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Eric Schmidt Testifies Before Congress

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Re: Eric Schmidt Testifies Before Congress

#71

Post by yanw »

rmrm wrote: post #32

I think Google would be well served if Schmidt had a little more Steve Jobs in him. Not a lot, as I think Jobs might get so frustrated he'd melt down, but a little. Eric makes everything sound somehow slightly sinister, even when it isn't. When asked about something like maps and places the correct answer is: We realized that is what people wanted in response to their queries. We looked around, and the other map prod…

Eric did well. What bothers me is that no reps of small businesses were in this hearing, it just seems like one big corporation is shilling a fight against another.

Re: Eric Schmidt Testifies Before Congress

#73

Post by Helianthus »

yanw wrote: post #36

For fuck's sake senator Blumenthal just asked if Google "Has ever scraped content?" !!

That had a very specific meaning in context. He was asking if Google used Yelp's content to build its Places content, in which case Google would be using its capacity as a Search company in order to grant its Places division a competitive (anti-competitive?) advantage against Yelp. If simultaneously it can be shown that Search was favoring bringing attention to Places over Yelp, there might be an anti-trust case.

There's a lot of posts on here about how uninformed the politicians seem to be. We seem to forget that _we're_ the ones who are uninformed of the vast technicality that is anti-trust law and the oceans of oratorical precision required in order to establish a legal case.

Re: Eric Schmidt Testifies Before Congress

#74

Post by yanw »

Helianthus wrote: post #73
yanw wrote: post #36

For fuck's sake senator Blumenthal just asked if Google "Has ever scraped content?" !!

That had a very specific meaning in context. He was asking if Google used Yelp's content to build its Places content, in which case Google would be using its capacity as a Search company in order to grant its Places division a competitive (anti-competitive?) advantage against Yelp. If simultaneously it can be shown that Search was favoring bringing attention to Places over Yelp, there might be an anti-trust case. The…

He asked both question, that was a separate one in general meaning. As for Google showing snippets of Yelp or anyone else that is still lawful, the whole search business is built of snippets and fair use.

Re: Eric Schmidt Testifies Before Congress

#75

Post by Kadrith »

martingordon wrote: post #66

Last I checked it wasn't possible to switch the default search engine on Android phones (whether it was set to Google or otherwise). Is this still the case? I couldn't find anything conclusive in my searching.

From what I understand that is an issue with the Telcom, not with Google.

Re: Eric Schmidt Testifies Before Congress

#76

Post by jrockway »

kposehn wrote: post #20
jc4p wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't wait until he starts talking about why Google is bad, I wonder if any one knows about Yelp's "pay us for advertising or you'll have your good reviews deleted" policy.

Yelp's own actions notwithstanding, it is quite true that Google has pulled some questionable moves and is clearly attempting to drive traffic to their own products. Not that I like Yelp however ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)

Why shouldn't Google attempt to drive traffic to their own products? If I write two books, should I be able to recommend one in the other? How is this any different?

Re: Eric Schmidt Testifies Before Congress

#77

Post by yanw »

aamar wrote: post #56
rmrm wrote: post #32

I think Google would be well served if Schmidt had a little more Steve Jobs in him. Not a lot, as I think Jobs might get so frustrated he'd melt down, but a little. Eric makes everything sound somehow slightly sinister, even when it isn't. When asked about something like maps and places the correct answer is: We realized that is what people wanted in response to their queries. We looked around, and the other map prod…

> Maps, and Places, and Product Search -- they are all part of search. That's a very relevant point, but it also sounds at least superficially similar to Microsoft's "the browser is part of the OS" argument, which generally seems to be a failure. That case has been referenced several times in this hearing; it's clearly front of mind.

No, that meme is wrong, it's not similar. You bought Windows and Microsoft bundled IE with it, you didn't by Google you use it, Google is Google's. And no one says that search must be just the 10 links and nothing more.

Re: Eric Schmidt Testifies Before Congress

#78

Post by Helianthus »

zyb09 wrote: post #7

Holy shit, they're are hammering down on Eric Schmidt accusing Google of tampering with search results and what not for pretty dumb reasons imho. Seems really unfair to me.

They expect him to be able to say "We know that we are not tampering with search results because of x, y, and z"--a strong statement--instead of "Search is a magic box that is imperfect. Shrug?" which is kinda what he said.

Re: Eric Schmidt Testifies Before Congress

#79

Post by Helianthus »

yanw wrote: post #74
Helianthus wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That had a very specific meaning in context. He was asking if Google used Yelp's content to build its Places content, in which case Google would be using its capacity as a Search company in order to grant its Places division a competitive (anti-competitive?) advantage against Yelp. If simultaneously it can be shown that Search was favoring bringing attention to Places over Yelp, there might be an anti-trust case. The…

He asked both question, that was a separate one in general meaning. As for Google showing snippets of Yelp or anyone else that is still lawful, the whole search business is built of snippets and fair use.

again, you're using 'snippets' out of context and taking the letter of the politician's word at the expense of his intent.

Re: Eric Schmidt Testifies Before Congress

#80

Post by magicalist »

martingordon wrote: post #66

Last I checked it wasn't possible to switch the default search engine on Android phones (whether it was set to Google or otherwise). Is this still the case? I couldn't find anything conclusive in my searching.

I don't see an option for it, but you can replace the entire home screen app (though maybe not if your carrier has locked it?), which could accomplish the same thing if there was a good bing-based home screen out there.
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