Google Considering Merger With Microsoft

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Google Considering Merger With Microsoft

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Friday October 31, 2003 @01:56AM from the is-anyone-really-surprised dept.

buford_tannen writes "According to this New York Times Article (registration, etc.), Google may be considering a merger with Microsoft in the near future. As many people know, Google's search services are powered by Linux. "

37 of 563 comments (clear)

Holy time machine! by Chelloveck · 2003-10-31 01:57 · Score: 5, Funny

Um, isn't it still about 5 months until April 1st?

--
Chelloveck
I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.
1. Re:Holy time machine! by WesG · 2003-10-31 02:10 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Hey wait a minute - it does look kinda like Bill Gates under the O in todays Halloween Google image.
  
  Those silly Google guys!
2. Re:Holy time machine! by UrgleHoth · 2003-10-31 02:12 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  And the new company's name will be Mooglesoft.
  
  --
  
  Dogma - "let's just say we'd like to avoid any empirical entanglements."
3. Re:Holy time machine! by tambo · 2003-10-31 02:17 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Sing along with me, everyone:
  
  It's the end of the 'Net as we know it
  It's the end of the 'Net as we know it
  It's the end of the 'Net as we know it
  And I feel fiiiiiiiine....
  
  - David Stein
  
  --
  Computer over. Virus = very yes.
4. Re:Holy time machine! by Firehawke · 2003-10-31 02:21 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  I don't think Square would exactly be thrilled with THAT idea. They'd probably want to *cough* bust a kupo in their collective arses.
  
  Eh, I know it was terrible, I know it's not original, but it had to be said because it's evil. ^^;
5. Re:Holy time machine! by (trb001) · 2003-10-31 02:36 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  I dunno about April 1st, but this sure does explain the flying pigs on the way in to work this morning...
  
  --trb
6. Re:Holy time machine! by Zonekeeper · 2003-10-31 03:22 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Great googley moogley!!!
7. Re:Holy time machine! by daeley · 2003-10-31 06:02 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  I dunno about April 1st, but this sure does explain the flying pigs on the way in to work this morning...
  
  Has Redmond frozen over, then? ;)
  
  --
  I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
MS to Google by da3dAlus · 2003-10-31 01:57 · Score: 4, Funny

You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

--

Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.
1. Re:MS to Google by iaredam · 2003-10-31 02:13 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Can you see it now searching for something.... msgbox pops up "Are you sure you want to search for that?"
2. Re:MS to Google by stuff-n-things · 2003-10-31 02:34 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  I thought it was "Search completed. Please reboot to view the results." 8-)
3. Re:MS to Google by RickL · 2003-10-31 02:41 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Clippy: "Hi! It looks like you are searching for 'Linux'. Would you like me to show you why Windows is better than Linux?" [blink][blink]
4. Re:MS to Google by gnu-generation-one · 2003-10-31 02:55 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  "MS to Google: You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."
  
  Google to MS:
  search "office software" returned 19323 results, showing 1 to 10:
  - openoffice.org
  - abiword.org
  - koffice.kde.org
  - gnu.org/software/emacs
sorry, my throat... by buddha42 · 2003-10-31 01:58 · Score: 1, Funny

[cough]bullshit[/cough]
really? by Findel · 2003-10-31 01:59 · Score: 1, Funny

MoogleSoft?

--
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
Be very afraid! by Stiletto · 2003-10-31 01:59 · Score: 5, Funny

SEARCH: Linux

Sorry, no results found! Did you mean "WINDOWS"?

SEARCH: Anti-trust

Sorry, no results found! Did you mean "CAPITALISM"?

SEARCH: Bill Gates

Sorry, no results found! Did you mean "YOUR NEW CORPORATE OVERLORD"?
1. Re:Be very afraid! by beee · 2003-10-31 02:01 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  I bet these jokes are a big hit at your LUG
  
  --
  
  + Donald Gunth
  + Email: dgunth@quicktek.net
  "Caffeine is the greatest lubricant ever created." -ESR
And Saddam will be GWB's V.P. candidate. by Futurepower(R) · 2003-10-31 02:01 · Score: 1, Funny

Whew!!!! Slashdot Halloween scare story!
I can see the errors now... by hookedup · 2003-10-31 02:01 · Score: 5, Funny

Microsoft JET Database Engine error '80004005' Could not find file 'C:\inetpub\wwwroot\google\search.mdb'.
If this happens, here's the procedure : by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · 2003-10-31 02:01 · Score: 1, Funny

In Mozilla:

- Go to Edit --> Preferences --> Navigator
- Put www.altavista.com, www.webcrawler.com, www.yahoo.com (ah no, that's powered by google) in "Home Page"
- Edit your bookmark and remove similar google.com links as search engines.

Or even better, system-wise:

- Edit /etc/hosts
- Insert the following lines in it:
www.google.com 127.0.0.1
Additionally, you can add that in /etc/profile:
alias ping="ping -f www.google.com"

Hope this helps. Mind you, I suspect this story is a huge troll. But then again, knowing google, maybe not ...

--
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
Re:This is a good thing! by DeadSea · 2003-10-31 02:01 · Score: 4, Funny

More bandwidth, processing power, and resources. I hope this goes through ASAP.
I hate to disagree, but ff Microsoft were to buy Google and start running it, wouldn't it go through ASP?
Re:Before anybody gets too worked up... by Call+Me+Black+Cloud · 2003-10-31 02:02 · Score: 3, Funny

The page title is 'Mr. Softee Courting Google' despite the article heading.

That's because "Mister Softee" is the nickname for Microsoft among stock traders (from the symbol MSFT).

I'm sure this is Melinda Gates' least favorite nickname for Bill...
And Homer says: by the_skywise · 2003-10-31 02:02 · Score: 1, Funny

Correction, were powered by Linux, Lisa, were.

hmmm... Googles of donuts... auauguuuggghhh
your planet is doomed! DOOOOOMED! by Pxtl · 2003-10-31 02:02 · Score: 2, Funny

In that case, will Microsoft be embedding a Python interpreter into all their apps from now on? Death to .NET!
Search results by mxpengin · 2003-10-31 02:04 · Score: 3, Funny

Search Results for linux :

1) Guide to Migrating to Windows from UNIX and Linux
2) Windows Services for UNIX 3.0 Product Overview
3) 247804 - How to Remove Linux and Install Windows on Your Computer
.... I really hope this doesnt happen ....

--
"We all know Linux is great...it does infinite loops in 5 seconds." -- Linus
Don't be Evil? by jmi · 2003-10-31 02:05 · Score: 1, Funny

Won't this violate their own "Don't be evil" rule?
covering all the franchise bases... by leftie · 2003-10-31 02:06 · Score: 3, Funny

"...Release your anger. Feel the power of the dark side..."
We're doomed! by POds · 2003-10-31 02:09 · Score: 1, Funny

So this is what the end of the world feels like.

--

Giving IE users a taste of their own medicine since 2005 - http://pods.-is-a-geek.net/
Re:Before anybody gets too worked up... by FreeUser · 2003-10-31 02:22 · Score: 2, Funny

I'm sure this is Melinda Gates' least favorite nickname for Bill...

Perhaps she thought it up first? After all, "Microsoft" isn't the double entrendre it once was.

OK, that was a little harsh, even for a world-dominator wannabe like convicted monopolist Billy Gates...

--
The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
Re:Before anybody gets too worked up... by drgroove · 2003-10-31 02:40 · Score: 2, Funny

Microsoft is a pretty bad double entendre - but, then again so is UNIX (which has almost the exact same pronunciation as eunuchs, which means "a castrated man".
Re:April Fools year round with Slashdot by saden1 · 2003-10-31 02:49 · Score: 4, Funny

"...merger with Microsoft." ???

You don't merge with Microsoft, they simply take you over.

--

-----
One is born into aristocracy, but mediocrity can only be achieved through hard work.
Feeling Lucky? by FerretFrottage · 2003-10-31 03:52 · Score: 2, Funny

I bet this story was found by someone at MS pressing the "I'm Feeling Lucky" search

--
"Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a fat white guy who is threatened by change."
Re:April Fools year round with Slashdot by BrynM · 2003-10-31 04:15 · Score: 5, Funny

The proper term is assimilated.

--
US Democracy:The best person for the job (among These pre-selected choices...)
Re:Before anybody gets too worked up... by Sri+Lumpa · 2003-10-31 05:02 · Score: 2, Funny

"That's because "Mister Softee" is the nickname for Microsoft among stock traders (from the symbol MSFT)."

Shouldn't it be Miss Fart?

--
"The obvious mathematical breakthrough would be development of an easy way to factor large prime numbers." Bill Gates,
Try it out now! by gukin · 2003-10-31 06:04 · Score: 2, Funny

As root, do this:

echo "207.68.176.250 www.google.com" >> /etc/hosts

You'll love it.
Sweet by spektr · 2003-10-31 07:40 · Score: 2, Funny

I heard before that Microsoft's future is bleak, due to the competition by Free Software. But I never thought that they would be bought up by a Linux based company this fast. I expect that their part will be the daily artwork on the Google-logo, since their software has never been entirely convincing. As long as it doesn't mess up my search results, I'm all for it - after all it helps to maintain jobs for quite a large bunch of talented clipart-designers, marketing people and lawyers, who would have a hard time without this charitable gesture.
Re:April Fools year round with Slashdot by damiam · 2003-10-31 09:30 · Score: 3, Funny

I seem to recall reading somewhere that Google could possibly buy Microsoft if they really wanted to and their IPO worked out well.

--
It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.