Silicon Valley Roundtable: Google Search and Advertising

[mandy]

A round table discussion on the future of Google's Search and Advertising divisions with an all-star panel of Silicon Valley commentators:

Google has taken big steps to increase the amount of the world's information that falls into its search universe, among them Google Base, its platform for user uploads and a potential marketplace; Google Print, the controversial book-scanning program; and initial runs at blog and video search. On the ad side, it continues to refine its systems to put more control and information in the hands of advertisers and deliver ever more accurately targeted ads to the screens of users.

So what pools of data would Google be most interested or best served in adding to its search capabilities next -- more multimedia, including TV broadcasts? The information buried in the deep Net? Real-time retail inventory? What are the prospects for Google Base? Is there any concern that Google might, in fact, be neglecting search in favor of newer initiatives, allowing rivals to meet or surpass the relevancy of results? Where do you see Google going with its ad programs (print is one speculation) and how can it better serve its advertisers?

One participant in the roundtable says:

Google has lost its once-overwhelming lead in basic web search. Yahoo has caught up, if not pulled slightly ahead, and Microsoft’s MSN search is closing in.

full article: http://forums.prospero.com/n/mb/message....svgoogle05&msg=1.1&ctx=8192

[regic]

A round table discussion on the future of Google's Search and Advertising divisions with an all-star panel of Silicon Valley commentators:

Day 2 of the roundtable:  Google on the desktop

Control over the desktop isn’t as important as it used to be, but it’s still critical – and will present major challenges for Google over the next few years. Google has at least two big disadvantages in this battle. First is, of course, the fact that Microsoft still controls the user experience for the vast majority of PCs...

Second, Google’s design sense is abysmal...

full article: http://forums.prospero.com/n/mb/message....svgoogle05&msg=2.1&ctx=0

[mandy]

Day 3 of the Roundtable:

Google as a network

Today, we'd like to hear your thoughts on Google as a network. Ah, yes, all those massive server farms, all that dark fiber, the secret shipping containers packed with processors and storage, the reported millions to be spent on telecom equipment, the speculative "Google Box" that would bring it all into the home. Is Google merely shedding peering costs and looking for distribution advantages or might it build out what effectively would be an alternate Internet? And if it ends up controlling a big pipe into the home, will it want to offer the Big Bundle -- delivery and management of all the home data, voice, video and entertainment services?

full article: http://forums.prospero.com/n/mb/message....svgoogle05&msg=3.1&ctx=32768

[mandy]

Day 4 of the roundtable on Google: Ethics and Trust

Today, we're asking you to address issues that fall under the general heading of ethics and trust, a critical factor for any business and especially for Google -- partly because its founders made ethical behavior a mission cornerstone, but mainly because it collects and holds such vast stores of information about all its users, their behavior and their interests. And unlike many other companies that dominate their markets, if Google loses or abuses the public's trust, there are no barriers to exit, nothing to bind users to its free products. Google has already run into criticism over issues like its data retention policies, its respect for copyright, and its dealings with countries that have repressive human rights policies. What land mines await Google in this territory, and what can Google do to avoid them?

full article: http://forums.prospero.com/n/mb/message....svgoogle05&msg=4.1