Matt Fahrner's Blog

1 Reason Why Microsoft Bing Is Gaining on Google

March 12, 2010

eWeek has this “fluff” piece on why Microsoft Bing is “gaining” on Google:

10 Reasons Why Microsoft Bing Is Gaining on Google

I don’t usually like to go this far, but frankly it’s pretty shameless pandering.

Bing may or may not be a good search engine, personally the results it pulls just don’t cut it for me, but it’s quality or not has little to do with why it’s gaining market share (if it is in fact doing that – there’s good reason to believe it’s mostly cannibalizing Yahoo!).

No, instead it has one and one reason only for any increasing market share:

Microsoft made it the default browser for Internet Explorer.

Simple as that.

Coming up with 9 other reasons, mostly cobbled from Microsoft PR talking points, is a sad excuse for journalism and eWeek can (and often does) do better.

If Bing wins here, the fact that it’s the better search tool (which is dubious) is ultimately secondary. Just like Microsoft killed Netscape by making IE the default browser, Microsoft aims to do the same to Google via Bing. If Microsoft truly believed in the product, then they wouldn’t make it the default and would let the user decide up front what search engine to use.

Unfortunately, regardless of any positives that Microsoft brings to the industry, this is another example of its anti-competitive, no holds barred, behavior.

Comments

clivelamb

January 8, 2011

A “fluff” piece I think not!

THe writer of this blog is probably a Google employee! The fact remains that Bing is gaining ground in both quality and popularity. Besides some of Google’s best talent has left the company for many reasons, one is that is sucks working for the assholes in charge. Google had it’s flash in the pan for much of the 00′ decade. Now with newer and powerfulcompanies in the business like Facebook and Twitter (who are getting into the search engine business)- and they are partnering with Microsoft, not Google!

Google is not even in a in the upper leagues with Microsoft! Microsoft will once again prevail!

What rubbish on this blog!
Matt Fahrner

January 8, 2011

Clive, with all due respect my resume is on this site to see – I do not work for Google, though I would happily do so. I would also happily work for Microsoft, though I might disagree with some of what I see as their anti-competitive tactics (to be fair, at this point undoubtedly Google is also doing anti-competitive tactics as well). Certainly I could ask in reverse – “Are you working for Microsoft?”, but that, like your comment, would only serve to be a distraction from the argument.

I still stand by what I said, though it makes sense that others like yourself might disagree. Fine – each is entitled to their opinion even if they might be wrong (and I include myself in that possibility).

On the other hand, that doesn’t make the entire blog “rubbish”, when I should point out for the most part it is not commentary but factual information for the IT industry, including pointers on how to use Microsoft products.

In short, I’m perfectly happy to address any real arguments as to why I am wrong, but could do without the ad hominem attacks.

1 Reason Why Microsoft Bing Is Gaining on Google

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