Monday, December 19, 2005

Wanna better internet? You belong at a 5%-Google-owned America Online

Julia Roberts's reassuring voice on AOL's recent tv commercials has made even me start to move my brand-o-meter for AOL from "in the toilet, stop sending me irritating CDs in the mail" to "mildly unnecessary but no longer annoying."

Which of course is a huge jump upward. Now, with the news leaked that Google has bought a 5% share in AOL, it makes me think I'm not the only one who noticed!

Of course, it's probably just the "Coke vs. Pepsi" of the 2000's...but still, Google giving it up for branded logo-placement of AOL content on their page, make me think the pressure to perform for stockholders has begun to encroach on the Google Boardroom.

I could argue the other way, too--that finally Google has admitted publically that this is a battle for our eyeballs, and that Google aims to win.

It reminds me of a saying (paraphrased) from one of the smartest people I know, "All technology races eventually become a 2-horse race." And it seems that this merger signals that Microsoft's MSN is now the distant 3rd...

Anyone else have a different take? Comments are all over the map, Shark jumping or no?

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