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GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
W Balboos, GHB8-Apr-15 3:15
W Balboos, GHB8-Apr-15 3:15 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
User 101325468-Apr-15 3:24
User 101325468-Apr-15 3:24 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
Vikram A Punathambekar8-Apr-15 4:49
Vikram A Punathambekar8-Apr-15 4:49 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
W Balboos, GHB8-Apr-15 5:38
W Balboos, GHB8-Apr-15 5:38 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
Joe Woodbury8-Apr-15 10:56
professionalJoe Woodbury8-Apr-15 10:56 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
SpoonLord8-Apr-15 21:08
SpoonLord8-Apr-15 21:08 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 1:35
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 1:35 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
Stefan_Lang8-Apr-15 22:38
Stefan_Lang8-Apr-15 22:38 
I live in Switzerland, which - contrary to some US companies' belief (but that is a rant for another time) - is not part of the EU. Consider me neutral on that matter.

I've read many (not all) of the comments, and all I can get away from this is that none of you really understand what this is all about. I don't say I do, but at least I've tried, and from the little I know it's obvious none of the points made about the EU in this thread are valid, or at the very least founded on something tangible. Just to make one point: 6B$ wouldn't make or break Greece. 600B$ wouldn't either, it would buy them at most a few years time.

But back to topic.

The main issue with Google is not that they're trying to get paid, or maximizing their income. It's not even that they don't clearly state how the search results they present to the users are lopsided in favor of certain clients. The main issue is that Google Search is the de facto standard search engine in Europe, and as a result, uninformed users will turn to them rather than looking at and evaluating alternatives. This puts Google in a quasi-monopolist position where they can dictate how search results are presented to users in general.

This opposes the idea of an open market, where the user can pick a different product, because many users are not aware or technically competent enough to pick a better suited service.

That said, realistically, many users will never be able to conciously choose the right search engine for themselves, therefore the only feasible solution is for the market leader to offer an unbiased service as a default. They may offer 'improved' and biased services in any way they like, as long as they are not used as the default. They could even introduce a new virtual currency (g-points?) as micropayments for users that use the biased search engine rather than the unbiased default. Those payments could then be used in return for other services and and advanced features elsewhere. Just to make a suggestion. Other companies have introduced micro-payment currencies with great sccess, I wonder why Google hasn't tried this yet?
GOTOs are a bit like wire coat hangers: they tend to breed in the darkness, such that where there once were few, eventually there are many, and the program's architecture collapses beneath them. (Fran Poretto)

GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 1:26
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 1:26 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 2:45
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 2:45 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 3:29
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 3:29 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
90823659-Apr-15 4:11
90823659-Apr-15 4:11 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 4:15
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 4:15 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 6:11
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 6:11 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
90823659-Apr-15 12:44
90823659-Apr-15 12:44 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 5:57
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 5:57 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 6:10
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 6:10 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 6:32
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 6:32 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 6:42
W Balboos, GHB9-Apr-15 6:42 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
90823659-Apr-15 13:04
90823659-Apr-15 13:04 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 20:36
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 20:36 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
W Balboos, GHB13-Apr-15 2:06
W Balboos, GHB13-Apr-15 2:06 
GeneralRe: Google, EU, and $6B Pin
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 20:43
Stefan_Lang9-Apr-15 20:43 
GeneralThoughts From the Porcelain Convenience Pin
W Balboos, GHB8-Apr-15 1:23
W Balboos, GHB8-Apr-15 1:23 
GeneralRe: Thoughts From the Porcelain Convenience Pin
Johnny J.8-Apr-15 1:28
professionalJohnny J.8-Apr-15 1:28 

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