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Google Flight Search

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Re: Google Flight Search

#281

Post by LearnYouALisp »

blub wrote: post #240
teej wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or, you know, they could just be taking a cut for connecting users with flights better and faster than their competitors. But please, keep thinking that google is hoping to populate some evil database with precious, precious data to make their advertising 0.000001% better. There's no way they are considering the obvious and profitable notion of getting serious about travel search.

Oh, but Google is very serious about ads. They will make this product as good as it needs to be to sell ads, and no better. Making money from selling things and leaving the user's data alone is just not in the DNA of this company.

"Blub"--The nerve!

Re: Google Flight Search

#282

Post by danssig »

abraham wrote: post #274
danssig wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People still believe in a benevolent google after the App Engine scandal? Let me ask you something; what would Google have to do before you finally believe they're just a publicly traded company?

The App Engine pricing issues are anything but a scandal.

Really? Getting a bunch of developers locked into a platform and then raising prices sometimes 100 times more than it was? What would they have to do for it to be a scandal for you?

If Apple suddenly came out and said "right, from today on we want 75% of your sales instead of 30%" would you have the same reaction?

Re: Google Flight Search

#283

Post by danssig »

NolF wrote: post #269
danssig wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is one of the reasons I hate Google. I love to see normal people like me go make a startup and become successful. Escaping their corporate bonds. With companies like Google around who can use ad income to supplement dabbling in all sorts of things they can really weaken that option. And what's Google going to do with this? Add a couple percent on their revenue sheets? Great.

And make my and million's of other live's much better. It takes a mammoth to disrupt such a consolidated (and crappy) industry.

It does not take a mammoth anymore. A small group with a big idea can change the world these days. We don't need Google.

Re: Google Flight Search

#284

Post by danssig »

sharmajai wrote: post #268
danssig wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even worse is the Orwellian Google love that's shitting all over this thread. Bill Gates started a charity because charities suck so bad and he wanted his billions to accomplish something. Steve Jobs doesn't even take money for his work (he gets stock options that he often doesn't even bother to extercise), hell, even Larry Ellison signed a thing to donate most of his fortune to charity when he dies. But, no, it's Go…

Then maybe Steve Jobs should use his salary to make his products affordable to third world countries to do some real good than serving the riches of the world, and maybe Larry Ellison should have honored Sun Microsystem's policies of not suing anybody who uses Java APIs.

The point wasn't that Jobs/Ellison/Gates are great role models. I was showing that everyone that many would consider evil has also shown benevolence. There is nothing that makes the google founders stand out. In fact, I can't really think of anything they've done to make the world a better place besides say they want to. At least these other guys have done something.

Re: Google Flight Search

#285

Post by professorsabena »

danssig wrote: post #283
NolF wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And make my and million's of other live's much better. It takes a mammoth to disrupt such a consolidated (and crappy) industry.

It does not take a mammoth anymore. A small group with a big idea can change the world these days. We don't need Google.

Actually yes and no.

True you dont need Google. We would all love their traffic but having played with the tool for the past 24 hours. I have noticed the changes in inventory state and they are doing exactly what we could have expected them to do.

Sadly that is also the downside - they did exactly what we expected them to do. A mediocre job that is fast and of course "good enough".

A small team can (and has) replicated what Google has done. In fact there are many of them. But Google does not provide Trust and in my reasonably jaundiced view - this is another rearranging of the deck chairs.

The issues are now out in the open. The core infrastructure of search is REALLY hard if you work on the same premise as Google. If you change the basics then there is a different answer.

Will the basics change? I believe the answer has to be yes because otherwise the original premise of the first poster must logically be correct.

I believe not. I am working specifically to change that - if you are interested - then ping me.

Re: Google Flight Search

#286

Post by abraham »

danssig wrote: post #282
abraham wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The App Engine pricing issues are anything but a scandal.

Really? Getting a bunch of developers locked into a platform and then raising prices sometimes 100 times more than it was? What would they have to do for it to be a scandal for you? If Apple suddenly came out and said "right, from today on we want 75% of your sales instead of 30%" would you have the same reaction?

Terrible comparison. A dick move maybe but not a scandal.

Google App Engine:

* Not the dominant hosting platform. Not even close to being the dominant.

* Maybe a million dollar product. Certainly not a billion dollar product.

* In beta/preview until just now with developers knowing pricing had not been set or could be changed.

* Optimizing your application properly can negate most if not all of the pricing increase.

* Open source alternative framework available if you want to keep using the same APIs.

Apple App Store:

* Dominant market position with only the Android Market coming close.

* Billion dollar product.

* Existed as fully launched for several years.

* Set percentage. You can't change it other then making your app free.

* No open source alternative that supports the same APIs.

Beta/preview products can and will change.

Re: Google Flight Search

#287

Post by itswindy »

cletus wrote: post #20

Internally, this has been around for a little while (disclaimer: I work for Google but not on anything related to this). What continues to impress me about Google is: 1. Just how quickly this was built (really, it was quick); and 2. Google wants you to use our services because they're compelling not because we don't give you any other choice (ie "Don't be evil"). Sure there are limits to what it currently does but I…

"Just how quickly this was built (really, it was quick); and"

Sorry but not impressed, unless it was done overnight. Nothing special there, just copying from already done sites.

"2. Google wants you to use our services because they're compelling not because we don't give you any other choice (ie "Don't be evil")."

Yeah, that's why they keep filling the first page with in house junk that would NEVER make it without the Google advantage. I am already seeing adsense ads for this all over the web, how much does Google pay the webmasters for them?

Re: Google Flight Search

#288

Post by itswindy »

bradleyland wrote: post #31
cletus wrote: post #20

Internally, this has been around for a little while (disclaimer: I work for Google but not on anything related to this). What continues to impress me about Google is: 1. Just how quickly this was built (really, it was quick); and 2. Google wants you to use our services because they're compelling not because we don't give you any other choice (ie "Don't be evil"). Sure there are limits to what it currently does but I…

Let's be honest. Google wants us to use their services because the better they understand us, the better they can advertise to us. That's the profit model at Google. I don't begrudge them for it either. You've got to turn a profit if you want to keep the lights on. I don't mean any offense, but the "Don't be evil" mantra is growing a bit tired. Evil is a strong word, and "not being evil" is a pretty low bar, IMO.

Whaaaat? Don't you know thew world is a better place if Google gets that $30 per credit card instead of organic search? Or now travel money, G offers, local etc.
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