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Paul Buchheit: Four Reasons Google is still Awesome

paulbuchheit.blogspot.com

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Re: Paul Buchheit: Four Reasons Google is still Awesome

#51

Post by crowsfan85 »

smokinn wrote: post #15
nostrademons wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Instant?

Also, that preview window thing you get when you click in the description text. Personally, it annoys the hell out of me because I'm a compulsive clicker and I really wish there was some way to turn it off permanently but it's definitely another example of a change made to core search.

Yeah, me too. Hate those popups. To remove: (1) download Stylish add-on for chrome or firefox, (2) add CSS style below

  #vspb, button.ws, button.vspib { display: none !important }
  .vspi { background: none !important; border: none !important }

Re: Paul Buchheit: Four Reasons Google is still Awesome

#52

Post by andreyf »

sz wrote: post #35

#3 is my favorite thing about Google. On some level it makes me feel better about handing over personal data when the company doesn't act asshole-ish.

On some level it makes me feel better about handing over personal data when the company doesn't act asshole-ish.

As well meaning as all of the employees at Google are, and as far as they'll go to do the right thing (far, in my experience), from what I understand of our legal system, it's really the role of government to protect you from corporations mis-purposing your data. The free market isn't meant to be a democratic institution, and while some top executives have a certain talent for aligning stockholders interests with those of their users, the system they operate within simply isn't designed with democratic responsibility in mind.

Re: Paul Buchheit: Four Reasons Google is still Awesome

#53

Post by random42 »

fjarlq wrote: post #42
sriramk wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft fails constantly and people accept it? :) I would argue the exact opposite - Microsoft succeeds consistently in a lot of very measurable ways but isn't given enough credit for it (that a Google/Apple would get for doing the very same thing).

Care to list some examples? (Not that I disagree)

1. Project Natal/Kinect

2. Surface Table

Both are good innovations, on which media would go over gaga, had they come from Apple/Google.

Re: Paul Buchheit: Four Reasons Google is still Awesome

#55

Post by moultano »

davi wrote: post #33
moultano wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just watching that process from a distance internally was a good lesson for me in product development. Normally I'd expect that if an idea is generally good, people will kinda like the first version, until after gradual iteration eventually they love it. For some things, that's just not true. With the iterations of Instant over months, I saw coworkers go from "argh I hate this I hope it never launches" to "wow, this…

This is really interesting: certain kinds of features and projects suck until they're good. A steeply sloped sigmoid of suckage. Why did the people working on Instant persevere despite their coworkers' reactions? Was it because they had a clear end-vision of awesomeness, and they knew they just hadn't implemented to that point yet? Or was it more intuitive, a sense that there was awesomeness somewhere in parameter sp…

Half of the progress was UI improvements that made it more natural, half of it was just making it fast enough. I'm starting to come to the conclusion that a lot of what we mistake for UI confusion in general is really just UI slowness. Very complicated things can become intuitive when you have instant feedback.

Re: Paul Buchheit: Four Reasons Google is still Awesome

#56

Post by gfunk911 »

sriramk wrote: post #27
gfunk911 wrote: post #4

Great article. Choosing a place where people appreciate honest criticism works for friendships as well. My biggest criteria for friends is that the person is cool with honesty, including telling them when they're wrong. Interesting point about how if you never fail, you're too conservative. The same idea applies to poker. Microsoft fails constantly and people accept it, yet every Google failure means they've lost the…

Microsoft fails constantly and people accept it? :) I would argue the exact opposite - Microsoft succeeds consistently in a lot of very measurable ways but isn't given enough credit for it (that a Google/Apple would get for doing the very same thing).

I didn't mean that people ignore instances when Microsoft fails. I meant that failing is an accepted part of Microsoft's DNA. People didn't like Vista, but putting out an (arguably) busted OS didn't seem out of character for Microsoft.

Re: Paul Buchheit: Four Reasons Google is still Awesome

#57

Post by ohashi »

paul wrote: post #43
ohashi wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think such a long term view is allowed because of the legacy of figuring out search engine advertising?

Clearly the money is coming from somewhere :) Using that advantage to invest in the future is the right way to build a long-term business. Focusing only on milking the current business is what leads a company to eventual disruption and collapse (because something new will come along that hurts the old business).

I do wonder about dividends, returning value to the shareholders. Should they start issuing dividends? If not, when and why should a company?

Re: Paul Buchheit: Four Reasons Google is still Awesome

#58

Post by davi »

moultano wrote: post #55
davi wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is really interesting: certain kinds of features and projects suck until they're good. A steeply sloped sigmoid of suckage. Why did the people working on Instant persevere despite their coworkers' reactions? Was it because they had a clear end-vision of awesomeness, and they knew they just hadn't implemented to that point yet? Or was it more intuitive, a sense that there was awesomeness somewhere in parameter sp…

Half of the progress was UI improvements that made it more natural, half of it was just making it fast enough . I'm starting to come to the conclusion that a lot of what we mistake for UI confusion in general is really just UI slowness. Very complicated things can become intuitive when you have instant feedback.

Nearly orthogonally great answers from both of you, thanks.

Re: Paul Buchheit: Four Reasons Google is still Awesome

#60

Post by smokinn »

crowsfan85 wrote: post #51
smokinn wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, that preview window thing you get when you click in the description text. Personally, it annoys the hell out of me because I'm a compulsive clicker and I really wish there was some way to turn it off permanently but it's definitely another example of a change made to core search.

Yeah, me too. Hate those popups. To remove: (1) download Stylish add-on for chrome or firefox, (2) add CSS style below #vspb, button.ws, button.vspib { display: none !important } .vspi { background: none !important; border: none !important }

Works great, thanks a lot!
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