Google certainly does push it, as we’ve said here may times. Its philosophy has always been that of the prodigal husband — it is (they say) better to ask forgiveness than to seek permission.
Gawker asks whether Google has overplayed its hand, especially on the matter of good press, specifically asking whether Google has “jumped the shark.” The conclusion is that it’s a matter of when, not if.
And isn’t that always the conclusion? I bought Google’s stock when it was $250 a share and everyone was rueing not having bought it right at or after the IPO. Well, it’s over $400 today, so I’m feeling puh-ritty good right now. With profits like that on the volume I could acquire at that price, I can buy donuts for a month! But I digress.
The real question, I think, is whether a single company, a single service, a single technology, a single patent, can possibly be as big — have as huge an impact — on the world as Google’s ambitions want it to have. Would the souring of press coverage be enough to deny Google world domination? And when, oh when, does the inevitable war with Microsoft bubble to the top?
And, by the way — remember eBay?
UPDATE: It helps to have institutions — even discredited, shadows-of-their-former-mythical-selves institutions — like CBS, as well as the likes of the Library of Congress, jumping on your bandwagon.
Am I missing something, or — now that the Time magazine “Man Person of the Year” doesn’t even have to be a person — are the people who prognosticate this silly pick counting votes for Google?
UPDATE: Thank heavens for Jack Shafer, ever the contrarian.
Originally posted 2005-11-22 11:11:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
