crp Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Any Europeans here today? http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/617568ea-71a1-11e4-9048-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3Jh5XluZk Just how much of a "monopoly" is ggle in Europe? Do they get 70% of the search? 80% ? 99.999% ? Are Europeans depending on ggle to get data and access to the web? I guess my real question is are there special circumstances in Europe that is not allowing market forces to take effect for internet search and access? (please no philosophical responses from non-Europeans, looking for actual experience) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 You can install whatever search engine you like over here in the UK. Main reason Google is dominant is that folks are too lazy to try anything else and Google gives the best shopping results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 You can install whatever search engine you like over here in the UK. Main reason Google is dominant is that folks are too lazy to try anything else and Google gives the best shopping results. Shopping??When you say people are too lazy to try anything else, is ggle search being provided as the default search by pc makers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Shopping?? When you say people are too lazy to try anything else, is ggle search being provided as the default search by pc makers? Well Firefox and Chrome are the most popular browsers and they both use google by default. That and google is the most popular as it is the commonly recognized search engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Shopping?? When you say people are too lazy to try anything else, is ggle search being provided as the default search by pc makers? Aye the shopping feature in Google as incorporated if FF. As to the makers of pc's, there was that dust up between Microsoft and the EU about giving folks a choice of browser on new kit with a os installed. So even if a new pc has Windows installed there has to be no browser installed and folks have to be given a fair and even choice of which browser to install. Most go with FF or Chrome so they get Google as the default search engine. Or that is what I think I have read as I have never bought a ready made pc in me life. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewmur Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Well Firefox and Chrome are the most popular browsers and they both use google by default. That and google is the most popular as it is the commonly recognized search engine. Not any more. FF has switched to Yahoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Then I don't get what the EU wants to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Then I don't get what the EU wants to change. A couple of views, one for and one against. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/10530483/Google-fails-to-strike-deal-with-EU-over-search-monopoly.html http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/09/19/why-googles-european-monopoly-doesnt-matter-whatever-the-eu-says-about-it/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 hmm, is the EU monopoly law based on whether the company is a monopoly regardless of anything else or that a monopoly is okay as long as it does not in fact (not in theory) negatively impact consumers? if it is the former, than i get it but don't see how they can remove the problem. is GGLE supposed to randomize which search engine is actually used when a user goes to ggle search? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I think the EU is saying that Google favours its own or its partners products in searches and as it has an almost monopoly that is not fair practice. I think they want Google to adjust their search methodology. In general here in the UK, I am not sure about the rest of the EU, monopolies are not well regarded and we have regulations to curb them. Monopolies are regarded the same way as dictators. An I know there are benevolent dictators but power in the hands of a single body or person is not a good thing.Power corrupts and total power corrupts completely, that is a historical fact and part of mankinds makeup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 I think the EU is saying that Google favours its own or its partners products in searches and as it has an almost monopoly that is not fair practice. I think they want Google to adjust their search methodology. Ahh, okay, got that. in which case , the Forbes columnist is wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.