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Sunday, February 12, 2006
What's with the search engine community's bizarre fascination with fingering the exact moment Google starts losing it? Every day it seems someone is citing this or that example as proof that Google is going downhill, or even worse, jumping the shark.
Now, to be sure, Mr. Batelle's opinions are worth more than the average bear on this subject. He did after all write a book all about Google, "The Search." But, please! Just because Google is on the cover of this week's Time magazine really has no relation to their shark-jumping status. I think a simpler explanation is that the company has been in the news frequently of late, and therefore, is a story worthy of being featured on the cover.
If the mere presence of a company on a major magazine cover meant certain doom, Google would've flamed out years ago. They've been on many magazine covers in the past few years, although none as prominent as Time.
And even if Google does "jump the shark," or make a serious error in judgment, that doesn't mean they can't press rewind and un-jump it. Microsoft has done so many times and is still alive and kicking the last time I checked. And Bill Gates has been on Time's cover at least three times!
I do agree, however, that Google is entering the riskiest period of its short existence, but nothing that has happened thus far makes me think they can't navigate the uncertain course with grace and relative ease, as they have to date.
Posted by
Cory Kleinschmidt
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D'oh!
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