Comments on: Google No Longer Linking To Yahoo, MapQuest Maps

By: Derick

Derick — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 19:02:58 +0000

Despite what they’ve said in the past, I think we all need to realize that at the end of the day, Google is still a corporation. A money-making, self-interested, corporation.

I’m not the least bit surprised that any of these changes to the results page are taking place. Back in the day Google was a search company. It was in their best interest to provide links to other services because they either didn’t have a similar service or had just developed one. Now they do everything. So what benefit does it serve them to link to the competition?

A company can say it conducts business in the best interest of the customer. But they rarely do. Just like any other company, Google’s primary concern is its own stock price and bottom line.

By: dangerlarson

dangerlarson — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:55:36 +0000

I can’t stand company statements that don’t answer the question. All I hear is “blah, blah, blah”

By: Dick Larkin

Dick Larkin — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 03:20:40 +0000

Viva Google!

See no evil

Hear no evil

Do no evil

Link to no evil?

Eyes on the prize, boys. Is this the best user experience, or are we becoming a tad territorial (pardon the terrible pun) about our maps?

By: JoeDuck

JoeDuck — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:14:24 +0000

I always have mixed feelings when Google pulls this type of thing, and those thoughts tend to go like this, in very quick sequence.

1) Hey! Google has every right to take advantage of their leadership and search dominance!

2) But wait, they are always claiming the high road and press releases always imply strongly they don’t do manual ranking, manual penalties and adjustments when everybody in search knows that they do. Why do they have this hidden double standard that nobody talks about?

3) And wait, they rarely admit mistakes or taking a “less than exemplary” or “whoops, that WAS evil!” apologetic tone. Google you saying you are 100% virtuous?

4) But, but, all the engineers I’ve met to a person are great people, always very sincere in conversations and blogging, always committed to bettering the web even if there’s little in it for Google and sometimes if it’ll hurt Google. Clearly they surpass Yahoo and MSN in terms of self serving stuff.

Hmmmm – I just don’t get Google.

By: Liza Sabater

Liza Sabater — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 18:15:48 +0000

Wouldn’t this go against a more overarching concept of network neutrality? And, with that in mind, is it legal for them to “fix” or “payola” searches in a manner that will only benefit them and their clients?

By: WRXGirl

WRXGirl — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 17:53:03 +0000

Seems like a move that Microsoft would do. Google should focus on providing users with the best information, not just their information.

By: dyerwolf

dyerwolf — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:50:15 +0000

I notice on the example query given, local.yahoo.com appears in the 4th position of the results set.

By: WilliamC

WilliamC — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:55:48 +0000

I am surprised they did not do it sooner. Can’t really blame them for promoting their own services more.