Recently I've been struck by how much cooler, meatier, and more entertaining is the
Yahoo! Search blog than the
Google Blog - Live. I've ripped both from time to time, for one reason
or another, but on balance, the Yahoo! search team makes Google look clueless about the spirit and utility of blogging.
Look at last week. Google's blog posted two entries: one
announcing an update to Google Images (which
wouldn't be necessary if that index were updated more frequently; see
here for a recent semi-scandal in that department),
and one announcing the release of Google
Maps. I praised Google Maps to the skies, and I stand by that review, but the spare, uninformative announcement was a
disappointment.
Yahoo! made five posts last week (one on Saturday!), including a solicitation of interview questions for an upcoming
employee profile, a fascinating theoretical rumination
keyed to the World Question Center, a product
announcement, a valuable
tutorial for Webmasters wishing to minimize bandwidth
damage created by Yahoo!'s search spider, and a pointer to a hilarious piece of video that Andy
Volk found in Yahoo! Video.
It's not all about volume, of course. The point is that the contributor's to Yahoo!'s blog have fun with it, and take
the blog outside of its office culture. Google's blog received undue publicity when it started, and promised to
illuminate life in the Googleplex. Who the freak cares about life in the Googleplex, and how self-absorbed must you be
to assume that people do care? Give me useful, enjoyable, mind-stretching, product-enhancing, fun posts, and try to get
something up there four or five times a week. Google should be taking lessons from Yahoo! in the blogging
department.
In-House Blog Coolness: Yahoo! vs. Google
Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. If you look at Google's numbers, I think you'll find they're an advertising company.
Posted at 5:45AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Jeremy Zawodny
5. Google is so much loved, despite a closed culture that is probably not the best. How much of google is pure luck and how much of it is a company that will grow and dominate its market? How much of their arsenal can be easily replicated? How much of the market will remain with Google even if they are no longer technically superior to their competitors?
These are some questions that time will answer, but when I read about Google culture, I just feel that they are not that strong.
Posted at 5:45AM on Dec 19th 2005 by mobile.admin
6. Google should take lessons from Yahoo!??
I've noticed Yahoo! Copying Google every chance they get. Compare the Yahoo Search results page to Google's. Yahoo has virtually duplicated Google's layout, their advertising model, etc.
I'm not saying it's wrong to duplicate a successfull business model, but to say that Google should start taking lessons (in any department) from Yahoo! is pretty ridiculous!
Posted at 5:45AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Domain Coolness
7. if you cant beat them then join therm (or copy a lot of them so that people think you are them)
Posted at 5:45AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Toronto Student
8. Yahoo is a media company.
Google is a search company.
Microsoft is a software company.
Posted at 5:45AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Dimitar Vesselinov
9. If you look at Google's numbers, I think you'll find they're an advertising company.
Posted at 5:45AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Jeremy Zawodny
12. Google is so much loved, despite a closed culture that is probably not the best. How much of google is pure luck and how much of it is a company that will grow and dominate its market? How much of their arsenal can be easily replicated? How much of the market will remain with Google even if they are no longer technically superior to their competitors?
These are some questions that time will answer, but when I read about Google culture, I just feel that they are not that strong.
Posted at 5:45AM on Dec 19th 2005 by mobile.admin
13. Google should take lessons from Yahoo!??
I've noticed Yahoo! Copying Google every chance they get. Compare the Yahoo Search results page to Google's. Yahoo has virtually duplicated Google's layout, their advertising model, etc.
I'm not saying it's wrong to duplicate a successfull business model, but to say that Google should start taking lessons (in any department) from Yahoo! is pretty ridiculous!
Posted at 5:45AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Domain Coolness
14. if you cant beat them then join therm (or copy a lot of them so that people think you are them)
Posted at 5:45AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Toronto Student
1. Yahoo is a media company.
Google is a search company.
Microsoft is a software company.
Posted at 5:45AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Dimitar Vesselinov