Is Google just another dot-com (dot-bomb)?

There is a really good (albeit long) article at Fortune which basically says Google has no customer lock-in thus they can die off as soon as something "almost as good" comes out.

I have always been one to argue that Google is a household name. After reading this article I am thinking a little different. Google may be synonymous with "Internet search" right now but then again the term "Xerox" used to be synonymous with making copies. How many people have Xerox brand machines in their offices anymore?

It's going to be interesting to see how Microsoft and Yahoo counter Google, and with what. Google is also rumored to be sued by SCO (insert laughter) very soon to make an example of a big company using Linux.

I like Google a lot but hell, outside of searching they ain't do nothing for me. I use their toolbar in IE to block pop-ups, but as soon as XP SP2 comes out with built-in IE pop-up blocking it's gone.

 

[Czar]

I used altavista for a long time after google first started, I use google for almost everything now and a search engine to replace google for me has to be realy realy I mean realy realy realy realy good

 

[Chumpman]

Why would I change from google to "something almost as good?"

 

[vegetation]

Well I have no loyalty to them. All I care about is whether I can actually find something that I'm looking for during searches, of which none of the other search engines can do right now.

 

[Turkish]

Ehh, I don't know. Google is the most usefull thing online right now. For the last 1,5 years, I don't remember saying "search it online", i just say "google it".
it's well possible they can die, but there are lotsa diehard google fans out there.

 

Originally posted by: Chumpman
Why would I change from google to "something almost as good?"

It's not you and I that Google is worried about keeping. It's the legions of MSN, AOL, and Yahooers that make up the bulk of the Internet. If any of those services come up with something "almost as good" the n00bs have no reason to go to Google anymore.

 

[Eli]

Not unless something better comes out ...

I wouldn't settle for "almost as good".. It would have to be obviously better.

 

[Syringer]

"How did Google become such an icon?" the moderator asked. And, "Will you acquire Microsoft?"

How is that possible? Isn't MS 1,000,000 times bigger than Google?

 

[Chumpman]

I think it was intended as sarcasm?

 

[Kenazo]

google has really started to suck, I find it has a page or two of corporate, paid searches, then finally you get what you want on page 3. They used to be a lot better, imo

 

[HappyPuppy]

Google is slowly going downhill and a newer, better search engine will come along to take its place. Change is the nature of things.

 

[Chaotic42]

I'm a loyal Google user. I have it integrated in to my IE and Mozilla startup pages.

 

[conjur]

I still :heart: Google but the amount of search results coming up near the top that are simply links to other search engines is starting to become annoying.

 

[The Stigenator]

Originally posted by: conjur
I still :heart: Google but the amount of search results coming up near the top that are simply links to other search engines is starting to become annoying.

hehehehe.. i konw someone who does that for a living

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: conjur
I still :heart: Google but the amount of search results coming up near the top that are simply links to other search engines is starting to become annoying.

That's not exactly google doing it though. It's people that have figured out how to take advantage of google's system. With all those PhD's at google, you'd think they could find a way to stop them..

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: dwell
There is a really good (albeit long) article at Fortune which basically says Google has no customer lock-in thus they can die off as soon as something "almost as good" comes out.

I have always been one to argue that Google is a household name. After reading this article I am thinking a little different. Google may be synonymous with "Internet search" right now but then again the term "Xerox" used to be synonymous with making copies. How many people have Xerox brand machines in their offices anymore?

It's going to be interesting to see how Microsoft and Yahoo counter Google, and with what. Google is also rumored to be sued by SCO (insert laughter) very soon to make an example of a big company using Linux.

I like Google a lot but hell, outside of searching they ain't do nothing for me. I use their toolbar in IE to block pop-ups, but as soon as XP SP2 comes out with built-in IE pop-up blocking it's gone.

Well, the one thing I thought about Xerox was that, while not all the machines were Xerox, say HP copiers still used Xerox technology, or something like that.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Czar
I used altavista for a long time after google first started, I use google for almost everything now and a search engine to replace google for me has to be realy realy I mean realy realy realy realy good

really?

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

Is Google just another dot-bomb? In a word, no. Google makes money, estimates put it at 100-150 million O. Profit on nearly a billion dollar revenue... Maybe another search engine will come around that is better than google, but as long as google holds on to its revenue stream, I don't think it is fair to classify google in the same catagory as a go.com, goto.com or pets.com.

 

[iwearnosox]

I am *very close* to google and I know their numbers. Suffice it to say they're doing remarkably well, and could never be considered a .bomb. Take it from me, I started many of them.

 

[iwearnosox]

Originally posted by: Gnote
Is Google just another dot-bomb? In a word, no. Google makes money, estimates put it at 100-150 million O. Profit on nearly a billion dollar revenue... Maybe another search engine will come around that is better than google, but as long as google holds on to its revenue stream, I don't think it is fair to classify google in the same catagory as a go.com, goto.com or pets.com.

Goto had great revenue for a while, just fyi. It's off peak but they were the effective pioneers of "pay per click" and were rewarded well for it.

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

Originally posted by: iwearnosox
I am *very close* to google and I know their numbers. Suffice it to say they're doing remarkably well, and could never be considered a .bomb. Take it from me, I started many of them.

Yeah, the numbers floating out there for us non-insiders tell a similar story.

 

I can give a sh!t less as long as I have a search engine superior to the current standards.

 

[Babbles]

Google has apparantly put the fear of God into Microsoft, so I think they are doing fine.

 

[yoda291]

Google has me because they are the best thus far at what they do. You can argue pro or against the engine as much as you want, but the fact is, they have the largest index and accurate search results.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: Syringer
"How did Google become such an icon?" the moderator asked. And, "Will you acquire Microsoft?" How is that possible? Isn't MS 1,000,000 times bigger than Google?

Google could never buy MS. But with an expected market cap of $15-20 billion next year, MS could easily buy it with its cash reserves alone ($50 billion).

For me, I don't believe they can stay on top.

And lately, I've found much of their results less than gratifying with all of the referral/deal sites at the top of many searches.