Google to Create a Private Internet Alternative? 347
dbucowboy writes "Times Online UK reports that Google is working on a project to create its own global internet protocol network, a private alternative to the internet controlled by the search giant, according to sources who are in commercial negotiation with the company. Should Google successfully launch an alternative internet, it is theoretically possible for them to block out competitor websites and only allow users to access websites that have paid Google to be shown to their users." We discussed this topic during summer last year.
Are they? Really? (Score:5, Interesting)
And who knows? Maybe they will do it. But just because they can doesn't mean they will.
Rumors greatly exagerated.... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Google Fanboyism at it's whackiest (Score:3, Interesting)
Already done, in my opinion, the moment I first saw a Google Flash ad for McDonalds.
I use adblocking plugins and specifically left Google ads unblocked due to their nature. No longer. Ugh.
But would this be -bad-? (Score:4, Interesting)
Now on the other hand, with the Telcos getting all bitchy about Google and others using "their pipelines", I've been wondering just how long it might take for someone to start up an "OtherNet" so to speak, restricted to non-commercial use like the old days were. It might be slow, but you -can- get an unlimited-long-distance line and slap modems together, and combine that with a meshed wireless, etc.
Not a common carrier (Score:3, Interesting)
-Rick
Re:left out (Score:2, Interesting)
Also (Score:1, Interesting)
Private Internet - ??? - Profit!! (Score:2, Interesting)
I love google though. The average googler is smarter [infoworld.com].
-TLAY
Actually... (Score:3, Interesting)
Google layer (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Or The Real Security 2.0... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Google Fanboyism at it's whackiest (Score:3, Interesting)
Yes, they are, they consume my bandwidth and CPU! And there's no way to switch them off!
As a general rule i had to close my browser so i can start compiling my C++ programs, otherwise the flash steals the CPU and my compilation times multiply.
That was, Of course, before adblock - but i find that a bit counterproductive for sponsors. Well, it's their loss now.
Re:Fortunately.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Google Fanboyism at it's whackiest (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Google Fanboyism at it's whackiest (Score:1, Interesting)
Usefullness/annoyance factors are another issue...
Re:Or The Real Security 2.0... (Score:4, Interesting)
Dreaming,
-l
Re:Google Fanboyism at it's whackiest (Score:3, Interesting)
Really? I block Flash ads. Yet I still see plenty of ads on Slashdot that I do not block. It would seem that Slashdot does fairly well without Flash.
Re:Or The Real Security 2.0... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Google Fanboyism at it's whackiest (Score:1, Interesting)
You are absolutely correct! All my ads are 2x2 gray-white "chess-board" GIFs, and I just love them that way (thanks to privoxy).
Re:Fortunately.... (Score:3, Interesting)
Eventually, while Google is busy buying the town of Mountain View, CA free wireless underwear warmers somebody will come up with some some search software that is truly revolutionary. Probably based on some clever machine learning with human feedback, or something. Then people will drop Google with the same amazing speed they adopted it.
Google knows this. That's why they are so quick to buy anything that gets within missile range of Mountain View. They look big, but in the end they simply make money from advertising on a website (so far I don't think Picassa is cash flow positive) and their entire business can shrivel up as quickly as people can change their bookmarks. That would scare the hell out of me if I were them, and I'm guessing it does. The smartest thing the two founders ever did [even smarter than PageRank(TM)] was selling a shitload of their shares to the teaming masses shortly after the IPO.
Google is a system not a business. (Score:3, Interesting)
Google is capitalism 2.0, and this means completely new industries worth billions or trillions of dollars will be based off Google. Google is so important for the future of capitalism that many people are fans of Google simply because their business depends on Googles success, and the success of capitalism 2.0
Capitalism 2.0 is peer to peer, Capitalism 1.0 was client server.
This goes back to the open source debate, by making the software open source, it broke us out of the dot com crash. By moving to capitalism 2.0 it will bring trillions of dollars into the industry, and this site will be a billion dollar business when billions of viewers are going to slashdot, or even hundreds of millions. Slashdot could literally create a new industry around this site, but this can only happen if Google exists to allow people to find this site. This can only happen when the information is organized enough, and access is cheap enough for it to happen.
Because trillions of dollars are at stake, this is not going to be something that is easily solved. How do you convince Slashdotters to go against their cash cow? How do you convince Richard Stallman to go against Linux? How do you convince Microsoft to give up Microsoft Word?
It's impossible to convince these big companies to ever give up their future plans to make trillions of dollars, too much money is at stake. The consumers will be given stock and herded with incentives. In the end, this new internet war, or whatever you can call this situation, will be good for the economy. Everyone benefits from conflicts like this because the Telecoms and Internet companies will be investing billions in the USA to pay lobbyists, to give stock to blogs, or whatever other methods they choose to use to get their way. This creates jobs. When Google or the Telecoms decide to actually create their new internets, this will create millions of jobs.