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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 
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 
W∴ Balboos wrote:
Your first premise, about being Swiss and thus neutral, is a premise I reject.

I did not state that the Swiss are and have been neutral at all times. I was only making a point that where I live, whatever the EU does has little or no effect. Today, more than for many decades, Switzerland is at odds with the EU. I won't bother with you about the details, just accept that whatever comes of the Google case, Switzerland will not be affected either way! Unless of course, Google changes their busines model, for the better or worse of the entire world.

W∴ Balboos wrote:
If, as you claim, the laziness of users to get up and find an alternative

Laziness is certainly part of the reason, but that is not what the EU objects against: everyone has the right to be lazy after all Wink | ;-)

The main issue is that a large portion of the smartphone and tablet userbase has almost no computer knowledge at all: these people know how to open whatever browser is installed on their device per default, and search for a topic that interests them with the search engine that is installed by default. Many are not even aware there are alternatives: they haven't been using these devices before, they are not used to machines offering alternate programs in the first place: have you ever downloaded the "toast-it" app to your toaster? no? Why might that be?

W∴ Balboos wrote:
OK - so per your analysis, Europeans are flocking to Google

Not my analysis, according to the analyisis of the EU agency Google is used by 90% of the user base. Can't say how exactly they measured, but even if they're off by a considerable amount, it's save to say Goggle is in the lead by a solid margin.

W∴ Balboos wrote:
FREE service

I object to that. Google takes your data and sells it, either directly or indirectly through targeted ads. That doesn't automatically deduct money from your pocket, but it does lead to some people buying stuff that otherwise they wouldn't have bought, or in some cases, wouldn't have needed in the first place. That is not my understanding of free!

That said, I don't complain about that practice in principle: I know perfectly well about this mechanism and can deal with it. And I'm fine with it because I am well aware that this pays for a service that otherwise I would have to pay for in some other way.

Also whether or not Google Search is free doesn't matter at all in the Google case. What does matter is that companies paying Google to manipulate their results lead to people buying products of that company, although otherwise they would have chosen a different product if presented with a fair comparison, or no product at all. That is a distortion of the free market that is illegal by EU laws, and those laws apply to all companies doing business within the borders of the EU. Or at least this is the conclusion the EU agency arrived at.

W∴ Balboos wrote:
when the EU and it's de facto affiliates cannot compete they attack and destroy

Admittedly, the main reason behind the investigation was likely motivated by the suspicion that Googles practices undermine the competitiveness of european companies by unfair, and potentially illegal means. Of course, if european companies paid Google, they wouldn't be at a perceived disadvantage, but this begs the question whether the practice as such is legal: the EU agencies can hardly advise the EU companies to follow US Companies' leads, if doing so would break EU law. The only legal alternative is to make Google adhere to EU law, or else punish it as appropriate for braking the law.

I understand this may lead to a weird situation where Google does adhere to US but not EU law. But that doesn't mean the EU is at fault! (and, as a consequence, a lack of understanding of what the hell the EU is up to. Again.) The EU agencies just do their jobs: protecting the laws - you would expect no less from your own government.
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 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 
GeneralRe: Thoughts From the Porcelain Convenience Pin
HobbyProggy8-Apr-15 1:30
professionalHobbyProggy8-Apr-15 1:30 
GeneralRe: Thoughts From the Porcelain Convenience Pin
Gittum8-Apr-15 3:04
Gittum8-Apr-15 3:04 

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