Google is no saint

Google is not the perfect search solution on the Internet. (though it is the best available now). Google
is not a complete gateway for the Internet at least for Indian users. Indian users face a lot of problems
while googling (googling refers to searching the net), when searching for information about services
and shops in their respective localities. This problem is severe for residents of small cities and towns.
No person on the Internet can search on the net for his nearest medical store or a nearest bookstore.
Only the huge companies who have Internet presence can get to the customer via Google. This may be
disadvantageous to the nearby local book seller who cant afford to get on the net. In Indian conditions
it i really impossible for the local bookseller to get on the net. In this way Google is biased towards the
MNC and shop chains(crossword etc).
Googles shopping engine Froogle is also very incomplete it is only US centric providing options only
for American users.
While Google alleges Microsoft of dominating the software business, Google itself is doing the same in
the search engine business. Because of it many search engines have become obsolete. Though Google
supports the open software revolution it is only because it wants to fight Microsoft. It supports Linux vs
Windows, Gmail vs Hotmail, Firefox vs IE, everything is targeted against Microsoft.( I am not stating
Micorsoft is a saint). If Google were a true supporter of the open software revolution it would have
released the algorithm of its search engine so that it could be improved by the engineers from right
across the globe maybe even by those from Microsoft. Google is the biggest competitor for Microsoft
in hiring new recruits.
Google also has a shrewd strategy of making money by the malpractice of calling its ads as
“Sponsored Links”. Though making money from ads is necessary for Google to survive, it currently
makes money by misleading google users. People don't realize that the Sponsored links are actually
adds. In a survey people have voted that they wouldn't have clicked on the sponsored links if they had
known they were adds.
Google image search is a cool thing. But it is not again a perfect solution? but I cant figure out how
Google can rank images. Well it ranks sites on links leading to that site. But how can it lead to a image?
This needs some explaining.
Now the big issue, Google scans the net once in a while and stores copies of the sites on its worldwide
database which is also available on the cached page. But is google correct in doing so? Websites are
Intellectual properties like books. So is Google ethically correct in storing the the website in its
database and also producing just the picture for you to download from its database, where as the correct
thing to do on a image search would be to lead to the site rather than producing the image scaled down.
Take an example on google search I search for F1 wallpapers I get image results and download it to my
computer but on the site which is available the F1 official website you may have to pay for it.
Google is a gateway for pirated software and films. All the software can be searched and downloaded
from the net using Google. I wonder why the software companies are not taking any legal action
against Google for this. Its very simple you type Free Adobe Acrobat Professional 8 download and you
get thousands of links leading to it or maybe Free License Key etc. The solution to this would be
Google banning searches on its engine to word like “free License” or “Free Adobe Page maker
Download” etc. You Tube a Google subsidiary is an open piracy forum. Many episodes of many US
serials are available on it and no legal issues again?
On the technical side there are a few improvements that can be made on Google. Like searching for
abbreviations : when i search for IT i would like the result also including references to “Information
Technology” or at least include an option to include the words “Information technology”. Also the
sponsored links can be changed to adds. A relook on the image search can be taken.
All said and done I would like to mention I am an ardent google user and use it daily. It is a very useful
tool to get technical information. But may be not the best possible way to search for products or
services. Because I use Google so much that I have been able to make such observations.
I hope every user leaves his valuable ideas and comments here.
ThankYou
Abhishek K