OT: Google Chrome

jrazz wrote on 9/3/2008, 8:11 AM

I thought this may interest some of you. I have been using it for a little while now and really like it over and above firefox and IE7. It is fast- especially for java based items as well as google reader and the like.

Here is the link.

j razz

Back to post

Comments

Cheesehole wrote on 9/7/2008, 7:43 AM

Schmidt seems no longer content to defeat Microsoft, but to become it -- and more. Moreover, he's got the army of brilliant, amoral young foot soldiers to do the job.

"Amoral young foot soldiers?"

LOL

I could point out more than a few problems with that article but what would be the point? It's obviously trendy to be afraid of Google. The fear peddlers in the media are only too happy to jump on the bandwagon.

(As for the Big Brother references, George Orwell is rolling over in his grave. Seriously, read 1984, it's awesome. See if Google is the first thing to pop into your mind as you read about a government which actively spies on its own citizens and acts without regard to any law or constitution.)

Coursedesign wrote on 9/7/2008, 12:36 PM

...read about a government which actively spies on its own citizens and acts without regard to any law or constitution.

You're right, Google is not the first thing that pops up in my mind when I read that.

:O]

But is your point that Google is of no concern, because it is not a government?

Cheesehole wrote on 9/7/2008, 1:56 PM

[iBut is your point that Google is of no concern, because it is not a government?[/i]

No, only that if it's Big Brother you are afraid of, there are better places to dedicate your energy. And I would suggest that Google got to where they are based on millions of individuals making choices for themselves about how to find information. It's easy to imagine what horrible things could happen if Google decided to abuse their position as a gatekeeper to information, but it's also easy to imagine it being exposed, and what would happen to the "Do no evil Google brand" if it was exposed. Brand accounts for ~47% of share value. So there is a strong market driven motivation for Google to avoid any association with manipulation of facts (Ministry of Truth) or the selling of information that would allow a third party to personally identify / blackmail any of their users (Ministry of Love).

Being subject to the forces of the free market does make Google seem less of a potential threat than government. They have far more to fear from the people than government. We don't have to wait 4 years and try to get a majority vote in some faux election manipulated by the Inner Party... we just switch to a different product. ;)