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It really worries me that whenever Google rolls out a feature within their search results, it destroys a business. For example, earlier currency conversion and

It really worries me that whenever Google rolls out a feature within their search results, it destroys a business. For example, earlier currency conversion and dictionary word meanings required using third party sites. Now it can be done directly via their search. I no longer visit the old sites. Now with this, I will be less likely to visit etymonline.com. Quite similar to how including IE by default in Windows lead to lawsuits of unfair competition/monopoly. Is it wrong to believe something similar may happen with Google search.

gibwell 13y ago
Google is in the business of organizing the worlds information and monetizing it through advertising. If you are in the information business, Google is in competition with you.
- ryanhuff 13y ago
  While I think this is beyond dispute (gathering information for indexing), with some of their more recent moves, we may want to extend that to recognize that Google is also in the content production business.
  - gibwell 13y ago
    ...and the hardware business, and the OS business, and e-commerce, and cloud services.
the_watcher 13y ago
Google's job is not to keep those other sites in business. They serve their own users (this is arguable, I know, but I think my point here is clear), by making it easier to access information. This makes my life as a Google user easier, so it's something they should pursue.
austinz 13y ago
Looking forwards to the day Google includes electronic component datasheets in its search results and puts all those stupid unusable SEO-gaming datasheet repository websites out of business.
- jmpe 13y ago
  Amen. If you need an example, Google "TFK426". No, it's not a tuning fork, it's an 8-pin DIL. Same goes for the brokers: "SAA1084P". Those are just 2 examples I found last Friday. They're components on an old PLC I need to fix and they're just laughing in my face. I suspect they're opamps but I'll probably never know and I'll end up telling someone to just buy a new system.
Zoomla 13y ago
Google is slowly going towards "I'm feeling lucky"-and-you-don't-even-need-a-search-term-but-the-ads-are-still-targeted (http://imgur.com/hiOnsKI http://imgur.com/hiOnsKI). But I wonder why there is no ads on Google's homepage (they often already know what you were looking at).

gibwell 13y ago

Google is in the business of organizing the worlds information and monetizing it through advertising. If you are in the information business, Google is in competition with you.

ryanhuff 13y ago
While I think this is beyond dispute (gathering information for indexing), with some of their more recent moves, we may want to extend that to recognize that Google is also in the content production business.
- gibwell 13y ago
  ...and the hardware business, and the OS business, and e-commerce, and cloud services.

the_watcher 13y ago

Google's job is not to keep those other sites in business. They serve their own users (this is arguable, I know, but I think my point here is clear), by making it easier to access information. This makes my life as a Google user easier, so it's something they should pursue.

austinz 13y ago

Looking forwards to the day Google includes electronic component datasheets in its search results and puts all those stupid unusable SEO-gaming datasheet repository websites out of business.

jmpe 13y ago
Amen. If you need an example, Google "TFK426". No, it's not a tuning fork, it's an 8-pin DIL. Same goes for the brokers: "SAA1084P". Those are just 2 examples I found last Friday. They're components on an old PLC I need to fix and they're just laughing in my face. I suspect they're opamps but I'll probably never know and I'll end up telling someone to just buy a new system.

Zoomla 13y ago

Google is slowly going towards "I'm feeling lucky"-and-you-don't-even-need-a-search-term-but-the-ads-are-still-targeted (http://imgur.com/hiOnsKI http://imgur.com/hiOnsKI). But I wonder why there is no ads on Google's homepage (they often already know what you were looking at).