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Should we break up the big tech companies?

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Re: Should we break up the big tech companies?

#2
Microsoft doesn't get any special mention :p. Makes sense to leave Microsoft out in 2017, but Apple doesn't really have a monopoly ripe for abuse either in the same way of Google, FB, Amazon. If Apple is included because of its size, then Microsoft still does more revenue and profit than most of the tech companies. And its market cap will be higher than Amazon and FB for a few more years.

Re: Should we break up the big tech companies?

#3
There was a video on building monopolies the other day[1] which pointed out that tech companies' "other bets" are designed to make them look less monopolistic. Google can say "we're not a monopoly in phone software or self-driving cars" and divert attention from being a near-monopoly in search engines and advertising.

I think it's possibly a bit soon to go down this route. There needs to be more time to determine whether these new companies are in fact monopolies and if that has a bad effect on competition. If no tech companies of a similar scale appeared in the next ten or fifteen years, and if the company rankings remain largely unchanged, I would probably revisit that position.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAIy5Lii3zw

Re: Should we break up the big tech companies?

#4
You can make the point that even in a market economy, the internal economy of a company is communist: it is centrally controlled/planned and not market base. Outside, big companies can distort the market because of they weight and there ability to use international difference (price transfer, little effective tax paid, lobbying).

So I think, if you believe in the invisible hand and that a fair market is good for everybody, I think we should have smaller companies. But it's not only for tech companies. We have facilitate fusion/acquisition a little too much and we see less competition and even some time cartel.

Re: Should we break up the big tech companies?

#5

Microsoft doesn't get any special mention :p. Makes sense to leave Microsoft out in 2017, but Apple doesn't really have a monopoly ripe for abuse either in the same way of Google, FB, Amazon. If Apple is included because of its size, then Microsoft still does more revenue and profit than most of the tech companies. And its market cap will be higher than Amazon and FB for a few more years.

Apple could be included because of their astoundingly revolting behaviour. Microsoft never pulled a "You write a program that runs on windows we'll take 30% of your revenue off the top or we block your sales" stunt.

Literally the only thing that has ever made apple less awful than microsoft is their lack of success. I would miss them no more than microsoft if they died in a bankruptcy event redolent with the kind of fraud they think is "good business"

Cue the apple fanboys...

Re: Should we break up the big tech companies?

#6
post #5

Microsoft doesn't get any special mention :p. Makes sense to leave Microsoft out in 2017, but Apple doesn't really have a monopoly ripe for abuse either in the same way of Google, FB, Amazon. If Apple is included because of its size, then Microsoft still does more revenue and profit than most of the tech companies. And its market cap will be higher than Amazon and FB for a few more years.

Apple could be included because of their astoundingly revolting behaviour. Microsoft never pulled a "You write a program that runs on windows we'll take 30% of your revenue off the top or we block your sales" stunt. Literally the only thing that has ever made apple less awful than microsoft is their lack of success. I would miss them no more than microsoft if they died in a bankruptcy event redolent with the kind of…

Are you arguing they are charging too much or they shouldn't be charged at all?

Re: Should we break up the big tech companies?

#7

Microsoft doesn't get any special mention :p. Makes sense to leave Microsoft out in 2017, but Apple doesn't really have a monopoly ripe for abuse either in the same way of Google, FB, Amazon. If Apple is included because of its size, then Microsoft still does more revenue and profit than most of the tech companies. And its market cap will be higher than Amazon and FB for a few more years.

Question is where do you draw the line? consumer only if not salesforce? oracle? IBM?

Re: Should we break up the big tech companies?

#8
post #3

There was a video on building monopolies the other day[1] which pointed out that tech companies' "other bets" are designed to make them look less monopolistic. Google can say "we're not a monopoly in phone software or self-driving cars" and divert attention from being a near-monopoly in search engines and advertising. I think it's possibly a bit soon to go down this route. There needs to be more time to determine whe…

Why would we consider google a monopoly before cell-providers, ISPs, major credit card companies, or auto companies? [All of whom actively have stifled competition in unfair ways]

Re: Should we break up the big tech companies?

#9

You can make the point that even in a market economy, the internal economy of a company is communist: it is centrally controlled/planned and not market base. Outside, big companies can distort the market because of they weight and there ability to use international difference (price transfer, little effective tax paid, lobbying). So I think, if you believe in the invisible hand and that a fair market is good for ever…

Well, the internal structure of a company is almost always autocratic, but not every dictatorship is a communist one, and very few companies are even nominally communist.

Re: Should we break up the big tech companies?

#10
post #5

Microsoft doesn't get any special mention :p. Makes sense to leave Microsoft out in 2017, but Apple doesn't really have a monopoly ripe for abuse either in the same way of Google, FB, Amazon. If Apple is included because of its size, then Microsoft still does more revenue and profit than most of the tech companies. And its market cap will be higher than Amazon and FB for a few more years.

Apple could be included because of their astoundingly revolting behaviour. Microsoft never pulled a "You write a program that runs on windows we'll take 30% of your revenue off the top or we block your sales" stunt. Literally the only thing that has ever made apple less awful than microsoft is their lack of success. I would miss them no more than microsoft if they died in a bankruptcy event redolent with the kind of…

So you think Apple should market and distribute apps for free?
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