Google Portal

Vicsun · #1 (**permalink**) 05-22-2005, 06:07 AM

http://www.google.com/ig

And a screenshot of how it looks after customization:
http://www.uploadhouse.com/images/453983880scrnshot.jpg

I really like the feature showing my last email messages, but I'm not too thrilled with anything else. It reminds me of the bloat that My Yahoo is. If they want to permanently dethrone about:blank as my homepage, they'll have to allowed me to add my own RSS feeds. If they do, however, I'll be singing praises.

Discuss.

Xandax · #2 (**permalink**) 05-22-2005, 10:51 PM

Google is taken the same path that almost all (older) search engines took back some years ago, which is more and more "bloat" to it.
Granted Google has made some good products, but the instance they go "portal" and it isn't volentary if you wish to visit the portal, then I'll find another search engine.

Google got its "following" due to being slick no-nonsens searchengine without all the e-mail, chat, weather, portal, dating and what not other companies placed around their engine. And in my view, now they have their foundation of users they start down the same path.....
Portals are nice for thoese who don't know what to search after, however for people like me it is a waste of time and bandwith, because I never use the portals. I know or can deduct which words to search for without having to navigate a portal.

alltheweb - here I come.

Brynn · #3 (**permalink**) 05-23-2005, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicsun

Discuss.

Yes, Sir! *salute*

I would prefer Google with only the input bar and the Google logo on it

Vicsun · #4 (**permalink**) 05-23-2005, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brynn

Yes, Sir! *salute*

At ease, Brynn. Really.

Quote:

I would prefer Google with only the input bar and the Google logo on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xan

<stuff about bloat>
alltheweb - here I come.

I would normally agree with both of you - I stopped using Yahoo just because of the gazillion links they put on their front-page; it was both wasteful of bandwidth, and more importantly visually unappealing. It appears to me, though, that the google.com will remain unchanged. I think Google realize it's the minimalist approach that got them a following, and would be very hesitant of changing it. By putting the portal on a page different than their mainpage, users who don't care for the bloat won't be at all affected (in fact, they're likely to not notice anything), while those who find it convenient will be able to set the portal as a homepage.
Why switch to alltheweb when google has essentially not changed for those who wouldn't like the change?

ik911 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-23-2005, 01:33 AM

I was wondering, how can google afford all that free gifts?

Google handles my calculations, my spellcheck, my informationsearches, my imagesearches, my e-mail...

There are some adds sometimes on the righthandside, but is that enough to run such a huge coorporation?

And now they're adding even more to their site. Could it perhaps be the motive behind this, is to make it extensive enough, so that people are willing to pay for it?

Xandax · #6 (**permalink**) 05-23-2005, 02:46 AM

Google earns it money through advertisments and gathering information about usage of their services combined with selling it and selling/leasing out the search engine itself. (I can't remember which, but one of the big bloated old-time engines used google for its search behind the portal).

I doubt once Google sets down the path of portals, that it's minimalistic approch will stay the same for years to come, and if it does it is something you need to choose. Instead of selecting "additional" bloat you'll have to unselect them. I would estimate it is within a couple of years that Google has bloated/branched itself out quite a deal. Personally - I don't care much. My loyalty is not very high in these markets, and eventhough Google has served me well for years, it will not be a big shift to find some other handy search engine. THe market for a minimalistic non-nonsens search engine withouth all the trimmings is there - otherwise Google wouldn't have been where it is today. I already use "alltheweb" on occasions when I'm not happy with Googles search results, and thanks to the search plugins for FireFox it is very easy.
But besides a marginal superficial usage of gMail, I don't use any other Google products and doubt I would. (WebAccelerator? - Sure, just after I buy this RAM doubler which is placed in .... the memory

)
I would guess a chat system would be next step for Google, and then tie it in with gMail... oh wait - Passport anybody?

Brynn · #7 (**permalink**) 05-23-2005, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicsun

At ease, Brynn. Really.

At ease, Vixun, really. I was j/k

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicsun

I think Google realize it's the minimalist approach that got them a following, and would be very hesitant of changing it.

I hope so! Actually, I cannot really think of any other searching site I like to use...

arno_v · #8 (**permalink**) 05-23-2005, 03:33 AM

I hope the normal front page stays the same. Because I don't like all those flashing banners, links and crap they show on other search engine. If it is like Vicsun said, you only will see the portal if you want it and search for it it's fine by me. Just as long as they keep it from their normal front page.