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Google's Next Steps

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the hey-cool-site dept.

danimlp writes "An article at SearchEngineWatch states that Google and Yahoo have become as almost parts of the operating system, a 'layer' above Linux, Windows or Mac OS. Another article at Kottke.org says that Google is building a a huge computer with a custom operating system that everyone on earth can have an account on. Some people predicts that, after Gmail, Google could start a new instant message service or even its own electronic currency."

18 of 355 comments (clear)

  1. portal fever by contrasutra · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Don't try to do everything Google, you can't win (well, no one else has).

    Google has stayed away from Portal Fever so far, and hasn't gotten too cluttered, but they run that risk the bigger they get. There are plenty of companies that do very well in "niche" markets. Basically ALL users will always need a search engine (even more as the web grows), you don't NEED to offer everything.

    Just stay as objective and useful as possible, and people will stay. Honestly I think they should be focusing on cleaning up search results. There is an increasing amount of spam and while it's not their fault, who wouldn't want cleaner, more accurate results?

    1. Re:portal fever by criquet · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I agree that Google shouldn't try to do everything but I think IM is a great idea (call it Joggle?). Google can supply their search results via IM. I love ActiveBuddy.com services. I love using my IM client, gaim, for posting to my blog. I'd like it to be the interface to many other services too. I think google would be the ideal company to host it.

  2. Root of Ballamers recent comments by MrIrwin · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Once upon a time Netscape looked like taking over the desktop, with ideas about incorporating improved file browsing and making it the universal front end.

    Thats why MS put som much effort into Explorer..Internet Explorer.

    Ballamer recently bemoaned the MS lack of precense in the search engine and portal space.

    Do I detect a deja vu!

    --

    And if you thought that was boring you obviously havn't read my Journal ;-)

  3. Let me be the first to say... by NSash · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Are these people crazy?

    Speculation: in the next few months, Google will abolish world hunger and buy everyone a pony. Google is search engine, not the second coming of Christ.

    1. Re:Let me be the first to say... by SkiifGeek · · Score: 5, Funny

      SELECT FROM sense_of_humour WHERE UID = 595850; 0 rows returned.

      --
      InfoSec that matters, when it counts.
  4. Wow, Google IM! by JoeBaldwin · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Please please please make this Google! Especially if:
    • You release the protocol as open, or at least make a Linux client (with all the features of the Windows one)
    • You manage to get my friends off MSN, the shittiest messenger service ever owned by a shitty company with a shitty record on doing things non-shittily.
    • It interfaces with Gmail (all the benefits of MSN/Hotmail, none of the drawbacks! w00t!)
    • Three/four words: Home Star Runner Alerts. Imagine: "You have a new Strongbad Email! Click here to view!"
    /me prays for this to actually happen
    --
    I'm amazing. You aren't. SUCK IT
  5. Narrow by CGP314 · · Score: 5, Funny

    In case the server goes down, I can show you what the article looks like:

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    -Colin

  6. This just IN! by phita23 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This just in: "Google to define a new universal standard of internet measurement, called a G-Unit."

    1. Re:This just IN! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      In other news, Google has started up a new, popular hangout in many states. Called the G-Spot, it appears to be immensly popular with women, yet many men seem to have trouble finding it, even with directions.

  7. Long term plan by product+byproduct · · Score: 5, Funny

    Today Google is an operating system layer.
    Tomorrow they're a utility, like gas and electricity.
    Next week they're a small government.
    Next month they take over the world.
    Maybe also the galaxy.

    1. Re:Long term plan by mpcooke3 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Unless a better search engine comes along, in which case we ditch google and forget about them in the space of about 3 hours.

      Matt.

  8. The Sky's the Limit by william_lorenz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Google now has all sorts of information on hand. They have the Google search engine to index web pages, various offshoots to index news, images, and similar, Orkut to index people, and Gmail to index peoples' communications. With all this information at their fingertips, the sky is the limit (and it is good to know they seem responsible in the way they use their information, separating advertisements from search results, for example). I know that Google has some exceptionally brilliant researchers on staff, and I expect to see even more excellent services from their camp in the future. Does anyone else think that Google is on the cutting edge of Computer Science research?

  9. Privacy monster by jabbadabbadoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Google is becoming a potential privacy monster; if you concider GMail and cross indexing with the terabytes of data they've gonna get theire hands on... You see, it includes never-to-be-deleted mail archives, all newsgroup postings since the 80's, mailing list archives, blogs, *cached* snapshots of personal web pages... the list goes on.

  10. Danger, Will Robinson.... by vyrus128 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just remember, the reason Micro$osft was able to become our evil overlord is because we let them. We bought their software, we gave them our money, and we said "Here Bill, we trust you not to abuse us." Just because we all love Google doesn't mean we should allow power to be concentrated like that... we've already made that mistake once. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." -- attributed to Lord Acton, 1887

    1. Re:Danger, Will Robinson.... by mvdde_xh · · Score: 5, Funny

      And I think it was Bill that said "Power corrupts, but absolute power is kinda fun".

  11. Re:GooOS by Cassius105 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    well

    tbh making google toolbar for web browsers other than IE might be a bit redundant since most of the other browsers are actualy good and already incorporate most of the stuff that the good toolbar has to offer

    its only useful on IE because IE lacks so much functionality

  12. Google is a search engine. by manticor24 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Every day I hear another hairbrained scheme about what Google is supposedly doing next. Start IM platform? Take over the desktop market? Make their own currency? People, please use your head here!

    First off, Google hasn't done anything so far that they can't immediately see the return on investment. Look at their aquisitions:

    • Deja.com: IMHO they bought this to 1) Remove Usenet from search results to improve quality and, 2) show applicable ads later.
    • Applied Symantecs: The underlying technology for AdSense, which greatly expanded their contextual marketing market share.
    • Pyra Labs: IMHO same basic principle as the Deja aquisition.
    All of them directly affected their major revenue generator, search marketing, in a positive way. (Though blogger might have more untapped potential.)

    Now, in comparison, these other theories have no basis on reality. The fact that Google is in a position to have these wild rumors about their Godlike Power is a direct result of the highly profitable search advertising market.

    So what is Google going to do with their money? Not piss it away on the logistical nightmares of "GooOS", or "Google Bucks." In fact, they will be effectively printing money by expanding in their core market with the likes of Froogle, GMail, Orkut, and other future innovations.

  13. Yes (was Re:Does anyone here HAVE a Gmail account) by zavyman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's pretty awesome. Keyboard shortcuts, clean, simple user interface, labels, a distinction between the inbox and the archive... the list goes on. I also tested encrypted emails with GPG, and this does not violate the policies.

    It's all that you'd imagine and more. I am thoroughly impressed, though I don't yet want to make it a primary account over the 100mb IMAP service I have.