My problem or what constantly confuses me with Google is that they are nowhere and everywhere. And I don’t understand their strategy. Apple obviously has a lot of products and services to buy or subscribe to. Same goes for Microsoft and IBM as well. Facebook gathers people in a social media tool. Apple, Microsoft, IBM and Facebook attempt to rule some part of the IT and consumer world, and that’s ok with me.
But what part of the world is Google trying to rule? I would say every part. And that’s not ok with me. Especially since I don’t know what, how and who. Some might say I’m not well informed and so it might be. I’m not well informed about Apple or Microsoft either but I still know some basics about them based on my modest media coverage.
Google do great services and I use them many times every day: search, blogspot, analytics, translate, pictures, youtube, gmail, maps etc… and this is where it becomes scary.
They’re everywhere! They know what I do, what I read and search for, what I listen to, what I write… They’re even scanning books, or what ever happened to that weird project. They control me, they undermine the platform. Why? Because they aren’t only delivering a Facebook, an office app, a pad…they do stuff with the fundamentals in a society and controls people – how we act, behave and live our lives.
And:
- How do I contact Google? Web guides here and there. Email? Nae… Phone? Say what?!
- Who’s supporting them and who do Google support? Some months ago I read that they supported a Tea party event in the US… Whether you like tea parties or not is irrelevant. What's not irrelevant is sponsorship of politics - you should know if and who since you're supporting it too then.
- I know who Zuckerberg and Gates are and Jobs was. But who’s Sir/Lady Google? I visited an event this spring and surprise Google had a booth – Goddammit! They exist! Jiihaa! But when I talked to them it was a partner r-e-p-r-e-s-e-n-t-i-n-g Google… not Google.
- There are Apple stores and Microsoft stores… - they’re touchable! But I don’t know what I really can buy from Google and how to touch them.
I always think things are a bit uncomfortable when it feels like something is happening I don’t understand or can’t touch. Some could say I have a fling of control necessity, some; let the market decide, and I; ruling and conquer every part of the society always ends up in some sort of disaster – for the society or the Big Conquering Brother.
Interesting post Max, read it and I agree with you, Google is everywhere and nowhere. I tried the same effort 2 years abot and tried to "search" and get some enterprise information about the, Impossible to do it the "google" way, you have to call their office and I happend to know some "flesh and blood" that works at Google in Stockholm, so they do have an office in Stockholm, but that's it....
ReplyDeleteThanks Bo. I surely must pay the office (or at least the street ;)) a visit. :)
DeleteSeriously: My hang up with Google is they’re so big, controls fundamental behaviors and that I know so little about their strategy, what they support and what plans they’re having with all the data and information they control. Facebook’s information and data control feels like a spring breeze in comparison.
I want to take the opportunity to promote a coming post which is slightly related to this one: why businesses can’t focus on core ONLY and do core damn good! It won’t be about Google because I don’t know their core. It will be about doing everything everywhere. It will include: fast and maximized ROI, greed and other filthy stuff.