4 ms·

Isn't Microsoft just supporting them to counter Google? I read somewhere (I have tried to find it again but I have failed so far) that Bing's cost of operation

by pooper 12y ago

Isn't Microsoft just supporting them to counter Google? I read somewhere (I have tried to find it again but I have failed so far) that Bing's cost of operation per search query was more than ten times that of Google. I understand that DDG does not have to fulfill every Google use case. However, I don't see it likely that they're going to be number one any time soon. There are multiple discussions on HN where people say that if you can't be number one, you must shut down and walk away (I think we said something similar about Spring pad). Here we are encouraging DDG even though we know it will likely not be number one. I am confused.

dredmorbius 12y ago
Isn't Microsoft just supporting them to counter Google? As is Apple now. Pretty much, though if DDG can make a go of it on their own, so much the better. Sometimes balancing things against one another is useful. Actually, more than sometimes. And if all it does is convince Google to stop ingesting so fucking much personal data I'll consider it mission fucking accomplished. Though what I'd really like to see is a true distributed search engine capability emerge. There's a tool for this (YaCy) though it's still fairly rudimentary (and is Java based, which I'm increasingly allergic to).
jeena 12y ago
> if you can't be number one, you must shut down and walk away What a terrible and insane advice! Apple doesn't sell as many phones as Samsung and therefor they should shut down and walk? Or am I missing something here?
- pooper 12y ago
  Don't quote me on this but this seemed to be the consensus in the spring pad shutdown thread right here on HN. How is this any different? Well, Apple doesn't sell nearly as many phones as Samsung but they are probably an anomaly as they have high margins and are sitting on a huge pile of cash. They can afford to tough it out. I see your point now actually. I doubt if Apple ever needs to be in "first place". They are doing perfectly well where they are and I guess holding a fourth to fifth of all app phones is a pretty good spot when the bill of materials is less than $200 and the sale price is $600. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7829901 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7829901
ZenPro 12y ago
Anybody who thinks that an enterprise should be stopped if you are not number one is a misguided twit. 1. It would lead to toxic consumer environments with no competition. 2. It would stifle innovation as market incumbents could coast without further optimisation. 3. It fails to address the fact that everyone was in second place at some point. No industry or product is a spontaneous invention which has no competitors. The automobile had the horse; even Gutenberg had competition. Stop if you are not number one. Craziest business mantra ever.

by pooper 12y ago

dredmorbius 12y ago

Isn't Microsoft just supporting them to counter Google? As is Apple now. Pretty much, though if DDG can make a go of it on their own, so much the better. Sometimes balancing things against one another is useful. Actually, more than sometimes. And if all it does is convince Google to stop ingesting so fucking much personal data I'll consider it mission fucking accomplished. Though what I'd really like to see is a true distributed search engine capability emerge. There's a tool for this (YaCy) though it's still fairly rudimentary (and is Java based, which I'm increasingly allergic to).

jeena 12y ago

> if you can't be number one, you must shut down and walk away What a terrible and insane advice! Apple doesn't sell as many phones as Samsung and therefor they should shut down and walk? Or am I missing something here?

pooper 12y ago
Don't quote me on this but this seemed to be the consensus in the spring pad shutdown thread right here on HN. How is this any different? Well, Apple doesn't sell nearly as many phones as Samsung but they are probably an anomaly as they have high margins and are sitting on a huge pile of cash. They can afford to tough it out. I see your point now actually. I doubt if Apple ever needs to be in "first place". They are doing perfectly well where they are and I guess holding a fourth to fifth of all app phones is a pretty good spot when the bill of materials is less than $200 and the sale price is $600. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7829901 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7829901

ZenPro 12y ago

Anybody who thinks that an enterprise should be stopped if you are not number one is a misguided twit. 1. It would lead to toxic consumer environments with no competition. 2. It would stifle innovation as market incumbents could coast without further optimisation. 3. It fails to address the fact that everyone was in second place at some point. No industry or product is a spontaneous invention which has no competitors. The automobile had the horse; even Gutenberg had competition. Stop if you are not number one. Craziest business mantra ever.