TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross

Has Google become evil?

BY Dave Ross  on November 29, 2012 @ 8:42 am (Updated: 10:02 am - 11/29/12 )

The attack ads are back, but this time, instead of corporations attacking candidates, it's corporation against corporation.

"Can you spot the ads in the Google shopping search results, it's easy, they're all ads," says an ad.

Microsoft is accusing Google of breaking its famous promise to not to be evil by selling rankings on its Shopping page.

"Google sells their shopping results, they Scroogle you by defining relevance by how much they're getting paid," the ad continues.

They Scroogle you! We all know that search results come with ads on the side, but Microsoft alleges that on the Google Shopping page, every search result amounts to an ad because as Google admits, in fine print at the bottom of the page, "Google is compensated by these merchants. Payment is one of several factors used to rank these results."

So for example, since Amazon didn't pay, Google shopping results don't include anything from Amazon.

"You may be missing out on the best prices and highest quality products."

Microsoft, of course, wants you to use its search engine, BING, which clearly states on its shopping page "Payment is NOT a factor used to rank search results in Bing."

And I tested it. You can type the word 'Google' into the Bing search box and get lots of results for the arch-enemy: Google phones, Google tablets.

Whereas if you Google 'Bing' on the shopping page, you get, Bing Crosby. However, if you Google 'Microsoft' on the shopping page, it immediately fills with Microsoft Office software. Which means that attack ad notwithstanding, even Microsoft has paid Google to be on its shopping page.

Dave Ross, KIRO Radio Talk Show Host
Dave Ross is co-host of The Ross & Burbank Show on KIRO Radio (weekdays 9-Noon) and never too far from the spotlight.
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Comments (16)


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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Google rankings....if it were any other business somebody would go to jail
    November 29, 2012 8:20 am
    The value of the internet is that whenever you want information on almost anything, you can be directed to 12,671 "sources", (many with dubious credibility). The major problem with the internet is that whenever you want information on almost anything, you are directed to 12,671 sources.

    Human nature being what it is, most people will look at the top 3-4 links on a search page and forget about the rest. If you're on page 2? Fuggitaboutit.

    So up jump these crews of "specialists" to help your firm show up in one of the first few listings under (for example) "Widgets" if you are in the widget business. Send them a big enough check, and lo and behold there you are in the first handful of listings under your topic. However, these crews are not averse to approaching "other" widget builders and encouraging them to outbid their previous clients for premium positions in the search engines. "Sorry Mr Widget, but somebody has outbid you for that spot in the search listings- but if you can spare another $100 a week I think we can get you back into first position...."

    Over the years I have been involved with a variety of businesses, I am pretty sure I have never before seen a scheme like this where somebody doesn't wind up going to jail. :-)

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  • The Dude Abides wrote...
    Calling Mr Kettle, it's Mr Pot
    November 29, 2012 9:46 am
    Microsoft calls Google Evil. Isn't that hilariously ironic timing, given that it comes on the heels of the release of what might be considered the WORST OS of all time, in Windows 8? Now you might be thinking that worst is a strong word to use, considering how bad Vista was. However, I challenge you to spend time with Windows 8, and tell me that I'm not wrong. It's beyond bad, it's downright evil.
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  • awbitf wrote...
    I've been running Windows 8 for 4 months
    November 29, 2012 11:00 am
    I think it's great.

    Challenge accepted and beaten.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • The Dude Abides wrote...
    I guess I'm wrong
    November 29, 2012 12:19 pm
    Nice to know at least one person out of millions actually appreciates the new OS. It's an atrocity to most of us, but I guess if you like everything dumbed down and simplified to the point where it overcomplicates everything, then kudos to you. Mark my words, Microsoft will rue the day it pushed aside such a great OS like 7 in favor of this piece of garbage.
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  • awbitf wrote...
    Care to elaborate?
    November 29, 2012 2:21 pm
    What's your beef with it? Why doesn't it work for you? Are you just afraid of change?

    I'm able to do everything I did on Windows 7 + more in Windows 8.

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  • sometimesrock wrote...
    I work in IT
    November 29, 2012 2:51 pm
    I have Windows 8 running on several machines and it is a smooth OS. I agree with awbitf... they took nothing away.
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  • The Dude Abides wrote...
    Microsoft running scared.
    November 29, 2012 10:40 am
    I think Microsoft is coming to the realization that they finally have a solid competitor in the open source market. Everything that Microsoft has basically monopolized in the last 2 decades is being challenged by Google, and frankly Google is doing everything better. This just sounds to me like a scare tactic to get people back on their side. They had better watch out, because once Google finishes figuring out how to make a full PC OS, a lot of people are going to leave Microsoft behind.
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  • Ted Bundi wrote...
    Microsoft.... IBM ala 1985
    November 29, 2012 11:43 am
    .
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  • mpgunner wrote...
    So funny - Microsoft accusing anyone of being evil
    November 29, 2012 12:28 pm
    Spoken by the "pirates" of the software business. During the 90's Microsoft killed so many good companies. You really have to like when they included Office in Windows to kill the other word processor companies. Then later stared charging again.
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  • The Dude Abides wrote...
    It's sad, too
    November 29, 2012 1:57 pm
    I really liked Corel word perfect
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  • awbitf wrote...
    Yep
    November 29, 2012 2:28 pm
    And Lotus 123 was pretty epic.
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