoly, and instead pretends to be a competitive technology company, in a wide range of technology fields, to "hide" their monopoly. Thiel is openly advocating monopolies, and says competition is for losers. I think he's just calling GOOG out for their marketing, and noting their market strategy to deflect attention away from their monopoly. I, for one, have never heard anyone publicly mention this besides Thiel. Have you?
- alephnerd 2y ago
  I'm not sure I buy Thiel's argument becuase plenty of their non-search businesses such as Google Cloud, GSuite, Waymo, and Verily have become pretty successful in their own right, and vertical integration is another form of monopoly that tends to cracked down on.
  - Over2Chars 2y ago
    Check out the big blue box. I think Thiel's point is spot on: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1093781/distribution-of-googles-revenues-by-segment/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1093781/distribution-of-...
  - whatshisface 2y ago
    If I had a monopoly on sugar and traded in silver and healthcare, I would still have a monopoly on sugar.
    - tsunamifury 2y ago

WrongAssumption 2y ago

Can you quote the relevant section of the TOS?

Over2Chars 2y ago
I cannot. I am simply paraphrasing the leading sentence: "The people overseeing the security of Google’s Chrome browser explicitly forbid third-party extension developers from trying to manipulate how the browser extensions they submit are presented in the Chrome Web Store. " I assumed that this explicit prohibition would be a "TOS". I could be wrong. Maybe it's somewhere else or called something else.

wbl 2y ago

The competition is a click away.