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It's very interesting to see the hacker community turn on Google so abruptly over the last year or so. Not sure why, but it seems to me that Google itself has n

It's very interesting to see the hacker community turn on Google so abruptly over the last year or so. Not sure why, but it seems to me that Google itself has not actually changed its business model much, though its perception has turned radically downward.

onemorepassword 14y ago
I can only speak for myself, but I was done with Google a long time ago. The 180 on net neutrality, the anti-privacy stance combined with downright illegal (at least in the EU) activities, the pro-active pandering to the copyright mafia, the anti-anonymity policy, the increased geo-tarding or services etcetera. All of these are not just "things I don't like", they are things that go against the values Google suggested, if not outright proclaimed, they stood for. Google has turned on the hacker community quite a while ago. What I find particularly galling is that Google abuses the notion that they stand for openness and global internet freedom as PR-fodder, whilst being one of the most powerful forces in achieving exactly the opposite. Even Microsoft only went as far as to proclaim their tactics were about "innovation". Google is far more cynical.
r00fus 14y ago
It's because all of those instances of "more wood behind fewer arrows" indicate Google is going on a war-footing. Look at all their more recent activity aside from the not-quite-here-yet Glass and Driverless Car projects: 1) Google+ is an attack against Facebook 2) Shopping Express is attacking Amazon 3) Chromebook and Nexus are attacking Apple and Microsoft directly. 4) Chrome is about to metastasize into a full-on OS, and this can be seen in Google's lack of interest in fixing simple "browser" issues as they put more and more kitchen sink into Chrome. All of this is well and good - companies need to press their competitors in order to stay profitable and secure. However, all of this coming at the expense of many their cool projects and widely used services like Reader. What's next, Voice (use G Chat instead)? Blogs (use G+ instead)? It sucks wondering what's next on the chopping block. If Google is going to war, then they're no longer "nice" or "neutral". Google is throwing down the gauntlet and there's a fear that they'll be as closed as Apple or Microsoft, if they feel it's more profitable.
- hiker 14y ago
  Sure, and 0) Google is an attack against Yahoo! (1998) > Google's lack of interest in fixing simple "browser" issues What do you mean by that? IMHO Chrome is the best browser around these days. In (well, almost) all dimensions - html5 spec feature coverage and quality, speed, security, etc.
schrijver 14y ago
Yeah I’ve always wondered why for example Facebook has taken much more flak in tech circles.. Some impressive hacker cognitive dissonance has been going on.. Glad to see this shift in the community!

onemorepassword 14y ago

I can only speak for myself, but I was done with Google a long time ago. The 180 on net neutrality, the anti-privacy stance combined with downright illegal (at least in the EU) activities, the pro-active pandering to the copyright mafia, the anti-anonymity policy, the increased geo-tarding or services etcetera. All of these are not just "things I don't like", they are things that go against the values Google suggested, if not outright proclaimed, they stood for. Google has turned on the hacker community quite a while ago. What I find particularly galling is that Google abuses the notion that they stand for openness and global internet freedom as PR-fodder, whilst being one of the most powerful forces in achieving exactly the opposite. Even Microsoft only went as far as to proclaim their tactics were about "innovation". Google is far more cynical.

r00fus 14y ago

It's because all of those instances of "more wood behind fewer arrows" indicate Google is going on a war-footing. Look at all their more recent activity aside from the not-quite-here-yet Glass and Driverless Car projects: 1) Google+ is an attack against Facebook 2) Shopping Express is attacking Amazon 3) Chromebook and Nexus are attacking Apple and Microsoft directly. 4) Chrome is about to metastasize into a full-on OS, and this can be seen in Google's lack of interest in fixing simple "browser" issues as they put more and more kitchen sink into Chrome. All of this is well and good - companies need to press their competitors in order to stay profitable and secure. However, all of this coming at the expense of many their cool projects and widely used services like Reader. What's next, Voice (use G Chat instead)? Blogs (use G+ instead)? It sucks wondering what's next on the chopping block. If Google is going to war, then they're no longer "nice" or "neutral". Google is throwing down the gauntlet and there's a fear that they'll be as closed as Apple or Microsoft, if they feel it's more profitable.

hiker 14y ago
Sure, and 0) Google is an attack against Yahoo! (1998) > Google's lack of interest in fixing simple "browser" issues What do you mean by that? IMHO Chrome is the best browser around these days. In (well, almost) all dimensions - html5 spec feature coverage and quality, speed, security, etc.

schrijver 14y ago

Yeah I’ve always wondered why for example Facebook has taken much more flak in tech circles.. Some impressive hacker cognitive dissonance has been going on.. Glad to see this shift in the community!