[OT] In defense of Google

[Ken D'Ambrosio]

On Mon, January 30, 2006 12:59 pm, Michael ODonnell wrote:
>
> I am genuinely worried about how monstrous Google is becoming...

I, for one, am not.

Unlike a certain "other" software company I could mention, Google's become
big because it's GOOD.  [Note: I don't subscribe to the thesis that "big"
means "bad".  It certainly makes for more potential in the bad department,
but it doesn't equate it.]  I, for one, have no problem lending my support
to a company that believes in technical excellence.  As they've become so
large, they have had to deal with unfortunate grey areas that exist in the
world geopolitic.  While I don't agree with all their stances, a) I'm not
in their shoes, and b) I don't disagree with them all that much.  I think
that they are trying to do their best in an imperfect world.

As opposed to, say, some company that forces their userbase into unwanted
upgrades, say.  Or reaps billions from countries that could be better
served putting that money into health care.

The really cool thing about Google is their *lack* of leverage.  Don't
like Google?  Stop using them.  The competition is out there, and all the
major players offer competing products for similar prices.  It's not like
failing to use Google means you won't be able to read (or generate) that
Excel attachment.  Hell: when Google first started out,
www.altavista.digital.com was still hard-coded into my fingertips, and I
saw no particular reason to change.  However, after something like 30% of
Altavista's Linux hits were starting to be porn, Google began to look more
and more attractive.

So, rock on, Google.  May your technical excellence and innovation take
you yet further.  [And, no, I don't own their stock.  ;-]

$.02

-Ken (who's really glad he now doesn't have to go and buy those big
multi-hundreds-of-pages directories at B&N that mapped out Internet sites,
before the days of search engines)