The Internet in general has impacted everything my generation holds dear to their hearts on the web -- Google in particular, has had genius effects on markets like email, e-books, maps, search engines -- oh wait youtube -- and every single darn website I go to practically. I think Google, even after reading the article assigned -- Even though Auletta brings great topics to the table concerning the inevitable invisible walls Google will face in turns of anti-trust issues and monopolies down the road by the government -- just like it has in the past, will find a new street, pathway, bridge or avenue (whatever you want to call it) in order to maintain the status of leader of the web environment we have all grown to love.
But, with that said, I think there is one possible obstacle that Google has already started to think about for the future -- being old, over-used and boring?
We as web users, must not forget the heart and guts of the World Wide Web -- it's not that old, and neither is Google. Look at Twitter vs. AIM for example -- talk about a turn-around? Everyone is tweeting out of control today, but where are the American Online Instant Messaging commercials, or the AOL "You've got Mail" commercials? From 2000 to 2005, the entire web was all AOL and AIM -- but what about now?
Technology changes. Websites change. And most importantly, we as educated web users change -- and in a direction to where we get the most, the best and the fastest everything. Who's to say the same thing can't happen to Google?
In terms of Google as a Monopoly -- They aren't one yet! And everything isn't connected to Google yet (Just ideas, talk and prototypes). Will they? I don't think so. Mostly because I know companies will merge together and the government will step in and stop any monopoly-like tendencies before they can go too far -- the government already has.
Most of you know me as "snooch". Everyone knows that someday there will be a website dedicated to snooch that will be better than any google or yahoo establishment -- No I really hope there is, but probably won't happen -- but, let me use a hypothetical situation, and ask a question to everyone in the class:
Say we all started a company, and came up with something so ground-breaking -- that we could do everything Google does, but better, for advertisers and the public web user -- What happens to Google? Do they blow away in the wind and commotion of better competition? Or would they just make necessary changes and adapt to the internet habitat?
As a leading Guh-billion dollar industry of the web right now -- I know it is hard to come to grips with the notion that Google may go away someday. But, what happens when an MIT student creates the next provocative search engine website that offers turn-of-the-century applications and tools that are faster and more efficient than Google? Who is to say that "x" company won't replace Google? Or Yahoo? Or YouTube? What happens then?
Until Next time --
Snooch -
ReplyDeleteInteresting question you posed, I think there will always be residual lag from users who grow up with/learn a certain provider. I'm astonished (but it's true) to find people today who still use hotmail or yahoo or AOL (or other internet artifacts as opposed to Gmail. It happens. I think it reveals the curve of tech-savvy individuals who adapt to new services. So, if the entire population adapts to new services quickly, the answer may be that Google could get overtaken by that next, great thing...whenever or whatever it may be.
Also, snooch.com sounds like a final class project, no? Div tag in yo face!
It's kind of funny you say that because I still have an aol email account. I just have never bothered to change it because I've had it for so long. I don't believe anything lasts that long in technology, but that is the beauty of it. Eventually, maybe even in the next few years, something will come along to take over.
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