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I think it is quite terrifying, that one company can singlehandedly shut down business, even if you have never used a Google service in your entire life; becaus

I think it is quite terrifying, that one company can singlehandedly shut down business, even if you have never used a Google service in your entire life; because all your customers only discover you through Google. And what is to be done about it? you aren't a Google customer in the direct sense, so they feel no obligation to assist, and it seems as if even actual customers get negligible support. The only way out of this seems to be either Google collapsing, or a MS-esque antitrust/monopoly court.

gagege 13y ago
Let's say I own a single store and it happens to be in a space in a mall. Also, the mall is letting me do business there for free. I get exposure, electricity, easy access, all kinds of good stuff, for free. (The mall is Google) Suddenly the mall wants to extort me by charging me money to use their space, electricity, water, etc. Those jerks!
- tjr 13y ago
  Does Google let you buy search result placement? Not ads, but better placement in search results?
- Systemic33 13y ago
  Completely missing the problem. The problem i'm talking about is more in the case of some company distributing a large phonebook for the city, which includes all stores and people, information they gathered by downloading public city records. So people start using this phonebook all the time, and for most citizens, it's the only way they can find your business. But on day the phonebook company, decides for an uknown reason to delist a business. When the store then contacts the phone company, they are reached with a voicemail, every time they try to contact. The store knows some friends who know the owner of the phonebook company, but the guy they know refuse to comment on it. What the hell is the store supposed to do? The entire city is so hooked on the phonebook company, because they give them free phone lines, and all sorts of seemingly free stuff, which is really just feeding drugs to the addict. How does this not stink far away of antitrust? The phonebook is actively working to keep its users with free stuff, so that they keep using them, and enables them to extort the phone store to have to pay the phonebook company for getting them listed again.
  - MichaelGG 13y ago
    That's not accurate at all. The phonebook doesn't provide any useful ranking - it's an alphabetical sort usually. It's closer to a factual database than anything. Google could solve all criticism of its results simply by returning all URLs in alphabetical order -- but they'd lose all their users, too. The situation is much more akin to a hotline to call up and ask what a good place is for Q. And usually the hotline refers people to your business for Q, but now they don't. And since the hotline is part of a massive organization and answers are generated by a massive, complicated, AI, it's hard to find out why the hotline decided to not refer people to your business anymore.
  - gagege 13y ago
    I don't think I'm missing the problem at all. The problem is that that average business trusts Google way too much. They think Google is some kind of free public service. They're putting all their eggs in Google's basket. They should know that Google is heavily invested in the basket business.
pgrote 13y ago
It is terrifying, but it is the nature of Google. If your customers found you through Google it's important to keep them through other means. Furthermore, as more people are involved with online businesses they need to understand the ebb and flow of Google traffic. It can be turned off overnight. I don't think people realize that until it's too late.

gagege 13y ago

Let's say I own a single store and it happens to be in a space in a mall. Also, the mall is letting me do business there for free. I get exposure, electricity, easy access, all kinds of good stuff, for free. (The mall is Google) Suddenly the mall wants to extort me by charging me money to use their space, electricity, water, etc. Those jerks!

tjr 13y ago
Does Google let you buy search result placement? Not ads, but better placement in search results?
Systemic33 13y ago
Completely missing the problem. The problem i'm talking about is more in the case of some company distributing a large phonebook for the city, which includes all stores and people, information they gathered by downloading public city records. So people start using this phonebook all the time, and for most citizens, it's the only way they can find your business. But on day the phonebook company, decides for an uknown reason to delist a business. When the store then contacts the phone company, they are reached with a voicemail, every time they try to contact. The store knows some friends who know the owner of the phonebook company, but the guy they know refuse to comment on it. What the hell is the store supposed to do? The entire city is so hooked on the phonebook company, because they give them free phone lines, and all sorts of seemingly free stuff, which is really just feeding drugs to the addict. How does this not stink far away of antitrust? The phonebook is actively working to keep its users with free stuff, so that they keep using them, and enables them to extort the phone store to have to pay the phonebook company for getting them listed again.
- MichaelGG 13y ago
  That's not accurate at all. The phonebook doesn't provide any useful ranking - it's an alphabetical sort usually. It's closer to a factual database than anything. Google could solve all criticism of its results simply by returning all URLs in alphabetical order -- but they'd lose all their users, too. The situation is much more akin to a hotline to call up and ask what a good place is for Q. And usually the hotline refers people to your business for Q, but now they don't. And since the hotline is part of a massive organization and answers are generated by a massive, complicated, AI, it's hard to find out why the hotline decided to not refer people to your business anymore.
- gagege 13y ago
  I don't think I'm missing the problem at all. The problem is that that average business trusts Google way too much. They think Google is some kind of free public service. They're putting all their eggs in Google's basket. They should know that Google is heavily invested in the basket business.

pgrote 13y ago

It is terrifying, but it is the nature of Google. If your customers found you through Google it's important to keep them through other means. Furthermore, as more people are involved with online businesses they need to understand the ebb and flow of Google traffic. It can be turned off overnight. I don't think people realize that until it's too late.