[article] Google questions Microsoft search

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4966366.stm

Google has spoken to the European Commission about concerns it has
over the way Microsoft's search tool is part of its Internet Explorer
software.
Microsoft has included a search box in its new version of Internet
Explorer, called IE7, that automatically selects the firm's MSN search
tool as default.

Google complains that this is biased and may direct traffic from its
site.

While the complaint was informal, it underlines how Google and
Microsoft view each other as their main rivals.

Microsoft argues that users can change the search box to default to
any search engine they choose.

The companies have been steadily encroaching on each other's business
and analysts said the tussle for supremacy is likely to define the
direction of online businesses in coming years.

Google is offering an increasing number of free software products that
perform many of the same functions as paid-for packages from companies
including Microsoft.

Instead of selling the software to make a profit, Google generates
earnings by selling advertising to firms that want access to the users
of its free products.

Microsoft has identified this sort of software as one of the biggest
threats to its business.

The software giant also has decided to concentrate more on its search
products in an effort to lure search users from Google.

Google's comments to the EC came after Brussels sent a letter to
Microsoft containing questions relevant to its new operating system
Vista.

The EC has not launched an investigation into Vista or IE7 and
Google's comments were informal.

The EC's look at Vista is entirely separate from its continuing legal
dispute with Microsoft over Brussels' 2004 anti-competition ruling
against the US giant.

Many of Microsoft's rival internet browser software, such as
Morzilla's Firefox, are set up in a similar way and in fact direct
users to Google even though they can ultimately choose their default
provider.

Gary Schare, director of product management for Internet Explorer,
said Microsoft's did not want to limit choice or steal market share
from its rivals.

"This is designed to essentially keep the status quo," he said.

But Marissa Mayer, Google's vice-president of search products and user
experience, said: "The market favours open choice for search, and
companies should compete for users based on their quality of search
services."

Analysts said that Google's comments may in fact have a negative
effect.

"Once you start raising unfairness questions, and you're the dominant
player, then it would be very easy for somebody to use those arguments
against you," said industry analyst Rob Enderle.


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__/ [ Paul B ] on Tuesday 02 May 2006 18:49 \__

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4966366.stm

Google has spoken to the European Commission about concerns it has
over the way Microsoft's search tool is part of its Internet Explorer
software.
Microsoft has included a search box in its new version of Internet
Explorer, called IE7, that automatically selects the firm's MSN search
tool as default.

A few points to make (impulsive, sorry...):

* Firefox points to Google by default

* Firefox does *not* include MSN/live.com options 'out of the box'

* Firefox is not a monopoly whereas Microsoft is

* In most circumstances, Windows users need to use Internet Explorer, as the
means for downloading Firefox

* Google pay Opera and Firefox in order for them to point to self

* Microsoft's Windows Vista came under the European Commision's eye about a
month ago. The EC argued that Microsoft _may_ be exploiting its monopoly on
the desktop , elbowing aside or fully obliterating Adobe by accommodating
static outputs (PDF) in the core and having search bars in a variety of
places.

Then, come to consider the instant messaging software, its binding with the
E-mail software, and the tight integration with on-line services such as
E-mail (there is even a standalone front-end for Hotmail now). The O/S has
become a whole big network that channels to users to services and ads. From
what I once read, the login screen in Vista will contain advertisements.
*gasp*

Best wishes,

Roy

*breaths out*

--
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http://iuron.com - help build a non-profit search engine

On Tue, 02 May 2006 20:09:51 +0100, Roy Schestowitz
<newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> wrote:

__/ [ Paul B ] on Tuesday 02 May 2006 18:49 \__

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4966366.stm

Google has spoken to the European Commission about concerns it has
over the way Microsoft's search tool is part of its Internet Explorer
software.
Microsoft has included a search box in its new version of Internet
Explorer, called IE7, that automatically selects the firm's MSN search
tool as default.

A few points to make (impulsive, sorry...):

That's okay. I was only the messenger


plh
Paul

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__/ [ Paul B ] on Tuesday 02 May 2006 20:13 \__

On Tue, 02 May 2006 20:09:51 +0100, Roy Schestowitz
newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> wrote:

__/ [ Paul B ] on Tuesday 02 May 2006 18:49 \__

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4966366.stm

Google has spoken to the European Commission about concerns it has
over the way Microsoft's search tool is part of its Internet Explorer
software.
Microsoft has included a search box in its new version of Internet
Explorer, called IE7, that automatically selects the firm's MSN search
tool as default.

A few points to make (impulsive, sorry...):

That's okay. I was only the messenger

Just to add... *ducks*

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/4134/937/

,----[ Quote ]

"In the case of Google, it pays hard cash to Mozilla and Dell to get the
right to have its search engine placed as the default in the browsers.

[...]

Microsoft does not need to pay one cent to place its search engine in
the lead position on its browser, which sits on the vast majority of
PCs in the world"
`----

"Roy Schestowitz" <newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> posted:

* Microsoft's Windows Vista came under the European Commision's
eye about a month ago. The EC argued that Microsoft _may_ be
exploiting its monopoly on the desktop , elbowing aside or fully
obliterating Adobe by accommodating static outputs (PDF) in the
core and having search bars in a variety of places.

I ran across a couple links ago yesterday while searching through
Google...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/...in575412.shtml

And it's not EC but EU. At least as know in the news media at
CBS (cbsnews.com). EC means "Early Childhood". Feel free to
correct me if I'm wrong I didn't do an exhaustive search on "EC"
and limited my investigation to cbsnews.com.

The EU has been going after Microsoft for a while now. The article
above indicates 2003 but it might go farther back than that.

Anyways, Google has some definite problems. I wanted to find some
information about "Microsoft layoffs" and get a fix on how many
people Microsoft laid off in the last few years. I ran across a link
while doing a couple search. One at informationweek.com which
indicated Microsoft released 20,000 United States employees
and hired 20,000 foreign nationalists (mostly in India I think).

So I wanted to find all links specifically matching the words:

"Microsoft layoffs" site:informationweek.com

and Google specifically turned up 321 links indicating "Microsoft
Layoffs". Yahoo on the other hand correctly turned up zero links.
Altavista seems to run its queries through Google. Some of the
other things in the Mozilla Search List were interesting but did
not represent what I really wanted to find. Officially, I've moved
away from Google myself as my primary search engine and Yahoo
works for me.

Google should fix their search engine problems first rather than
delivering false links, before they dispatronize more folks. I like
Google a lot better sometimes, especially for newsgroup searches,
but the results of their web searches indicates that they are now
managed by lawyers and grubs who have other interests on their
minds, much like Microsoft (which has been run by grubs for at
least 8 years now).

That's my two cents.

Thanks, Roy. Thanks, Paul. For the information and the links.

Jim Carlock
Post replies to the group.
"Be civil to all; serviceable to many: familiar with few;
friend to one; enemy to none."
Benjamin Franklin
--
North Carolina Swimming Pool Builders http://www.aquaticcreationsnc.com/

On Thu, 04 May 2006 02:40:35 +0200, Jim Carlock <anonymous (AT) 127 (DOT) 0.0.1>
wrote:

"Roy Schestowitz" <newsgroups (AT) schestowitz (DOT) com> posted:
* Microsoft's Windows Vista came under the European Commision's
eye about a month ago. The EC argued that Microsoft _may_ be
exploiting its monopoly on the desktop , elbowing aside or fully
obliterating Adobe by accommodating static outputs (PDF) in the
core and having search bars in a variety of places.

I ran across a couple links ago yesterday while searching through
Google...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/...in575412.shtml

And it's not EC but EU. At least as know in the news media at
CBS (cbsnews.com). EC means "Early Childhood". Feel free to
correct me if I'm wrong I didn't do an exhaustive search on "EC"
and limited my investigation to cbsnews.com.

Isn't EC European Commision?

Anyways, Google has some definite problems.

I tend to agree. I am not able to force Google to index new pages nor find
pages present for many months. It wasn't a problem up to March '06 IIRC.

Best,
Borek
--
http://www.chembuddy.com
http://www.ph-meter.info/pH
http://www.terapia-kregoslupa.waw.pl

"Borek" <m.borkowski (AT) delete (DOT) chembuddy.these.com.parts> wrote:

Isn't EC European Commision?

Good question. I did a little more research on it and EC seems to
mean a lot of things...

Eric Clapton
European Commission
European Constitution
European Community
....
..ec = top level domain name for Equador
....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EU

I find more "related" information by using EU as a keyword in
searches.

http://www.google.com/search?q=EU+Microsoft&btn
turns up 52 million links.

http://www.google.com/search?q=EC+Microsoft
reports 11 million links.

The following link uses both EC and EU but quotes "EU". It
however, represents a lawyer commenting on an article written
by ComputerWorld, where the article itself only references "EU"
in its title. So with a lot of dribble frothing from the mouths of
lawyers, slurring the EU and stating "EC"... who knows???
http://www.computerworld.com/news/20...,92059,00.html
http://www.computerworld.com/governm...1529p2,00.html

I initially commented because only two links turned up under the
following search:
http://www.google.com/search?q=EC+mi...%3Acbsnews.com

and 421 turned up when searching:
http://www.google.com/search?q=EU+mi...%3Acbsnews.com

Someone from France or Germany or Spain or one of the other 25
countries involved in the EU?

<shrug>

I'm thinking EU is the proper way to represent the organization
which sometimes gets called European Commission (and then
some frothy mouthed lawyer comes along and calls it EC).

Thanks Borek. No offense, Roy (if you're a frothy mouthed lawyer),
it's something I stumbled upon by accident and who knows the real
answers?

Jim Carlock
Post replies to the group.
"He that lives upon hope will die fasting."
Benjamin Franklin
--
Swimming Pools and Spas http://www.aquaticcreationsnc.com/

"Jim Carlock" <anonymous (AT) 127 (DOT) 0.0.1> skrev i meddelandet
news:lOu6g.13261$%x.33 (AT) tornado (DOT) tampabay.rr.com...

"Borek" <m.borkowski (AT) delete (DOT) chembuddy.these.com.parts> wrote:
Isn't EC European Commision?

Good question. I did a little more research on it and EC seems to
mean a lot of things...

Eric Clapton
European Commission
European Constitution
European Community
...
.ec = top level domain name for Equador
...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EU

I find more "related" information by using EU as a keyword in
searches.

http://www.google.com/search?q=EU+Microsoft&btn
turns up 52 million links.

http://www.google.com/search?q=EC+Microsoft
reports 11 million links.

The following link uses both EC and EU but quotes "EU". It
however, represents a lawyer commenting on an article written
by ComputerWorld, where the article itself only references "EU"
in its title. So with a lot of dribble frothing from the mouths of
lawyers, slurring the EU and stating "EC"... who knows???
http://www.computerworld.com/news/20...,92059,00.html

http://www.computerworld.com/governm...1529p2,00.html

I initially commented because only two links turned up under the
following search:
http://www.google.com/search?q=EC+mi...%3Acbsnews.com

and 421 turned up when searching:
http://www.google.com/search?q=EU+mi...%3Acbsnews.com

Someone from France or Germany or Spain or one of the other 25
countries involved in the EU?

shrug

I'm thinking EU is the proper way to represent the organization
which sometimes gets called European Commission (and then
some frothy mouthed lawyer comes along and calls it EC).

Thanks Borek. No offense, Roy (if you're a frothy mouthed lawyer),
it's something I stumbled upon by accident and who knows the real
answers?

EC European Community.
(Source: EURO-ABC-
GERFRIED BRANDSTETTER-
LEXIKON DER WICHTIGSTEN EU-ABKÜRZUNGEN UND INITIALWÖRTER-
UEBERREUTER, 1995- Page 50)


--
Luigi Donatello Asero
https://www.scaiecat-spa-gigi.com/it...skile/casa.php
Write in peace for peace

__/ [ Jim Carlock ] on Thursday 04 May 2006 22:58 \__

"Borek" <m.borkowski (AT) delete (DOT) chembuddy.these.com.parts> wrote:
Isn't EC European Commision?

Good question. I did a little more research on it and EC seems to
mean a lot of things...

Eric Clapton

*giggles*

European Commission
European Constitution
European Community
...
.ec = top level domain name for Equador
...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EU

I find more "related" information by using EU as a keyword in
searches.

http://www.google.com/search?q=EU+Microsoft&btn
turns up 52 million links.

http://www.google.com/search?q=EC+Microsoft
reports 11 million links.

Good-yet-simple investigative work. When this series of lawsuits and hearings
began, I seemed to hear about the *Commission*, whereas in the past few
months I have been hearing about the *EU* in the press. I don't know why.
It's possibly just a coincidence.

The following link uses both EC and EU but quotes "EU". It
however, represents a lawyer commenting on an article written
by ComputerWorld, where the article itself only references "EU"
in its title. So with a lot of dribble frothing from the mouths of
lawyers, slurring the EU and stating "EC"... who knows???
http://www.computerworld.com/news/20...,92059,00.html

http://www.computerworld.com/governm...1529p2,00.html

I initially commented because only two links turned up under the
following search:
http://www.google.com/search?q=EC+mi...%3Acbsnews.com

and 421 turned up when searching:
http://www.google.com/search?q=EU+mi...%3Acbsnews.com

Someone from France or Germany or Spain or one of the other 25
countries involved in the EU?

shrug

I'm thinking EU is the proper way to represent the organization
which sometimes gets called European Commission (and then
some frothy mouthed lawyer comes along and calls it EC).

Thanks Borek. No offense, Roy (if you're a frothy mouthed lawyer),
it's something I stumbled upon by accident and who knows the real
answers?

I appreciate your effort because, just like you, I was never sure if I should
put down "EU" or "EC". This leads to tendencies wherein people correct me
either way.

Best wishes,

Roy

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