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An enormous thread on alleged Google Facebook collusion

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Re: An enormous thread on alleged Google Facebook collusion

#51

Post by flyinglizard »

mrweasel wrote: post #45
flyinglizard wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can see at least five entirely separate units with very little synergy: 1. Search + Maps 2. GSuite + Gmail 3. GCP 4. YouTube 5. Android + Chrome Each can probably support its own P&L sheet, other than perhaps the last (not sure about that one). Such a move would surely limit innovation (I can’t see these smaller entities doing things like mobile ASIC development, although if TPU is under Search it would continue),…

The only two of those I’m pretty sure could survive on their own is search and YouTube. Android and Chrome pretty much doesn’t have a business case. GCP might be big enough at this point, but is still just burning ad money. GSuite/GMail is again a maybe, but can it afford the infratructure? They would at least have to cribble the free tier.

Android has its Play Store and could probably pick a few bucks out of each handset sold, although the long term implications of Android without its daddy around aren’t clear.

GSuite is incredibly ubiquitous and has no free tier anymore (other than customers grandfathered in), and GMail can still do ads. I have no doubt they’ll be printing money, relatively speaking.

Re: An enormous thread on alleged Google Facebook collusion

#52

Post by alaeraky »

willvarfar wrote: post #5

I remember when google was the shining light of “be nice company” that we all dreamed of working for, at odds with the evil that was M$crosoft. And, from reading all the “why I left google” posts and hearing about them leaving China, the old google of 20 or even just 10 years ago was the good or even just a better google. With how google went from “do no evil” to this, with how Facebook has always been profits over e…

There is no safety in Corporate America.

Exploiting the weaknesses of the largest group possible has been the name of the game for such a long time, that for many well meaning corporate robots it has become automatic behaviour.

They defend, justify and most importantly have no roadmap to how corporate america can reduce exploitating knowledge gaps, info assymetry, biases, weaknesses at scale.

Re: An enormous thread on alleged Google Facebook collusion

#54

Post by secondcoming »

bob1029 wrote: post #17
eecc wrote: post #12

I wonder how that code managed to stay secret so many years. How did they keep all the mass of data, the tickets, the user stories and pitch decks from being spilled online and get publicly dressed down? I guess that’s the one single major threat to effectively WHF: the need for maximum security secrecy and infrastructure control.

> How did they keep all the mass of data, the tickets, the user stories and pitch decks from being spilled online and get publicly dressed down? Legal agreements and extremely valuable employment contracts, most likely. My understanding is that some (most?) of the developers out there today are in it for the money. If someone promised you enough income to retire by age 31, and all you had to do was keep your mouth sh…

everybody in adtech is in it for the money! Nobody loves ads.

Re: An enormous thread on alleged Google Facebook collusion

#55

Post by fishnchips »

eecc wrote: post #12

I wonder how that code managed to stay secret so many years. How did they keep all the mass of data, the tickets, the user stories and pitch decks from being spilled online and get publicly dressed down? I guess that’s the one single major threat to effectively WHF: the need for maximum security secrecy and infrastructure control.

The really interesting stuff is only accessible by a handful of employees. The rest is frankly pretty boring.

Re: An enormous thread on alleged Google Facebook collusion

#56

Post by secondcoming »

londons_explore wrote: post #31

The bits about the ad auction are all what I expected as a user... Obviously they can adjust their fee up or down to further their interests. Obviously they have the right to set the 'floor' auction price, and can set it to maximize profits. Obviously they can take on business from Facebook, and limit how much they take on if they like. It doesn't include stuff about their recent switch to first price auctions, which…

They rejected bids with higher bid prices to prefer their own inventory. The auction was rigged.

Re: An enormous thread on alleged Google Facebook collusion

#57

Post by numair »

mrweasel wrote: post #45
flyinglizard wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can see at least five entirely separate units with very little synergy: 1. Search + Maps 2. GSuite + Gmail 3. GCP 4. YouTube 5. Android + Chrome Each can probably support its own P&L sheet, other than perhaps the last (not sure about that one). Such a move would surely limit innovation (I can’t see these smaller entities doing things like mobile ASIC development, although if TPU is under Search it would continue),…

The only two of those I’m pretty sure could survive on their own is search and YouTube. Android and Chrome pretty much doesn’t have a business case. GCP might be big enough at this point, but is still just burning ad money. GSuite/GMail is again a maybe, but can it afford the infratructure? They would at least have to cribble the free tier.

Here, let me help you out with ways to find hard data that disprove these conjectures.

> Android

Take a look at recent court documents about the size of the Play Store revenues. It’s a multi-billion-dollar cash cow after paying off the carriers and device makers to keep their spyware loaded.

> Chrome

Google single handedly kept Mozilla running for over a decade with their search deal. The deal for iOS is worth billions. Chrome will manage just fine.

> GCP

They don’t exactly run that thing as a charity. Anyone familiar with their pricing knows that this is a super-high-margin business. Plus, as a spin-off, it would immediately have a couple gigantic customers: Google spin-offs.

> GSuite/GMail

There’s only two main options for email and productivity SaaS (sorry Zoho). They’re printing money on this one too.

I should disclose that I would rather see Google stay intact, so whoever kneecaps their ad business can kneecap the whole empire in one go and make the whole company and all of its shareholders suffer at the same time. Companies don’t have a right to live if they are generating negative social impact.

Re: An enormous thread on alleged Google Facebook collusion

#59

Post by matsemann »

willvarfar wrote: post #5

I remember when google was the shining light of “be nice company” that we all dreamed of working for, at odds with the evil that was M$crosoft. And, from reading all the “why I left google” posts and hearing about them leaving China, the old google of 20 or even just 10 years ago was the good or even just a better google. With how google went from “do no evil” to this, with how Facebook has always been profits over e…

Being a xoogler used to be something to put in your profile bio, and basically an instant hire if in your CV.

Now it almost carries a stigma.

Re: An enormous thread on alleged Google Facebook collusion

#60

Post by SCUSKU »

feanaro wrote: post #30
willvarfar wrote: post #5

I remember when google was the shining light of “be nice company” that we all dreamed of working for, at odds with the evil that was M$crosoft. And, from reading all the “why I left google” posts and hearing about them leaving China, the old google of 20 or even just 10 years ago was the good or even just a better google. With how google went from “do no evil” to this, with how Facebook has always been profits over e…

> Which employers are the “nice company making nice things and you’ll be able to sleep at night” tech companies nowadays? The smaller ones.

And consequently the ones where employees make a smaller salary.
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