Google Makes So Much Money, It Never Had to Worry About Financial Discipline • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Makes So Much Money, It Never Had to Worry About Financial Discipline

#301

Post by cbdfghh » Fri, Dec 09, 2016, 12:47 AM UTC

bad_user wrote: post #168

user5994461 wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're just ad distributing products. Ever tried to install an adblocker on Android? There isn't anything you can do without rooting your phone. Seriously, it should be called Addroid. Ever tried to install adblock/ublock on Chrome? only to find out that it doesn't exist in the chrome store or was removed again.

Well, actually Android is the most friendly mobile platform for ad-blockers, or other hacks. What you're complaining about is Chrome for Android, but then again Android is also the only mobile platform supported by a real Firefox implementation that has plugins, including ad-blockers. You're talking about rooting the phone, I guess you want /etc/hosts or something, but you know, even on the desktop that kind of solut…

> You're talking about rooting the phone, I guess you want /etc/hosts or something, but you know, even on the desktop that kind of solution requires sudo rights. This one is entirely about security and really, Android is not that hard to root.

You don't have to root your phone. You can install an Open Source VPS app which filters ads, no root required (and data stays on your phone).

Re: Google Makes So Much Money, It Never Had to Worry About Financial Discipline

#302

Post by flashman » Fri, Dec 09, 2016, 12:52 AM UTC

paulcole wrote: post #279

thearn4 wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The endless spigot of cash from Steam is something that does enable Valve to take some very experimental leaps (VR, Steam machines, SteamOS, etc.) In my opinion, Valve also has the same shortcomings as google: practically zero customer support, and an un-curated app platform full of shovelware (finding gems on the Steam and the Google Play & Chrome Web Stores can be tricky). But there is still a ton to admire in both…

>the same shortcomings as google: practically zero customer support As someone who pays for AdWords, I have no problem getting someone on the phone to help when I need it.

Yet if your Google account gets suspended for some reason, you'd better have a contact at Google or you're in a world of pain.

Re: Google Makes So Much Money, It Never Had to Worry About Financial Discipline

#303

Post by jmanderley » Fri, Dec 09, 2016, 12:53 AM UTC

user5994461 wrote: post #174

bad_user wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, actually Android is the most friendly mobile platform for ad-blockers, or other hacks. What you're complaining about is Chrome for Android, but then again Android is also the only mobile platform supported by a real Firefox implementation that has plugins, including ad-blockers. You're talking about rooting the phone, I guess you want /etc/hosts or something, but you know, even on the desktop that kind of solut…

Note: Firefox on android has only supported plugins since a few months ago.

Not true, it has supported add-ons on Android for years.

Re: Google Makes So Much Money, It Never Had to Worry About Financial Discipline

#304

Post by infinite8s » Fri, Dec 09, 2016, 1:16 AM UTC

SomeStupidPoint wrote: post #101

gph wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which does seem like sort of a loophole. Don't companies have to add perks over a certain amount to the employees pay so that it gets taxed? Wouldn't feeding an employee every day qualify? It would be sort of weird if we turn back into having sort of 'company towns' where your employer provides a lot of what you need except they pay for it. It's not just Google this would be beneficial for, even if you run a factory…

The benefits must be provided for a business reason to not be taxed (to the employee as income). I expect that it's a mix of two things: 1. You can make a case that keeping them in the office (rather than making trips out) is a business need, and it might hold up to scrutiny. This probably covers things like coffee, juice, snacks, etc. The company legitimately does benefit from (some key) employees not constantly lea…

I wonder if they are then taxable in NYC, given the plethora of options within a 5 min walk of their office.

Re: Google Makes So Much Money, It Never Had to Worry About Financial Discipline

#305

Post by fullshark » Fri, Dec 09, 2016, 1:17 AM UTC

mathattack wrote: post #245

Periodic wrote: post #11

So many companies try to emulate how Google works. There are multiple books, hundreds or thousands of articles. People speculate on the perks, the review structure, the hierarchy, the autonomy. However, when other companies try to imitate Google they always fail because they're missing a crucial piece: Billions of dollars in ad revenue Google doesn't work the way it does to be successful. It works that way because it…

Yes. Many management books and theories confuse correlation with causality. Another common example, "Companies with happier employees are more successful." But perhaps causality is the other way, "Employees become happy when their companies succeed."

I wish more companies made that mistake

Re: Google Makes So Much Money, It Never Had to Worry About Financial Discipline

#306

Post by _audakel » Fri, Dec 09, 2016, 1:34 AM UTC

sdenton4 wrote: post #255

RandomOpinion wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When that happens, Google is going to have to start rewarding operational efficiency gains at least as strongly as they currently reward popular science project type gains. And then it will be very interesting to see how they change and if the era of "but Google offers its employees ..." will be over. One has only to look at Microsoft to see an example of what might happen. Things were very carefree there as well b…

I dunno, man; I already hear a lot about suffering at Amazon...

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/report-amazon-employee-jumps-of...

Re: Google Makes So Much Money, It Never Had to Worry About Financial Discipline

#307

Post by MicroBerto » Fri, Dec 09, 2016, 1:36 AM UTC

legolas2412 wrote: post #290

photogrammetry wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you implying that Tesla killed the (1 person, not people) who decided to let his car slam into a tractor-trailer on cruise control? It's not a problem to you that, say, Apple has "financed the suicides of dozens of Foxconn workers," or that GM killed 140 people by suppressing information on a defective ignition switch, or that Lockheed Martin and Halliburton buoy their stock by selling weapons to kill hundreds of…

I'm going to ignore the whataboutism you spew. Also, Elon musk has done amazing work with electric cars, sustainable energy and space travel. No doubt about that. But this is about Autopilot, a collection of driver assistance program. Not sure about OP, but my spite with Tesla is that they are pushing the above-mentioned driver assistance programs as self-driving features. This over-selling is going to kill people. A…

> This over-selling is going to kill people.

Yes, this is what I meant in my comment. I know there are going to be massive hurdles here, but Tesla seems to be shooting from the hip wayyyy too much for my comfort level.

I'm not a full believer that this can only be solved by OTA software updates. If that Tesla had a LIDAR on top of the car like Google's vehicles do, a man would still be alive.

> whataboutism

That was a very nice way of putting that pile of rubbish of a comment. You must have made it further than I did, I stopped reading at the word "decided". You are too kind.

Re: Google Makes So Much Money, It Never Had to Worry About Financial Discipline

#308

Post by voltagex_ » Fri, Dec 09, 2016, 1:43 AM UTC

Black-Plaid wrote: post #292

paulcole wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>the same shortcomings as google: practically zero customer support As someone who pays for AdWords, I have no problem getting someone on the phone to help when I need it.

I imagine that most people don't realize they are not Google customers. If you have paid Google money, then you are a customer. People using Google's 'free' services are not. Only customers will get good support.

>If you have paid Google money

If you've paid Google enough money. I have to keep paying $6AUD/month unless I want to lose $300+ of Android apps forever (Google Apps for Work). No chance of transferring them to another account (I'd pay $100+ for this)