Comments for Poll: What mid-90s company is Google most like?

Poll: What mid-90s company is Google most like?

2006-12-05T02:19:19Z

John Milan's latest article for Read/WriteWeb explores the evolving software environment, with particular focus on Microsoft and Google. The article gets us to thinking: is Google the latest manifestation of an Internet bubble, or is it really different this time?

Although comparing two different decades is a little dangerous, perhaps even silly, we can't help but ask:

Comment from Emre Sokullu on 2006-12-04

2006-12-05T05:13:37Z

I'd say Sun, but Google is not that cool now with all these Googlettes and reminds me more Yahoo.

By the way, the old logo is really funny :) A case study for "when programmers try to do some artwork" topic :)

Comment from Kevin Farnham on 2006-12-08

2006-12-09T02:26:34Z

I have spent a lot of time in the past few months thinking about the current technology renaissance -- whether it "has legs" or if it's "Bubble 2.0". I've been able to do this more or less full time, because I have a new job where one of my primary tasks is thinking about and writing about "Web 2.0" technology.

I think it's very unlikely that this is "Bubble 2.0". At my URL you'll see some recent posts that explain my reasoning. But, if "Web 2.0" isn't "Bubble 2.0" then we're in a very different scenario from where we were in the mid-1990s.

I selected Yahoo! as the 1990s company Google is most like. Like Yahoo!, Google started with a simple concept, a very simple, fast web page, and provided a capability that enabled people to use the Internet more effectively. Then Yahoo! became much more diverse, almost a kind of "General Electric" of the Internet. Google, to me, is heading in the same direction.

Vast, diversified companies tend to grow along with the industries they're in, propelled by the wave of that industry. So, I expect Google to be around.

One of your recent posts talks about Hakia, which was along with AOL a top sponsor of the Web 2.0 Summit in early November. Is there any reason to think a company like Hakia can't create a better search engine than Google's? Does, or can, Google put the Internet into a "stranglehold" of the type Microsoft was able to do? It can't because it doesn't influence hardware.

My main point here, though, is that we're not in "Bubble 2.0". People aren't quitting paying jobs to go to daytrading cafes because they "can't afford" to make the puny salaries their jobs were paying them. The froth and frenzy and sheer insanity of the late 1990s just isn't there. In my blog posts I state my reasoning in greater detail.

If I'm right, if this is actually the start of a long-term period of growth for the Web and its companies, then Google and Yahoo! and Microsoft and perhaps even AOL are a lot like Ford and Chevrolet and Chrysler were in around 1915 or so. They'll all be around for a very long time to come...

Comment from Dhruba Baishya on 2006-12-16

2006-12-17T04:17:23Z

Ref # 2

Kevin - I agree with your views completely. Google's current release-this, release-that style doesn't seem to add any value. It reminds me of my Economics 101 - the definition of "Marginal Value Addition", which is negative here:-p

Exception Case 1: Yahoo was built around the concept of a directory service, as such you can expect yahoo to offer several services (most of them are good to okay).

Exception Case 2: Microsoft is the Smartest Software company ever, I do love Google (Search & Gmail). But value addition brought by different Microsoft products and services are unique and has "tangible" vibe. Microsoft LIVE family can be termed as not so effective service/product. I think LIVE family is more of a marketing and new brand building approach.

Bottomline - Google Search and Email ROCKS! Google Earth has good potential! Other apps are useless (w.r.t Google Search). Google WebOS (if it happens) could change the web dynamics.