I’m Googlecentric. And That’s Okay

By  |  Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 4:14 pm

Over at BetaNews, Joe Wilcox is undertaking an interesting experiment: to the best of his ability, he’s going to stop using Google services and see whether it makes his life better or worse. He says that he was inspired by recent scuttlebutt about Google being a monopoly, but that he’s not anti-Google; he just wants to see what life without it is like.

Me, I don’t have any plans to abstain from Google. I don’t feel like the victim of a Google monopoly–there’s not a Google service I use that doesn’t have multiple worthy rivals, and for the most part, I don’t feel locked into Google services. If I want to go elsewhere I can–and often do.

Still, I was inspired by Joe’s exercise in Going Un-Google to do a personal inventory of the Google stuff I use, and just how much I use it.

Google services I use multiple times a day:

The eponymous search engine

Feedburner (I’m not in there every day myself, but it powers the Technologizer RSS feed.)

Gmail

Google Alerts

Google Calendar

Google Contacts

Google Images

Google News

Google Sync

Google Voice

Multiple times a week:

Android

Chrome

Google Analytics

Google Apps

Google Books

Google Docs

Google Maps

Picasa

YouTube

Occasionally:

Chrome OS

Google Blog Search

Google Buzz

Google Checkout

Google Earth

Google Groups

Google Patents

Google Reader (which I used to use more)

Google Talk (other than the Google Voice integration)

Google Translate

Google TV

Google Video

Rarely or never:

Google Finance

Google Sites

Latitude

Orkut

Lots of other stuff

…I’m sure I’m forgetting some services I do use and don’t use, but you get the idea.  I’m not an outlier; I’m sure some of you lead more Google-centric lives than I do. (Android isn’t my primary phone OS and Chome isn’t my main browser, for instance.)

Again, I’m not alarmed by any of this–even when I use a Google service every day, I usually partake in its competitors pretty often, too. And if I were required by law to stop using Google’s creations, I could be just as happy and productive as I am now. That’s a different situation than with Microsoft in the 1990s, when several of its products seemed headed to 100% market share, and there was plenty of evidence of Microsoft trying to smother the companies and products that stood in its way.

So how Googlecentric are you? And does the share Googleosity of the Web circa 2011 bother you?

 

 

 

 
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6 Comments For This Post

  1. drew Says:
    April 5th, 2011 at 4:41 pm

    Droid Pro phone and gmail/gcalendar on an hourly basis. It has made my life so much easier, and like, I don't feel "tied in" to anything. Frankly, and for being in computers since 1984, I have never felt tied into anyone.

  2. Ben Says:
    April 5th, 2011 at 4:52 pm

    Problem with this, as a member of Google generation, born/raised/passed major exams ALL thanks to the giant global entity – I use AdBlock. Number 1 Chrome extension. Surely this doesn't fit their business model? I run my business thanks to Gmail/Calendar, they gain little from me…

  3. JohnFen Says:
    April 5th, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    I use google search multiple times per day, and… well, that’s it, really.

  4. The_Heraclitus Says:
    April 6th, 2011 at 3:41 am

    I use Google search, sometimes Bing (better for finding older material). Other than that, no other G products.

  5. Rob Says:
    April 6th, 2011 at 4:44 am

    I typically use Google’s search, though I do use others. I actually avoid the other Google products because you have to sign your life away in the agreement. I don’t like any single entity having so much knowledge about my life or being my gateway to finding or viewing it.

    You say you’re not worried about a Google monopoly. You say there are plenty of viable alternatives. Those alternatives will not survive for long if most people do as you do. When those companies fold, Google will be the only company standing and will have a powerful monopoly by default. Considering all of the content they have and will have under their control, that’s scary.

    Just imagine “Do no evil” depending upon a different definition of “evil” than yours! I’d rather keep Google from getting that to that point. Competition is good, but only works when the alternatives are viable and used.

  6. Leon Says:
    April 6th, 2011 at 2:52 pm

    What about Google voice? Google voice for international calls. And as a landline number with adapter.. Plus gmail and Gmail calling phone. Calendar (sharing with office).and picasa, etc, etc…