Google does search. Period. They’re not a portal. And three things they don’t do are horoscopes, financial advice, or chawhat was that? Oh, forget I said anything.
Slashdot, in a side note almost as quiet as Google’s amending of their corporate philosophy, made a passing mention that the “Ten things Google has found to be true” section has been changed. If not for Ms. Mills at CNet, nobody else may have noticed.
Number 2 on the original list disavowed portal-esque services like horoscopes and chats. Then they wondered, “who does Number 2 work for?” Turns out, Number 2 didn’t work for anybody. So they changed it.
The new Number 2 seems to think it best not to rule anything out. The new Number 2’s “hope is to bring the power of search to previously unexplored areas, and to help users access and use even more of the ever-expanding information.”
Ms. Mills dutifully points out the footer at the bottom of the statement that explains the amendment. Google is taking a relativistic rather than legalistic approach.
“When we first wrote these 10 things’ four years ago, we included the phrase Google does not do horoscopes, financial advice or chat.’ Over time we’ve expanded our view of the range of services we can offer — web search, for instance, isn’t the only way for people to access or use information — and products that then seemed unlikely are now key aspects of our portfolio. This doesn’t mean we’ve changed our core mission; just that the farther we travel toward achieving it, the more those blurry objects on the horizon come into sharper focus (to be replaced, of course, by more blurry objects).”
At least they’re keeping an open mind. Modern companies can’t afford to be locked into rigid philosophies that don’t allow them to adapt as times would dictate. Good for them.
I’m looking forward to asking Google about Sagittarius’ economic outlook for upcoming quarters. And of course, a room to chat about it with other Sagittarians.
