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Why I left Google (2012)

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Re: Why I left Google (2012)

#61

Post by pnathan »

brownbat wrote: post #51
jrockway wrote: post #13

This is from March of last year , BTW, and has been discussed numerous other times on HN. (Ironically, there have been so many other articles titled "Why I left Google" on HN that I can't actually find this one in the archives. But it's there :)

Eh, I'd give this particular repost a pass. This bit: > The Google I was passionate about was a technology company that empowered its employees to innovate. The Google I left was an advertising company with a single corporate-mandated focus. I'd basically written that off a year ago as unfair, maybe someone with "everything used to be better" bias. Seeing it again in right after the Reader shutdown, it shifted my thi…

Although it might be distasteful to explorers, isn't a company with a single focus probably in a better mentality to do better in that area?

Re: Why I left Google (2012)

#62

Post by fatjokes »

rburhum wrote: post #45
Colliwinks wrote: post #19

"Sharing is not broken" "Share this on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Delicious, Reddit, LinkedIn, SlashDot, Myspace, Technorati, Friendfeed, Messenger, or Stumbleupon."

Only two of those are relevant. With the right content, a third one may also work. The rest, you can ignore

Probably what somebody said about Reader, when all the Google services were listed.

Re: Why I left Google (2012)

#63

Post by meerita »

kbouw wrote: post #55
meerita wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And Google Glasses? Chromebook? Nexus? Jesus this guy is plainly wrong.

And don't forget to mention Google Shoes :P http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/11/google-shoes_n_2853...

But the phone is good (i'm iPhone owner), and the rest of the projects looks promising.

Re: Why I left Google (2012)

#64

Post by chime »

pnathan wrote: post #61
brownbat wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Eh, I'd give this particular repost a pass. This bit: > The Google I was passionate about was a technology company that empowered its employees to innovate. The Google I left was an advertising company with a single corporate-mandated focus. I'd basically written that off a year ago as unfair, maybe someone with "everything used to be better" bias. Seeing it again in right after the Reader shutdown, it shifted my thi…

Although it might be distasteful to explorers, isn't a company with a single focus probably in a better mentality to do better in that area?

Depends solely on the focus. If the focus is 'push limits of human knowledge', then Google is going to be fine. If the focus is 'Increase marketshare in industries [X] by [Y%]', then it is too short-sighted and sooner or later, will catch up.

Re: Why I left Google (2012)

#65

Post by sses »

lurker14 wrote: post #59
criley wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know, after using Google Now on my phone, I'm confident that Google can deliver context-sensitive results that make sense. Not always, not for everything, but I bet they could pull it off in a cab just fine. EDIT: I guess it's worth pointing out, however, that Google Now doesn't show ads.

Google Now shows unsolicited restaurant recommendations. They might not be paid (I don't know), but they are certainly ads.

That's a very loose definition of ads. Advertising typically implies that it's the restaurant promoting itself.

Re: Why I left Google (2012)

#66

Post by forgotAgain »

michaelwww wrote: post #27

So he leaves Google because of steps they are taking to protect and enhance their revenue stream, and joins Microsoft? As a former Microsoftie, all I can say is that is like going from the kettle to the fire and doesn't make sense.

I've worked for neither company but my thought was the same as yours.

Anyone who licenses software from Microsoft knows that lately their most important objective is increasing licensing revenues.

Changing products to increase licensing or changing them to enhance a different revenue stream is six of one, half a dozen of the other for me.

Re: Why I left Google (2012)

#67

Post by wutbrodo »

lurker14 wrote: post #59
criley wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know, after using Google Now on my phone, I'm confident that Google can deliver context-sensitive results that make sense. Not always, not for everything, but I bet they could pull it off in a cab just fine. EDIT: I guess it's worth pointing out, however, that Google Now doesn't show ads.

Google Now shows unsolicited restaurant recommendations. They might not be paid (I don't know), but they are certainly ads.

I think being paid is pretty integral to the concept of an ad.

Re: Why I left Google (2012)

#68

Post by ttrreeww »

The guy joined Microsoft as a Partner, Partners got it good at Microsoft, 500k/year (range is around 300k to 1 million a year) average and they were exempt from the yearly 10% mandatory cut the rest of the workers are exposed to.

Re: Why I left Google (2012)

#69

Post by bennyg »

lurker14 wrote: post #59
criley wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know, after using Google Now on my phone, I'm confident that Google can deliver context-sensitive results that make sense. Not always, not for everything, but I bet they could pull it off in a cab just fine. EDIT: I guess it's worth pointing out, however, that Google Now doesn't show ads.

Google Now shows unsolicited restaurant recommendations. They might not be paid (I don't know), but they are certainly ads.

This is a reply to those below you, because I can't reply to them specifically.

Word of mouth is considered the best form of advertising you can get. Almost 100% of the time it's not even paid for.

Re: Why I left Google (2012)

#70

Post by JoCoLa »

wslh wrote: post #2

Are Google's driverless car just a way to show more ads? Instead of driving a car you could be watching an ad.

Absolutely. American spend more time communing than ever before. That's a lot of time spent steering that could be spent swiping.
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