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The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

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11–20 of 118 posts

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#11
post #3

I wish we stop the perpetuation of dumb metaphors and analogies. It does nobody any good.

What is the dumb metaphor/analogy and why?

Most of this articles content, and because analogies don't usually represent meaningful understanding, they just fake it.

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#12
post #3

I wish we stop the perpetuation of dumb metaphors and analogies. It does nobody any good.

What is the dumb metaphor/analogy and why?

Calling Apple the genitals because they're a luxury brand?

As soon as I saw that graphic I knew what quality of article I was in for.

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#14
I always wonder why the whole "facebook internet" isn't brought up more by pro net-neutrality folks. I think there's only one article that's been written about a particularly worrisome consequence it has as well [1].

While I think it'd take a very long time for Americans to actually be convinced of this, the reason why this is happening (because facebook might as well be THE internet for these users) is a lot more worrisome. Particularly when Mark himself is running soon.

(1)https://qz.com/333313/milliions-of-facebook-users-have-no-id...

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#15
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the dumb metaphor/analogy and why?

Calling Apple the genitals because they're a luxury brand? As soon as I saw that graphic I knew what quality of article I was in for.

Yeah, that was pretty tenuous. And assertion that women buy Apple products to deter "romantic rivals from poaching [their] relationship partner" seems almost ridiculous.

I would say that iPhones and MacBooks are almost mass-market these days. Sure, they are more expensive than the alternatives, but they are so ubiquitous that can't really be considered status symbols anymore, can they?

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#16
post #6

I'm genuinely unsure how I feel about this article. First, the internet itself is only in danger if net neutrality is genuinely threatened by ISPs. Until then, the network itself is as open as it ever was. As for the services on top, the meta-layer of products and infrastructure we rely on--social media, content sources, smartphones and smart devices, etc--there's a lot of reason to be concerned. But Amazon's markets…

Amazon's role in the oligopoly is running much of cloud computing. It comes down to this:

- Google and Facebook capture all the value in online ads

- Amazon, Google and Microsoft control the cloud

- Apple and Google have a duopoly mobile OS

- Apple and Microsoft dominate desktop OSs (sorry linux bro)

- Facebook essentially controls online political advertising, and its founder is gearing up for a run at office

Even if the pyramids were made by happy, paid, unionized workers with a good health/mummification plan (which seems a stretch), they were a terrible misuse of resources.

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#17

I honestly find it very easy to not use any of their services. They all have quality competitors.

I'm overlooking the easy "It's easy for me so it's easy for everyone" because I'm interested what phone you use?

He hewed it himself out of the finest hardwoods.

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#18
What I think is potentially more interesting is the anti-consumer behaviors of Amazon in what I call the Amazon/Google cold war over video:

- Amazon not allowing the sale of chromecast

- Amazon keeping its instant video app off generic android TV devices for a long time, even though they had an app that worked with the Sony android TV.

- Amazon using its instant video app as a trojan horse to get you to install the Amazon app store on your Android phone. (and weakening your phone's security, due to having to "allow unknown sources"

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#19
post #6

I'm genuinely unsure how I feel about this article. First, the internet itself is only in danger if net neutrality is genuinely threatened by ISPs. Until then, the network itself is as open as it ever was. As for the services on top, the meta-layer of products and infrastructure we rely on--social media, content sources, smartphones and smart devices, etc--there's a lot of reason to be concerned. But Amazon's markets…

> Google is successful in a few areas ..., but they've proven incapable of pushing into other major areas (streaming services...

Are we talking about the same Google here? The one that owns YouTube, which created an entire culture around video streaming online?

Re: The war between Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple

#20

I honestly find it very easy to not use any of their services. They all have quality competitors.

But, let's face it, we're surrounded by garden walls now days.

Take phone as example: You almost only have two main options for a smart phone OS here: iOS (+ Apple) and Android (+ Google).

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