Thread: Google gains market share but at whose expense?

It appears that Google's market share continues to rise. According to the Marketshare Stats provided by Net Applications, Google ended the month of August with a 50.49% market share. Who are they pulling the market share from? It appears to be MSN users. Back in August 2005, MSN held 10.39% of the Search Engine market share. A year later, MSN is holding at 6.60% of the market share in the month of August, 2006. Yahoo has held steady for 12 months ending with a 12.92% of the market share. Users are moving towards Google for its search engine as it appears that google adsense has increased steadily over the past year from 2.56% to 3.12% in August, 2006. More and more people are clicking on the sponsored ads to find what they are looking for. AOL has dropped significantly from 2.98% in August, 2005 to 1.03% in August, 2006. Ask.com has dropped from 1.18% of the market share to .99% in August 2006. Google continues it's dominance in the Search Market Share but the search engine that appears least affected at this moment is Yahoo.

50.49% dosent that legally make them a monopoly?

Does Microsofts 90% of operating systems make them a monopoly?

Yes an No

If some of the articles posted here in VodaTalk were seen as elements of a whole, the activities of AOL, MS/MSN, and Yahoo (whether they pair or act independently) suggest that all are reacting to the aggressive agenda so thinly veiled by Google to dominate internet functionality. Note I used 'dominate' and not monopolize.

First evidenced by AOL's attempt to raise revenue due to the fallout from abdicating clients (based on high subscription fees) the creation of the tiered access Certified Email program and with the reach for validation by teaming up with fellow beleaguered ISP's, everyone became immediately aware of how a simple advertising scheme could propel an previously innocuous search utility into a driving force. *Note that AOL allowed Users to keep their AOL addresses, another way to maintain access to a "preferred community" they can charge for email delivery! To stop the bleeding of red ink from a "core" of business (subscribers) AOL further announced the end of fees for cable customers, opting to retain a "lowered" fee for their bread-and-butter dialup customers. MSN and Yahoo! soon followed suit, allowing AOL to continue to be the Beta and to bear the brunt of Google's response.

Market shares continue to vascillate, a direct result of business modelling, and with the ever-shifting alliances of power brokers Microsoft, Oracle, Intel, MAC, and Sybase, even the manufacturers are getting into the pre-ISP game (Microsofts's efforts are legendary, with information software developments onboard being the impetus for many ISP's to jostle position themselves). The final result to consumers is not seen as strictly a matter of price for access to the internet as they presupose, but is actually how much freedom and independence they are willing forfeit for the sake of hooking up with the "dominance factor" that seemingly promises to deliver more options, tools, and transparent features.....

Trying to see this from a VodaHost Community perspective is much easier, and more troubling. The discussions are always lively, but unfortunately are based on informed speculation for the most part - Google surely won't specify their agenda, no matter how many tidbits of information that have been woven together as a tapestry they are confronted with! Take for example the aspects of adding a Google Search Tool to BV websites, misunderstood beyond the most elemental assumtion that it is the most readily available and an "effective" solution to implement, VodaPeers are oblivious to the entanglements they initiate by allowing Google constructs to create a siphon for information collection that they use extensively behind doors to devise even more elaborate advertising campaigns for two very distinct reasons: revenue, and influence.
REVENUE Google is dedicated to collecting as many innocent-looking fees as possible for as long as possible to fund a battle-bank. They forsee a time that being cash-rich will allow them to outlast any backlash of consumer angst (inasmuch they will likely be the prominent provider of services and programs that will have created a dependency) and to fend off any possible legislative or political intervention or regulation (hence the very visible efforts to not behave or appear as a Monopoly, having learned from the Microsoft debacle).
INFLUENCE Already, Google has been approached by the US government as they try to learn how to manage information available on the internet. They have kow-towed to Google to ask for specific user information (to which Google was the only ISP to comply in an effort to appear more benevolant) and have spent much time in Google halls trying to pick up the logistics of piecing together User trend, visits, choice, and keystroke metrics to "mine" in their fight to monitor individuals without the use of official subpeona in the "fight against terrorism." This points to a much larger dedication of information "brokering" and all the means to exert influence on further internet developments: information collection, archiving, indexing, organizing, and recall are the foundations of CRM, Sales (read the collaboration with SAP here), Commerce, and even Financial. The "proofs" of this logic are seen in Google's own AdSense and other "soft" advertising programs - this is actually the influence being applied in a massive manner (which others try to emulate) for the sake of again, money.

At whose expense is this information being collected and matrixed? Where will it/can it be stopped? Some say it is brings Nazism to mind, and there are a number of websites devoted to these observations.

As far as Google being a Monopoly, they have been carefully constructed and have been investing in so many different programs (with dominance the primary motivation and other ISP's cannot hope to 'catch up' with them) that legally they have so far skirted definitions that would result in charges. This has been true from the very beginning when they developed the Search feature....the skeleton of the archetecture demonstrates they planned for other sophisticated modules to be inserted, and this technical "evidence" frees them from being analyzed as a monopoly.

The can only be accused of being clever. Dangerously so.....

There have been some rumblings about whether Google is as much of a threat as we suppose, and what will happen if they gain irretracable first position. Will there be a "revolt" and the appearance of innumerable smaller providers? Will the government step in (interesting, since they have already landed China, and a half dozen US cities as dependant clients)? Or will Gates spin off an idea into a separate enterprise (he should have learned by now) to conquer where MSN failed by developing each computer with their own ability to access the internet via a public utility? We'll have to see.

In the meantime, we still have choices, and whether or not to support our chosen Providers and their agendas. We can start by including or avoiding elements in our web designs also. But, as always, doing nothing decides everything.

I personally can't wait until VodaHost seriously entertains the opportunity to become a true ISP itself....even if at first for it's hosted clients. Maybe it's a matter of technology becoming more affordable and available (technology can be tweaked marvelously), and possible it is a financial demand that cannot be met at this time. Nonetheless, I know were VodaHost able to become an ISP they would preserve the spirit and enforce the ethics that we all hold dear, and would predicably rise to become the epitome of all internet providers!

Sounds like no, according to an article I read, looks like MSN is skating on that charge. The government is so lost in law making on the net, this just fuels googles fire.
Right now the creation of the voda search engine is master piece of thinking!
What can we do to promote it and help it grow?

Originally Posted by tenhats

Sounds like no, according to an article I read, looks like MSN is skating on that charge What charge? Being a Monopoly? This wasn't even part of the discussion in any way whatsoever!. The government is so lost in law making on the net, this just fuels googles fire Yes, as mentioned in detail above..
Right now the creation of the voda search engine is master piece of thinking!
What can we do to promote it and help it grow? List your site (if you have one), get involved, and participate effectively.

I wonder with all your incognizant posts in the Google, Internet Marketing, and Search Engine Forums here at VodaTalk, what is it exactly you are wishing to accomplish?

Microsoft was in court on monopoly charges vas. Read the paper once in a while. Also read the post, Brad commented on it.

And Ive looked at my post and you have hunted each one down and left negative attacks behind mine. Check the posting dates. Ive only defended my post against your attacks. So yea, Iam getting sick and tired of this. Ive taken a new url and ranked it highly within 6 months on all the search engines. Its the same thing I did for a my old site which ranked first page of all the major SE's for the 5 years it was on the net. All Ive tried to do is help people in this forum get to where I am.
You have pushed me off and out of the forums with your constant heckeling. Who wants to put up with this!

If you feel that you were "hunted down" that IS unfortunate.
You have made posts in many threads that included either incorrect or conflicting information, such as number 5 above. Specifically, a comment was directed to MSN being sued or accused as a Monopoly when in fact Microsoft was acknowledged as the offender (MSN is a purposely separate entity from Microsoft).

In this thread (and in others particularly), many attempts were made to either clarify or expand to provide more depth as a means of answering your querries. The more particular the "points" were identified, the tendency to skirt an issue or change a position became evident. Words and accurate composition are important, and in a Forum are all that is given to go by - we can't read your mind!

Since many others read the threads in this Forum, it is important to post correct or pertinent information so as not to disuade the proper learning skills that become so important when building or refining a technical achievement as a website.

You have some really good questions and apparently some experience in many of the topics you have participated in, and I am sure you will prove to be a valuable resource to VodaTalk.