Otter's Journal: Google fanboyism knows no bounds...

I like Google. Even though the Slashbots accuse me of being Steve Ballmer if I question some of the more over-the-top Google Love (that we need an AJAX-based office suite with remotely hosted files, for example, or Tuesday's discussion of how $3 billion in insider sales proves the founders' confidence in the stock price), I still like the company. I use the search engine constantly, GMail, their Usenet archives, their map service...

But this business with China really took the luster off. They're just another company now. Oh, except to the besotted fanboys here who are defending censored searches as a glorious benefit to the poor previously Google-deprived Chinese Internet users,.

It's not just China

[neocon]

I agree with what you just wrote, but would add that I also find the contrast between Google's strident defense of its right to not reveal evidence of child pornography with it's knuckling under to China's demand that it help censor information entering China fascinating.

A strange double standard, no?

Re:It's not just China

[HD Webdev]

I also find the contrast between Google's strident defense of its right to not reveal evidence of child pornography with it's knuckling under to China's demand that it help censor information entering China fascinating.

A strange double standard, no?

It's not really strange or a double standard to them. It's all about money.

For instance, if google gives up search data & related information they could very easily spill some secrets that help keep them competitive. Analysis of that information

Re:It's not just China

[neocon]

Even on the purely financial side, I would hope is that putting out the marketing message

``We consider the privacy of pedophiles looking for kiddie porn really, really important, but are much less concerned about the privacy of innocent Chinese citizens looking for information on democracy.''

will cost google enough public esteem and goodwill to be a bad course of action.

Of course, I'm not holding my breath.

Re:It's not just China

[Otter]

In any case, I was much more willing to give their intentions the benefit of the doubt on the former before they engaged in the latter.

I disagree about the cost -- my guess is that the halo with which they've been operating (deserved or not) is gone now, for good. They're like everyone else now (and it's obviously possible to run a profitable business in that niche) but they're no longer "better" than the rest.

Adaptability

[pvera]

I find it interesting that Google is making an effort to adapt to different markets. God knows a big part of the world is tired of American companies trying to force THEM to do things our way.