The Skype Hyper

[uuilly]

http://www.economist.com/people/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9904716

[trekker7]

"Increasingly, people with goods to sell set up their own websites and find buyers by advertising on Google's search pages."

Really?

[dpapathanasiou]

I'm fascinated by all the "Google is omnipotent" under-current in articles like this these days.

It makes me think to the contrary, that Google is vulnerable somewhere, and its continued dominance is not inevitable.

[Xichekolas → dpapathanasiou]

I wouldn't say they were implying Google is omnipotent. The following quote from the article pretty much paints Google in the stupid corner as well:

"By buying Skype, the internet phenomenon of 2005, eBay started a bubble. Google, with its purchase of YouTube, the cyber-star of 2006, inflated it further. And Microsoft and Google now appear tempted to add more froth by investing a silly sum in Facebook, the latest big thing."

I just think Google has recently outmaneuvered its opponents (ebay/yahoo/microsoft) and the press coverage reflects that it's temporarily the top dog.

[dpapathanasiou → Xichekolas]

Possibly, but this is the part I was referring to:

"Like Yahoo!, its neighbour in Silicon Valley, eBay may be gored by Google, the ubiquitous search engine. Increasingly, people with goods to sell set up their own websites and find buyers by advertising on Google's search pages. Google has also begun offering online payment and telephone services that compete directly with PayPal and with Skype."

Can Google really dominate all those different areas? The current media certainly seems to think so.