After Google learned of the bid for Microsoft to buy Yahoo, the Google blog responded harshly to the possibilities of an acquisition. David Drummond, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer of Google, writes:
So Microsoft's hostile bid for Yahoo! raises troubling questions. This is about more than simply a financial transaction, one company taking over another. It's about preserving the underlying principles of the Internet: openness and innovation.
It also seems that Google is trying their hardest to thwart the deal. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google's Eric Schmidt has called Yahoo's Jerry Yang to broker some sort of other deal.
The Google blog post also says:
Could Microsoft now attempt to exert the same sort of inappropriate and illegal influence over the Internet that it did with the PC?
Many WebmasterWorld forum members have found flaws with this sentiment. One member calls it hypocritical to even make such a statement:
Ah, the hypocrisy! Google already has this very inappropriate influence on the internet. Quite an offensive statement from Google IMHO.
What about Google's claim on "openness?" Perhaps that's the case in America, but not elsewhere, like China.
Talk about calling the kettle black.Perhaps Google can explain that 'openness' to the people of China. Google caved to the communist government and censored search results for the sake of profits.
On DigitalPoint Forums, members liken the blog post to Google "crying and complaining" about the proposed acquisition.
And finally, the blog post is scrutinized on Digg, where the highest-voted comment talks about Google's current search share:
I find it interesting that Google would accuse Microsoft of trying to build a monopoly over Internet-related businesses, considering that Google has over 60% of the search market. While a 60% share is hardly a monopoly, Yahoo and Microsoft combined will have just 32%, leaving Google as the dominant player.
Forum discussion continues at WebmasterWorld, DigitalPoint Forums, and Digg.
