Back in 1998, When the Earth was still warm and the .com bubble had yet to burst, there were so many search engines. At that time Apple offered a product called Sherlock. Sherlock made it easy to search all the search engine from one program. Google then appeared on the scene and cleaned up the mess for everyone, their search engine was the smartest at the time and quickly became the most trusted.

Today; Google is still the #1 Search engine (in the west). Most browsers features a Google Search right in the toolbar. Sherlock is just a fading memory of the ole days. Google also have so many services and projects going on. I’m not sure that it knows where it’s heading… It’s gone from “Don’t Be Evil” to taking on the world and fighting companies that helped it along the way.

Right now Google is in the spotlight as it’s demanded that the most controlling and restrictive government in the world, to stop being controlling and restrictive. It ain’t gonna happen. What makes this ordeal ridiculous is that Google has no bargaining chips. Depending on who you talk to Google has 10-30% of the Search Engine market in China. So they’ve got… nothing, no clout… Nadda, zip, zilch… If China doesn’t stop controlling and restricting the media, Google is gonna leave China. That 10-30% will just have to use the #1 search engine in China and Google won’t get any money from paid adverts. Oh, hold on… Google have just threatened to not release their Superphone in China as well. Really… I think I can see someone pointing to the door.

Two years ago the Taiwanese government wrote the UN asking to join. At that time the Chinese representative was the UN secretary. China would write back and say nope. This went back and forth for months, the Taiwanese government spent billions on advertising, posters, TV commercials, stickers, baseball caps and such. Yet every time the president would write to the UN, China would reply with no. The Taiwanese president knew what China would say, he knew that he’d never get anywhere with this campaign and yet he still persisted. Some believe this was to create hype for the coming elections. If it was, it didn’t work as he lost by a landslide!

So if Google is doing this to gain support for itself, it might be the one who loses out and possibly by a landslide.

Google has also turned on one of it’s allies, Apple. Apple took an open source webbrowser and overhauled it. Turned it into one of the world fastest webbrowser and then released it back to the open source community. Google then took that browser, wrapped it differently and claimed it as their new next generation browser! While Google’s CEO is on the board of directors at Apple, Google not only creates it’s own mobile phone platform (to compete with the iPhone), it also starts work on it’s own desktop platform (to compete with Windows and Apple’s Mac OS). Google’s CEO only step’s down from Apple’s board when the rumors that Google is working on it’s own phone appear.

Apple appears to be upset and removing Google from everything Apple. They’re bought themselves a mapping company (to replace Google Maps), an advertising company (to replace AdMod, an advertising company Google are trying to buy) and are now rumored to be in cahoots with Microsoft to replace the Google search with Bing.
Oops… Seems like Google pissed off the #2 smartphone manufacture and they’re not taking it lightly.

That’s not all, the Google phone platform, Android, is licensed to other phone makers for free (in an attempt to eradicate Windows Mobile). Less than two years after signing agreements with phone manufactures, Google enters the arena itself and tries to clean up the business. If I was Motorola and I’d spent so much R&D on creating a great Google phone, only to have Google come and pee on my bonfire. I’d be looking elsewhere for a phone OS!

Lastly, let’s look at us, Google’s customers. We’re the reason why Google is here. I’m one of the growing many (possible millions) who are frustrated with the way how Google treats us. Google maybe the nicest company to work for, but they’re the worst to do business with.

1. Google doesn’t allow for people to move country. Because my credit card address had changed, I could no longer use my AdWords account. Google’s only solution was to create another account just for Adwords and to keep switching accounts.
2. Google Docs. I had days where my docs weren’t saved or I couldn’t access them.
3. Google Docs, security. If a hacker breaks into your Google Account, he/she can see/edit/delete anything you’ve got in Google Docs.
4. Google Analytics ignores some huge websites such as MacWorld.
5. The worst customer support I’ve ever experienced in my life. After reading everything I can on Google’s site regarding my problem I don’t have a solution, so I need to contact them. It took an age to locate the contact form. Then when you do fill it in, you may or may not receive a response within 28 days! Meanwhile there’s a problem with my AdWords account and my credit is being chewed up. After 3 weeks I received an e-mail where the agent had copied and pasted one of the pages! Other e-mails have not even garnered a response from the almighty Google. To solve my problem I paid a local Google Affiliate to access my account and fix it.
6. Google Maps has a lot of roads that DONT exist and likes to direct me to places on these non-existent roads. It even has put whole towns in the wrong location, Like on a steep mountain side!
7. Google keeps a record of everything that YOU search for years. Yes you! They know who you are and what you’re looking for.
8. If you’re a writer, you’re work is available via Google for FREE!
9. Google Toolbar, if you run a NetBook this FREE demon, resource sucking, web slowing, plugin is EVIL!

So for me, I try to use any other service other than Google. It feels like they couldn’t give a toss about paying customers or even non-paying customers.