Google After Microsoft Yahoo "Microhoo" Search Deal

An analysis of Google in the wake of the Microsoft-Yahoo search deal, AKA "Microhoo". [Read more about Google vs Microhoo...]

Google Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin Give Fascinating Peek Inside Google

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin gave a talk in 2004 (released on video in 2007) that offered a fascinating peek inside the Google machine, sharing tidbits about international search patterns, the philanthropic Google Foundation, and the company's dedication to innovation and employee happiness. Their talk in 2004 focused on the future and five years later now in 2009, Google has continued to press aggressively ahead year after year to make products and services that are of value for millions of people around the world, and their wildly successful Adsense advertising-based revenue generating business model has made them not only the darlings of investors adn Wall Street but also has allowed the company the ways and means to provide almost all of its Google offerings free. Much has transpired since 2004 when Larry Page and Sergey Brin first gave their talk, but their words back then still resonate strongly today and continue to set the tone and provide a clear roadmap for many more exciting innovations to expect in the months and years to come. Watch the video of the talk by Larry Page and Sergey Brin and read the interactive transcript on TED.com

GAO Jumps on YouTube and Twitter Bandwagon

Government Computer News (GCN) reports that "the Government Accountability Office [GAO] has begun making its video products available on YouTube and has established feeds on the Twitter micro-blogging service to announce release of new documents and reports" which "alerts users of releases of GAO documents, containing the same information contained on the Web site's daybook and its e-mail alerts." The article goes on to say that the "the General Services Administration [GSA] has established terms-of-use agreements for agencies using new generation online services such as Twitter and YouTube" and states that "GAO is the latest of more than 50 agencies and members of Congress using Twitter." {Read the full GCN article written by William Jackson...}

While GAO has now made a major move to expands its online presence using Web 2.0 social media and social networking capabilities such as YouTube and Twitter, they've obviously held back a good while to watch it in action by many other agencies and members of Congress and apparently saw enough value out of what others were doing to entice them to also take the plunge. It's likely that with GAO now having boarding the Web 2.0 train, especially now that GSA has published some 'rules of the road' to follow, you're likely to see a lot more Government organizations making the leap themselves and publishing what they have to offer online, especially through leading and very popular Web 2.0 social media and social networking capabilities such as YouTube and Twitter and many others of similar nature. Probably a good trend because more transparency and openness in Government and by Government is generally a good thing for American citizens who pay for these services with their tax dollars and thus deserve to have as much knowledge as possible made available to them by their representatives from Government who exist for the sole purpose to serve the needs of Americans to the best of their ability. And as far as the idea of Government accountability displayed online for all to see, what better organization to do that than one called the Government Accountability Office, right? So big kudos to GAO for making this important move and setting a good example for others in Government.