Google: Less False than other Idols

I remember a time when Google was the new kid on the block.  Everyone adored Yahoo and Altavista and claimed they were the pinnacle of all searching.  But then, being the nerd that I am I found Google and its simplistic splendor.  No adds or buttons or options cluttering everything.  It simply found everything, nearly instantaneously.  I never went back.

I departed for my mission, spent two years with minimal use of technology (not only because I was a missionary, but also because I was in Idaho) then returned to find many things had changed.  But Google was still king.  The only difference was that now everyone else knew about it.  

In the last three years no one has toppled it.  Google has only grown and proven that anything Microsoft can do, they can do better.  Gmail is the best email program.  Picasa is the best picture sorting program (at least free.)  Google Earth is pretty useless, but incredibly cool.  Google will run your desktop, set up instant messaging and even has a new webpage creator.  Soon it will run NASA.  

But why hasn’t anyone toppled Google?  Do they kill off all rival programmers?  In the last few weeks I’ve investigated a handful of search engines that claim to be superior to Google.  Some of these include: Grokker, Turbo 10, Overture, Fast, Inktomi, Teoma, and Hotbot.  Guess what?  None are as good.  Google reigns supreme.  My search for a search engine that will find things before I even think to look for them continues.  

PS.  Google is constantly trying new programs.  Go to labs.google.com to serve as a guinea pig for them.  If they’re going to take over the world someday you want to be on their good side.

PPS.  After about two weeks on their waiting list, I now have access to Google webpage creator.  Check out my latest page:

http://mormonmachine.googlepages.com/swicket

It has my updated movie script.  I’d love more input before I start filming next week.

Song of the moment: “Sounds of Science” Beastie Boys