Google in China, 99.9 percent boring

Death by boredom or Will Google in China Cliffhanger

Death by boredom or Will Google leave China Cliffhanger

 

The Financial Times just published an article creating a huge buzz - 32 million search results for the term “China Google 99.9%”. Quote :

 

“Google has drawn up detailed plans for the closure of its Chinese search engine and is now “99.9 per cent” certain to go ahead as talks over censorship with the Chinese authorities have reached an apparent impasse, according to a person familiar with the company’s thinking.”

 

I am truly impressed by this information. Honestly? A “person familiar with the company’s thinking” saying Google is “99.9 per cent certain”  to leave? Give me a break.

Is this article saying anything we don’t know? No. It just contributes to remind us ”Meanwhile, in a far, far away land called China, Google is almost sure, but not quite to leave”. What do you think will happen ?

 

99.9% Leave

Google leaving China? Only Google.cn. The whole R&D center based in Beijing will unlikely poof! and disappear, because a) innovation is one of the  of the G b) this would affect the company’s long term strategy and c) Chinese brains are less expensive then US ones. Let’s not talk about Androids phones in a market of 700 million subscribers…

 

0.1% Stay and compromise. I’m sure the PR guys in their sharp suits will come up with some brilliant plan to cover up both China and Google’s pretty faces and make everyone happy for ever after.

Perhaps that’s about time for Google to change their legendary “Don’t be Evil”. I suggest : “Don’t be boring.”

 

Who knows ? Maybe in the next episode, an anonymous insider will communicate some useless information. And maybe Kelly and Dylan will tell Brenda what happened last summer.

March 12, 2010 | BuzzandtheCity | Tags: , | 1 Comment »

The End of Google China?

 

 Google China closing

 

 

Following cyber-attacks identified as Chinese’s on private information figuring on Google.cn and 20 other major IT, media, finance and technology companies, Google has published on its official blog an official announcement :

 

“We will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.”

 

So, what are the consequences if Google was to shut down Google.cn :

 

x Business : Baidu will gain most marketshares coming from publisher’s paid search programs as well as Bing and other less significant homegrown search engines. Google owned about 36% of search engines market share in China in 2009 4th quarter.

 

x Ethics : Google would gain more credibility in the West after it was critized for “adjusting” to Chinese local market requirements, i.e. sourcing censored search results

 

But honestly, is this alleged attack the real kick for this major decision and is this a smart move ? If Google was making more bucks in China would it leave? Now that the market doesn’t look like a promised land anymore, ethics, on which Google had closed eyes before, are invoked to justify a possible departure – perhaps not to “lose face”.

I understand the commercial decision, as well as the good intentions of some people towards the censorship issue. But strategically, this looks like a big step. Backwards. What do you think?

To find out more (and see how this will affect your SEO in China) check the links from SEO company Them.Pro and the official Google blog.

To be followed…

 

 

January 13, 2010 | BuzzandtheCity | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »