I am as knee jerk as the next guy. I avoid buying Nike and got rid of anything with Eddie Bauer on it years ago. Heck, we were into a ban of French products in the early 70's when I was a kid - due to nuclear testing. But, like any one flipping one way or another according to how the wind blows, I need help. So I was interested to read this at the BBC this morning:
Google's whole-hearted embracing of social networking was cemented by the release of new features that could see an end to the traditional uncluttered Google homepage. Under the umbrella term iGoogle, users will be able to share their own writings, photos and lists as well as getting a personalised view of the web based on geographical location and search history.Great. Another reason to focus my mass market derived distaste thought another useless personalization veneer on top of a useful tool. I need more depersonalization, thanks. More ways to make the me that isn't really me more important to you. Steve pointed to the greatest thing ever the other week - a decustomization widget. Strip it out, baby.To encourage users to share their creative work, Google is introducing Gadget Maker, which allows users who do not know how to code to publish content simply. There will be seven templates that can be used for personalization, including ones that allow for the publishing of photos, sending virtual greeting cards or creating lists of favourite songs or films.
But less about not-me and more about Google. Here are some ideas I would like you to explore.
- Has placing a little "i" in front of anything not yet jumped the shark? For me, it is a negative now. You? And what's the next "i"?
- Doesn't there always have to be something bigger and mentioned in the media that we each have to dislike? In this sense aren't Gore and Bush serving the same purpose? Has Google moved towards most hated status or away?
- A few days ago, Craig pointed out that former "BigEvil" Microsoft was dead as a concept. It is dead in part because it won. No one other than me buys WordPerfect anymore but also no one looks to Microsoft for innovation. It is achieved commodity status. Is Google going that way or is it on another track? Does it truly still innovate?
¹Wasn't there a band called The Communards? As yes - Jimmy Sommerville's second band.
Comments
cm - May 2, 2007 8:57 am
I have mixed feelings towards Google. Yes, I use gmail, and Google's the first place I go to look for anything, but I'm still perturbed about the whole use-your-gmail-login-for-blogger. I wonder if people got tired of fighting MS and have decided not to bother fighting Google. Plus Google at least tries to look cool. (Or maybe that's just junior-middle-aged me thinking it looks cool.)
cm - May 2, 2007 9:00 am
You might find this funny.
Hans - May 2, 2007 10:25 am
Al, you're just ahead of the curve on the evilness of Google and its iThingies. In 50 years time, mainstream society will be asking why nobody warned them of these evils and a few of us will remember your dire warnings like a canary in a coal mine. The problem is that its a big jeezuz coal mine.
Gorthos - May 2, 2007 10:50 am
iThink that the iThing was silly marketing from the start. But then again, when you have persons older than us still running the advertising departments, you get a continuous overuse of a ploy past its prime.. Hence the continuing cropping up of bilboard and otehr print ads showing people from a 45 degree angle making their heads look huge as they make comical faces.. (I hate bobbleheads too..)
As far as Google goes, I like it as a search engine. I switched over to it mere days after it appeared online from my former fave "netcrawler" which then became garbage. I however stray well aware from any attempt to localize me, my writing, my photos and my ramblings on a world viewable map. uh huh.. I don't want Al Quaeda, GWB or my crazy ex-girlfriends being able to find me when I post a pic of all of them in a hot-tub together..
Alan - May 2, 2007 10:52 am
iSee. I use Picasa, gmail and make 30 bucks USD a month from Google adsense.
Gorthos - May 2, 2007 11:00 am
If I had the hits you had I'd join the dark side myself.. But with a mere 200+/- a day... I can ride my high horse of faux anonymity.
Alan - May 2, 2007 11:07 am
I have the best bots.
Alan - May 2, 2007 12:09 pm
Is Google now actually past the point of relevance in the rush to judgment?
Gorthos - May 2, 2007 12:38 pm
WOw.. RE: Is Google now actually past the point of relevance in the rush to judgment?
Power to the people..
Information must be free!
Alan - May 2, 2007 12:40 pm
Geeks to Creators: "All ur property rights is ours."
Chris Taylor - May 2, 2007 1:27 pm
My default setting is that anything your stereotypical urban hipster likes must be evil, because ordinary hardworking joes are too busy to spend their lives in desperate pursuit of teh cool.
So that would include Google, Apple, messenger bags, narrow rectangular eyeglasses, old-school cruiser bikes, obsessions with particular musical genres, etc etc. Note that the presence of evil does not stop me from actively employing their services or products (viz. Google and Apple).
Alan - May 2, 2007 2:27 pm
You will, however, deserve utter ridicule if you were ever to sport narrow rectangular eyeglasses.
Gorthos - May 2, 2007 2:32 pm
Woah Chris.. rewind.. I happen to like girls to wear glasses, especially of the "narrow rectangular eyeglasses" style.. for men though.. no. A little too "not that there is anything wrong with that" for the average Joe.
Alan - May 2, 2007 2:35 pm
Weenie glasses. The now millenium's version of the man pony tail on non-culturally approriate males. If you are from Norman stock, shave the back of your head, wouldja.
Chris Taylor - May 2, 2007 3:45 pm
Gorthos, agreed. Looks much better on the ladies than on men. Kinda like, say, "updo" hairstyles or capri pants.
Haha, I seriously thought about the thin glasses thing but now that Alan has promised to mock me they are definitely out. Maybe I will try to revive the monocle instead.
A good rule of thumb is, avoid whatever Cory Doctorow and the futurists-du-jour are wearing. The urban hipster species is merely one that refuses to knuckle under to adult conventions (i.e. wear a suit for an office interview, dammit) and will thus be wearing inappropriate teen attire into their senior years. That's no way to wind up the autumn of one's life.