Eric Schmidt Out, Larry Page In As Google CEO

jfruhlinger writes "Google surprised just about everybody at its earnings call by announcing that Eric Schmidt, who had served as company CEO for more than a decade, would be stepping down and that cofounder Larry Page would take over. Schmidt will stay on as chairman and provide 'technology thought leadership,' whatever that is. When Schmidt, an old Sun hand, joined Google in 2001, it was seen as a move to turn the scrappy upstart into a mature company; now on his Twitter feed Schmidt proclaims that his 'adult supervision' is no longer needed."

Comments

Schmidt to take over Apple?

[BitterKraut]

I don't see how this could be a smart move for Google. Page and Brin may have become too big for their boots, but I suspect something else. Perhaps Schmidt will follow Steve Jobs to lead Apple.

Re:Beginning of the end?

[Lemmy Caution]

Perhaps because Google has been playing catch-up for too long, and Schmidt's strategy has been too caution, too safe, too corporate. There have been a lot of failures and disappointments coming out of the Googleplex recently, and Google needs to recover some of the optimism and energy of its earlier years. Morale is rather low; a lot of their best researchers have left. The "always in beta" aspect doesn't work anymore, because it contradicts their "the cloud is ready for primetime" narrative.

A big change was needed. I'm just surprised they did it.

Clearly threatened by a real competitor in search?

[rsborg]

DuckDuckGo :-)

Re:Beginning of the end?

[TheRaven64]

JWZ wrote that the beginning of the end of Netscape was when they stopped hiring people who were there because they wanted to change the world, and started hiring people who were there because they thought it was a cool place to work. I've visited Google offices a few times in the last couple of years, and everyone I've asked has told me that they're there because it's a cool place to work...

Re:Beginning of the end?

[TheGratefulNet]

I interviewed there a few times (separate occasions). it IS a cool place TO BE. to work? not sure, but certainly VERY comfortable to BE.

I am quite sure its why most people are there. that and they can turn a blind eye to the fact that they are the power behind 'ad[vertising] men'. yup, just a newfangled advertising company. but its VERY cool to be on that campus, eat free lunches (gourmet, really), collect free cool phones and toys and have super company name recognition.

but how many *believe* in what they do, or the ulterior motives of the megacorp? do they realize that they help the Big Co eat away our privacy? they look the other way and plan what they'll have for lunch.

easy to understand if you've been there or even been around it.

but again, few who see what the company is really about would be behind it. if it wasn't such a comfy status-clad place, few would want to contribute to what google is actually about.

(data collection on you and targeted advertising. you think that's all noble lofty stuff? really?)

Re:Hopefully Schmidt's privacy ideas leave with hi

[_Sprocket_]

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/09/google-mocked/

"If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."

What's more interesting is the next piece:

But if you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines, including Google, do retain this information for some time. And [...] we're all subject, in the US, to the Patriot Act, and it is possible that that information could be made available to the authorities.

Schmidt is telling us that Google is being served PATRIOT Act notices without breaking the law and telling us that they're being served. It's a pity everyone is hung up on the nothing-to-hide idiocy. Of course, it's little wonder we're missing the important pieces when served up ham-fisted attacks by the likes of Consumer Watchdog.

Sell GOOG

[BulletMagnet]

Hmmmm....Maybe Schmidt sees the handwriting on the wall, like he did with the last employer he left....