Bloggers have a double standard when it comes to Google vs. Microsoft?

August 28, 2006 By

I was just looking at all the blog writing about Google’s new announcement. Hey, what an awesome PR machine Google has. They don’t talk to a single blogger and we all talk about them anyway. I think bloggers like the abuse! ;-)

Anyway, Dare Obasanjo, who works for Microsoft just wrote his reactions and in the middle of all that wrote this line: “As usual, the technology blogs are full of the Microsoft vs. Google double standard.”

Absolutely 100% true. Bloggers will hype up Google stuff over Microsoft’s stuff almost everytime. Why?

A few reasons:

1) Google isn’t yet on top of the mountain. They don’t own a monopoly. They are getting close, yes, but they certainly don’t have the market share even there that Microsoft has on the desktop.
2) Google’s offerings are focused 100% on the Web. Microsoft is only about 5% on the Web. Lest we forget the biggest parts of Microsoft are Windows, Office, and Xbox. We cheer companies that pour themselves into supporting what we like. Bloggers are VERY Web-centric.
3) Office Live didn’t have a position of strength to get us excited by. Google has Gmail. Nearly every blogger I know uses Gmail. When I asked a room of Pepperdine MBA students every hand went up when I said Gmail. Yeah, a few had Hotmail, but they said they liked Gmail better. So, until Microsoft completes its rollout of the new Hotmail, er Windows Live Mail (which is very nice) then Google will continue getting the hype for its office suite.
4) Google gives us a LOT of cool free stuff. That turns into hype later on. We cheer a company on that gives us free stuff without putting a bunch of ads in our face. Microsoft still hasn’t quite figured this one out yet.
5) Expectations. When you say “Microsoft Office” to us we have a certain image of what that means in our heads. But say “Google Office” and most of us aren’t sure what that really means. That means that Google, while it explains its story, will get more attention as we all flail around and try to figure out whether it’s better or worse than what we already know, which is Microsoft’s stuff. And, Microsoft’s “Office Live” fell flat because it didn’t match our expectations of what Microsoft should do in this space.
6) Branding. Microsoft doesn’t have a cool Web brand right now. In fact, the one that they had, MSN, is being thrown in the trash and they are switching over to Windows Live. That probably will turn out to be the right decision in the long term, but in the short term Google has the better naming team — by far. Calling Google Maps “Google Maps?” Sheer brilliance! Who came up with the name “Windows Live Local?” Blllleeeeccchhh.

Anyway, we don’t cut the guy on top any slack. That’s gonna be a problem for Microsoft to get its stuff noticed. On the other hand Microsoft can get our attention the old fashioned way: it can spend its $60 billion in cash. There are plenty of bloggers out there who’ll write about you if you send some cash into the system.

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  • http://www.roboburp.com/search-blog/ Robert Oschler

    What the heck?

    I feel like I just crashed a party for the Web’s blogging luminaries. Is this truly the comment thread for the IlumiBloggerati? I’ll go hide my hyundai behind this ferrari over here.

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  • Rich

    Two words: Cross Platform.

    That’s why Google gets my respect, and Microsoft can kiss my apple.

  • Rich

    Two words: Cross Platform.

    That’s why Google gets my respect, and Microsoft can kiss my apple.

  • Kermit

    “Google talk usage is heading up, by the way. Watch for that number to change at next report.”

    Of course it’ll head up, but you talk as if it’ll constantly double evern N days.

    But this July 2006 report shows how pathetic GTalk’s share really is:
    http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/07/24/instant-messaging-and-trashing-google

    “The user numbers coming out on Google Talk are staggeringly terrible. Comscore usage numbers show that nearly a year after launch Google is a distant, distant 4th after MSN, Yahoo and AIM. They hold a pitiful 1% of total instant messaging market share, with 3.4 million unique users in May 2006. See the Comscore chart below for more details (I wonder where Skype IM falls in those stats). Note that Comscore does not include Google Talk usage within Gmail itself (where it is embedded), but even factoring that in, the numbers are just awful.

    The NYT picked up on this as well, noting that “Google Talk chat software had only 44,000 users in June”. Om Malik notes that there have been only about a million total downloads of the client.

    Where does Google go from here? I suggest they roll some heads and figure out a real product strategy.”

    I don’t “quote” the chart itself; you can click the link to see it.

    I’m sure that GTalk’s usage will increase over time, but I’ve grown tired of seeing Google portrayed like they can do no wrong, when in reality they seem to do very little right.

    I don’t really like the direction that they’re taking the web anyway. Seems like more and more articles are 20 pages long, each with only a few sentences per page, so that the article can be filled to the brim with google ads.

  • Kermit

    “Google talk usage is heading up, by the way. Watch for that number to change at next report.”

    Of course it’ll head up, but you talk as if it’ll constantly double evern N days.

    But this July 2006 report shows how pathetic GTalk’s share really is:
    http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/07/24/instant-messaging-and-trashing-google

    “The user numbers coming out on Google Talk are staggeringly terrible. Comscore usage numbers show that nearly a year after launch Google is a distant, distant 4th after MSN, Yahoo and AIM. They hold a pitiful 1% of total instant messaging market share, with 3.4 million unique users in May 2006. See the Comscore chart below for more details (I wonder where Skype IM falls in those stats). Note that Comscore does not include Google Talk usage within Gmail itself (where it is embedded), but even factoring that in, the numbers are just awful.

    The NYT picked up on this as well, noting that “Google Talk chat software had only 44,000 users in June”. Om Malik notes that there have been only about a million total downloads of the client.

    Where does Google go from here? I suggest they roll some heads and figure out a real product strategy.”

    I don’t “quote” the chart itself; you can click the link to see it.

    I’m sure that GTalk’s usage will increase over time, but I’ve grown tired of seeing Google portrayed like they can do no wrong, when in reality they seem to do very little right.

    I don’t really like the direction that they’re taking the web anyway. Seems like more and more articles are 20 pages long, each with only a few sentences per page, so that the article can be filled to the brim with google ads.

  • Hugh MacLeod
  • Hugh MacLeod
  • Christopher Coulter

    Please explain what you think is exciting about ERP

    Exciting? Wotchtalkingaboutwillis? Put down the coding Mountain Dew. Nothing is exciting about ERP. But it be vital. Try wrapping a Fortune 100 supply-chain management heavy app around a Googleish Webby-Mash-up, well, instant death. ERP is a commodity sure, but a bad implementation can ruin companies, see AT&T Wireless and that failed Siebel upgrade.

    My point being tho, most bloggers are of the HTML markup webby sort, and have no idea of the real needs of the Enterprise. Mostly Comp-Sci grads tossed into software, with zero understanding of the underlining business processes at work, yabbing away on their blogs, thinking “exciting” Webby software is the only path to salvation.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Please explain what you think is exciting about ERP

    Exciting? Wotchtalkingaboutwillis? Put down the coding Mountain Dew. Nothing is exciting about ERP. But it be vital. Try wrapping a Fortune 100 supply-chain management heavy app around a Googleish Webby-Mash-up, well, instant death. ERP is a commodity sure, but a bad implementation can ruin companies, see AT&T Wireless and that failed Siebel upgrade.

    My point being tho, most bloggers are of the HTML markup webby sort, and have no idea of the real needs of the Enterprise. Mostly Comp-Sci grads tossed into software, with zero understanding of the underlining business processes at work, yabbing away on their blogs, thinking “exciting” Webby software is the only path to salvation.

  • http://plexusity.wordpress.com/ Marie Germain

    Christopher: ahhhh the voice of reason. Web apps must be celebrated within their means! For now.

    Kermit: it’s just marketing as a root cause. The ol brand extension I posted earlier today. Many good brands die on execution. Googling everything does not bode well because they have attached themselves too strongly to product (search) rather than meaning. There’s no stretch room. A new brand is required to win the hearts of these consumers. Yahoo on the other ahnd has broader emotional meaning. And MSN is been the original social enabler. See?

    Good night everybody and thanks Robert for all the fun.
    Tomorrow I’ll get some real work done. So don’t go posting something interesting that gets me all fired up again.

  • http://plexusity.wordpress.com Marie Germain

    Christopher: ahhhh the voice of reason. Web apps must be celebrated within their means! For now.

    Kermit: it’s just marketing as a root cause. The ol brand extension I posted earlier today. Many good brands die on execution. Googling everything does not bode well because they have attached themselves too strongly to product (search) rather than meaning. There’s no stretch room. A new brand is required to win the hearts of these consumers. Yahoo on the other ahnd has broader emotional meaning. And MSN is been the original social enabler. See?

    Good night everybody and thanks Robert for all the fun.
    Tomorrow I’ll get some real work done. So don’t go posting something interesting that gets me all fired up again.

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  • Justin

    Robert,

    Some good points. But you forgot to mention the all-important common perception of Microsoft and Google as companies. This is possibly the giant killer, the make or break deal when all this Web 2.0 stuff finally shakes out.

    Google’s “Don’t be evil” mantra and demonstrated (read that again, *demonstrated*) good will has won the hearts of millions. I used to be a Microsoft zealot. For years, I pushed MS products to my friends and bosses because I was loyal. Now I push Google stuff where applicable.

    Mindshare. Microsoft’s got it. Google’s got it. But it looks like Google has the most sustainable mindshare with possibly the least churn (in the web space only, of course. But isn’t that where everything is going?). Even if Google and Microsoft are doing the same evil things to us and our data inside their respective black boxes, Google has at least made public claims for us to hold them accountable to, and this brings a certain peace of mind – however misplaced it may or may not be.

    Microsoft – ignoring Vista delays – just hasn’t given us anything to rally to in a long time. Now, I love what is happening with Xbox, and opening up the platform for indie developers was a sweet move indeed. We need more of that.

    Anyway, with Ray, it looks like we’re seeing the twinkle of new beginnings at Microsoft. With the blogosphere and new media taking shape the way it is, the people have eyes and ears in all places now. We watch companies closely. We hold companies accountable and flay them alive when they behave badly.

    Sure, Microsoft can get by on brute force for probably a long time to come still, but I think it knows it needs to play ball in order to win more quality mindshare; the kind of brand loyalty that makes the products sell themselves. This may yet be the only battle that matters in the future as commodity technologies and services distribute among the masses.

    I’m grateful for the competition Google has brought, and I hope it makes a better, smarter, and – most of all – a more lovable Microsoft.

  • Justin

    Robert,

    Some good points. But you forgot to mention the all-important common perception of Microsoft and Google as companies. This is possibly the giant killer, the make or break deal when all this Web 2.0 stuff finally shakes out.

    Google’s “Don’t be evil” mantra and demonstrated (read that again, *demonstrated*) good will has won the hearts of millions. I used to be a Microsoft zealot. For years, I pushed MS products to my friends and bosses because I was loyal. Now I push Google stuff where applicable.

    Mindshare. Microsoft’s got it. Google’s got it. But it looks like Google has the most sustainable mindshare with possibly the least churn (in the web space only, of course. But isn’t that where everything is going?). Even if Google and Microsoft are doing the same evil things to us and our data inside their respective black boxes, Google has at least made public claims for us to hold them accountable to, and this brings a certain peace of mind – however misplaced it may or may not be.

    Microsoft – ignoring Vista delays – just hasn’t given us anything to rally to in a long time. Now, I love what is happening with Xbox, and opening up the platform for indie developers was a sweet move indeed. We need more of that.

    Anyway, with Ray, it looks like we’re seeing the twinkle of new beginnings at Microsoft. With the blogosphere and new media taking shape the way it is, the people have eyes and ears in all places now. We watch companies closely. We hold companies accountable and flay them alive when they behave badly.

    Sure, Microsoft can get by on brute force for probably a long time to come still, but I think it knows it needs to play ball in order to win more quality mindshare; the kind of brand loyalty that makes the products sell themselves. This may yet be the only battle that matters in the future as commodity technologies and services distribute among the masses.

    I’m grateful for the competition Google has brought, and I hope it makes a better, smarter, and – most of all – a more lovable Microsoft.

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  • http://justint.wordpress.com/ justint

    the biggest target is the one anyone with a (half) brain can hit. sorry if I speak the truth (I mean, offend somebody)

  • http://justint.wordpress.com/ justint

    the biggest target is the one anyone with a (half) brain can hit. sorry if I speak the truth (I mean, offend somebody)

  • http://liquidat.wordpress.com/ liquidat

    Hm, you did not touch reasons which I would like to see listed:
    - Google said “don’t be evil”; sure, they made their mistakes, but Microsoft never even said something like that, the philosophy tends in another direction
    - Google keeps close to real standards: whenever I start something from Microsoft I can be sure that it will not work with any other solution except the other solution also comes from Microsoft: Google even supports independent and open development, Microsoft oppresses it wherever it can catch it
    - although Google has a huge market share (in Germany for example it is often said more than 85%!), it is clear that Microsoft will battle this down, with the usual way of bundled monopoly, so why care about Google as a monopolist when it will not last?

    Both of them are guilty in case of forwarding private data of users to government structures which are not democratic or “good”, whatever that means.

    And last but not least: Microsoft is an aggressive monopolist, condemned several times but continues this way of marketing. That is not really a company which I would celebrate, even if they have some nice things.

    The level Microsoft has to reach to be celebrated because of something new is much higher, some of the reasons I mentioned probably have caused this, too.

  • http://liquidat.wordpress.com/ liquidat

    Hm, you did not touch reasons which I would like to see listed:
    - Google said “don’t be evil”; sure, they made their mistakes, but Microsoft never even said something like that, the philosophy tends in another direction
    - Google keeps close to real standards: whenever I start something from Microsoft I can be sure that it will not work with any other solution except the other solution also comes from Microsoft: Google even supports independent and open development, Microsoft oppresses it wherever it can catch it
    - although Google has a huge market share (in Germany for example it is often said more than 85%!), it is clear that Microsoft will battle this down, with the usual way of bundled monopoly, so why care about Google as a monopolist when it will not last?

    Both of them are guilty in case of forwarding private data of users to government structures which are not democratic or “good”, whatever that means.

    And last but not least: Microsoft is an aggressive monopolist, condemned several times but continues this way of marketing. That is not really a company which I would celebrate, even if they have some nice things.

    The level Microsoft has to reach to be celebrated because of something new is much higher, some of the reasons I mentioned probably have caused this, too.

  • http://brainimmersion.wordpress.com/ brainimmersion

    Google is an innovative company, and Microsoft steals almost ALL of its ideas for products from small companies with big ideas and even bigger balls. That is why anyone who appreciates the internet for its innovation, appreciates Google over Microsoft. Sad… but true. Get over it.

  • http://brainimmersion.wordpress.com/ brainimmersion

    Google is an innovative company, and Microsoft steals almost ALL of its ideas for products from small companies with big ideas and even bigger balls. That is why anyone who appreciates the internet for its innovation, appreciates Google over Microsoft. Sad… but true. Get over it.

  • http://www.simplyclicks.com/ David Burdon

    Google gets comment share because its positioning is currently hot. Google is both salient and relevant to most of what is going on in the Internet space. Web marketing is hot as corporations shift advertising dollars from traditional to new media. Search is hot as advertisers increasingly embrace both paid and natural strategies to boost ROI. Web 2.0 is hot as Myspace et al make the news. Google is central to all of this activity. By comparison Microsoft – and its core psoitioning as a provider of desktop software – seems so 1990s.

  • http://www.simplyclicks.com David Burdon

    Google gets comment share because its positioning is currently hot. Google is both salient and relevant to most of what is going on in the Internet space. Web marketing is hot as corporations shift advertising dollars from traditional to new media. Search is hot as advertisers increasingly embrace both paid and natural strategies to boost ROI. Web 2.0 is hot as Myspace et al make the news. Google is central to all of this activity. By comparison Microsoft – and its core psoitioning as a provider of desktop software – seems so 1990s.

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  • http://www.shackprices.com/ Galen

    7. Google doesn’t do a lot of breathless, in your face advertising, previews and announcements 6 months in advance of a product. They typically release a decent product on the day they announce it and let the product stand for itself.

  • http://www.shackprices.com Galen

    7. Google doesn’t do a lot of breathless, in your face advertising, previews and announcements 6 months in advance of a product. They typically release a decent product on the day they announce it and let the product stand for itself.

  • http://sportsnob.wordpress.com/ Sports Snob

    Brilliant post! And somehow the fact that Google is a bloody coprporate giant is lost in all the free stuff they dole out.

  • http://sportsnob.wordpress.com/ Sports Snob

    Brilliant post! And somehow the fact that Google is a bloody coprporate giant is lost in all the free stuff they dole out.

  • http://ioannusdeverani.wordpress.com/ ioannusdeverani

    Excellent ppst, Scoble. As Google makes its way to the top, the Establishment, I am beginning to notice this “double-standard” in that people are bashing Google’s stuff, and hyping smaller companies. It is just a cycle. No matter who is doing better work, people always seem to go for the little guy. I do my best not to be biased against (or for) Microsoft, Google, or any small startups.

  • http://ioannusdeverani.wordpress.com/ ioannusdeverani

    Excellent ppst, Scoble. As Google makes its way to the top, the Establishment, I am beginning to notice this “double-standard” in that people are bashing Google’s stuff, and hyping smaller companies. It is just a cycle. No matter who is doing better work, people always seem to go for the little guy. I do my best not to be biased against (or for) Microsoft, Google, or any small startups.

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  • Podesta

    Chris P., (Crispy?) Robert is partly right. Apple’s share in recently sold laptops is 12 percent. Also, about five percent overall doubles Apple computer sells from two or three years ago.

  • Podesta

    Chris P., (Crispy?) Robert is partly right. Apple’s share in recently sold laptops is 12 percent. Also, about five percent overall doubles Apple computer sells from two or three years ago.

  • http://uadmin.blogspot.com/ James Dickens

    Google does talk to bloggers, well he does me. He sent me this peace of paper, that says “Pay to the Order of” I get this same message every few months. Google also says here try this new applicaion, its free enjoy. Gmail, Analytics, Adsense, Desktop all come to mind, all rock and make my day go better.

    Microsoft on the other hand has never sent me anything with the words “Pay to the order of” they come close but usually theirs say “Pay in order to use our software”

  • http://uadmin.blogspot.com James Dickens

    Google does talk to bloggers, well he does me. He sent me this peace of paper, that says “Pay to the Order of” I get this same message every few months. Google also says here try this new applicaion, its free enjoy. Gmail, Analytics, Adsense, Desktop all come to mind, all rock and make my day go better.

    Microsoft on the other hand has never sent me anything with the words “Pay to the order of” they come close but usually theirs say “Pay in order to use our software”

  • http://www.netpaths.net/ cvos

    Microsoft just doesnt get it. The reason Google is now a verb for searching is because of intention.

    The difference between MS and Google:

    Goole tried to build the best search engine based on innovative search retrieval technology. They succeeded, and subsequently monetized their invention.

    Microsoft created a system to deliver ads (MSN), then tried to pretend it was a search engine.

    Throughout the 30 year history of Microsoft, they have proven they cannot be trusted. In Google’s short 8 year history, they have thus far not betrayed users trust.

  • http://www.netpaths.net/ cvos

    Microsoft just doesnt get it. The reason Google is now a verb for searching is because of intention.

    The difference between MS and Google:

    Goole tried to build the best search engine based on innovative search retrieval technology. They succeeded, and subsequently monetized their invention.

    Microsoft created a system to deliver ads (MSN), then tried to pretend it was a search engine.

    Throughout the 30 year history of Microsoft, they have proven they cannot be trusted. In Google’s short 8 year history, they have thus far not betrayed users trust.

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