“Google’s Gag Order: An Internet Giant Threatens Free Speech.”

The writer doesn’t understand why Microsoft is evil. Microsoft locks their customers into their products, jacks up their prices, and stops innovating. Google gives everything away for free, and keeps inventing new stuff. The next Microsoft? Not even close.

Also, innovation doesnt’ always equal profitability… google earth is a good example. It’s cool to see my apartment from space, but how does that help me once the novelty wears off?

I’m glad they’re making a run at taming, orgainzing and delivering the internet in a variety of useful and interesting ways. There’s still lots more work to do, and plenty of opportunities for companies to step in and do it right. People need to stop bitching and start working. Complainers add nothing but carbon dioxide to a discussion.

Uh, Google Maps combined with satellite photos, for example? Or their search API for third parties? Or “google local” that lets you type “sushi” and “78703″ and find the sushi bars near you?

Google has been consistently innovative, even as they have grown large. Their corporate culture is said to be quite encouraging to innovation as well.

I think Google News is a little sloppy about what it calls “news”, but that’s about the only criticism I can think of that is based on their actual performance.

Maybe Google’s the first of a new breed of businesses that have become successful by avoiding evil and so should be cut some slack.

“They’re too successful! They’re too innovative! Something must be done!”

How about Silicon Valley, instead of lamenting about how great Google is doing, try to actually, you know, -match them-? Compete on even ground instead of hiding behind anonymous quotes.

This is sad.

I’d rarely click on the NYT links here. When I did, NYT wanted a registration before allowing me to read. So I’d just leave without reading what I came for.

I clicked on the Google story link today, was shown an ad I could easily click off if not interested – so it wasn’t all that offensive – and allowed to read without registering.

Rightly so I say, (even if one might suspect the true motives) otherwise you end up with one world view and that’s mightly dangerous in a democracy. (Almost as radical as “total information anarchy” – ie a world dominated by so much unstructured information and so many blogs working in closed communities, that you can’t find or trust anything.)

I love how the dumb VC guys are all moaning and complaining. They must hate it, how their little power game is basically exposed by the net. If there’s no THERE there, nobody cares who your VP is or who designed your logo.

I think you’d be better off shorting the Times.

If you’re actually playing with money, don’t fall victim to the cult think. You lose every time.