WashPost has a good roundup (reg req’d), the Times does as well. Of note: Larry and Sergey’s letter has been moved from its top position, far more risk langauge has been added overall, Merrill Lynch has been dropped (speculation as to why runs from ML’s inabilty to grok the tech required to run the auction to the lack of profit on the deal to ML possibly leaking info). Lastly, The Times has an interesting tidbit at the end about a recent Google bomb:
Separately, there was an indication yesterday that Google’s vaunted corporate culture may be under stress as a result of competition and the stock offering. As of yesterday afternoon, typing the words “out of touch management” into Google caused the search engine to list as its first result a page describing the company’s top management.
A person close to the company said that Google employees had engaged in the practice of “Google bombing.” A Google bomb is an attempt by a group of people to cause a particular Web page to become the first result for a search phrase. The Google spokeswoman declined to comment.
What I find interesting is that this is not the case this morning. I have no idea if results change that quickly on their own (from yesterday afternoon to this morning). Anyone know?
No, it’s still that way: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=out+of+touch+management
The Times could be a bit better with fact-checking. The Google bomb cited in the article is actually out of touch executives (not management).
This bomb has been around for a while, and was initiated by Daniel Brandt of Google-Watch fame (see this page for more details.)
While it’s possible that a few disgruntled employees may be taking up the game, the bomb was well-established months ago, long before the S-1. Frankly, I’m surprised that Hansell and Markoff fell for the supposed insight from a “person close to the company” without doing a bit more digging.
Couple of links related to successful G-bombs:-
http://blog.outer-court.com/googlebomb/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_bomb
most amusing, enjoy all.
Interesting, but what I checked was “out of touch management” with the quotes. It works *without* the quotes. I was aware of the “out of touch executives” (without quotes) bomb, I thought this one was new because of the “management” word.
Apparently the bomb is still booming, but to your question: Eventually a Google bomb will fade, but the statistical likelihood of it dropping beneath the “first page” threshold in one day, on a particular day, is incredibly small.
At some point, Google or someone, needs to incorporate user clicking into the algorithm. Google is too one-directional as it is.
Even so the it seems that line engineers are getting impatient. I expect all hell to break loose after the lockup is over. There will be a search start-up on every corner of Sunnyvale by this time next year.
I can’t help but wonder: Is this the first case of a major press outlet being fooled by a Googlebomb?
Even so the it seems that line engineers are getting impatient.
Where exactly is the evidence for this? Or just speculation?
Wouldn’t it be common sense, Jason?
Let’s say that, in a year, oh… 27% of Google’s engineering staff is worth (individually) over $10 million. Not all of this 27% feels challenged or valued… and $10 million is a heck of a nice pile to — if not retire on — at least explore other options. Perhaps startups. Perhaps philanthropic endeavors.
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Of course, the more interesting question is: What will happen in AdWords, where quite a few hardworking folks are temps (not millionaires) who set next to permanent employees (multimillionaires) who are doing basically the same work.
Google is a good place. Really. But in 15 months, things are undoubtedly going to be more interesting and — I’d guess — more tension-filled than the Happy-Go-Lucky Google of today’s fame.
It’s still up there under “out of touch management.”
A story for you: I was hired once, way back when, and was given quite a few shares of stock. I renegged, and glad of it, as I would have been WAY too impatient waiting for Sergei and Larry to get their collective acts together. I would have been worth about $3.5MM on paper today.
A few years later, I was interviewing again, and at that time was told there was no more stock to distribute.
Can you imagine how pissed off the most recent employees are, knowing that they got bupkis for a windfall? What would piss me off even more is knowing that all the goodies that came with being private (free food / drinks / on-site chef) will disappear as the shareholders clamor for more profits…
I was aware of the out of touch executives without quotes bomb I thought this one was new because of the management word…