Google. You know it. The website, the verb, the rapidly growing digital empire. It is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid Google on the daily basis. Either you use it to look up something quickly or you hear someone else refer to it in some manner. Google is growing at an alarming, almost Microsoft in the 80’s and 90’s, type rate.

It’s hard to complain about the growth of a company who’s’ mantra is “Do No Evil”, but there is reason for concern. I don’t want you to think that I am anti-Google. I use Google too many times to count on any given day. In fact I’m using it at this moment. What I am, is a strong proponent of the diversity of sources for information, and having a juggernaut such as Google overpowering other search engines like a wrestler on steroids versus a room full of preschoolers. 

The rub is that Google hasn’t used the overtly heavy-handed tactics that Microsoft has become infamous for employing. Instead, they built a brain trust that legitimately produces the best product on the market, and continues to generate the most innovative stable of services and features.

For the majority of Google users, Google is a search engine. In reality Google has exceeded the label of a mere search engine. The Stanford dropouts who formed Google are in to everything from genetics to digitizing all written works. The next time that you use Google, which will probably be today, look to the top right of the search window. You should see the word “More” in bold letters. Double click on this link to see what Google really has to offer. There are three links that I frequent often. The first is the Video link. Where else can you perform a search of T.V. programs and Video to watch or purchase? Actually, there are other sites like alltheweb.com, but Google just does it better.

The second link is the Froogle link. Froogle can be found on Google’s homepage to the right of the web search link. This is still one of the best places to find cheap prices on most stuff for sale online. The last link is the “Labs” link. This is where Google has its services that are still in the beta or testing phase.  They normally have some pretty cool things in the lab. Services such as Google Scholar, which searches academic papers are graduates of the labs link. Other cool links are the Google Earth link. Google Earth can be a little freaky. The degree of clarity makes me have flashbacks of the movie “Enemy of the State”. I wonder which satellite is staring down on me.

In the final analysis, Google makes a quality product. I worry about twenty-five years from now when the only department store is Wal-Mart, the only coffee shop is Starbucks, the only Operating System is a version of Windows, and the only source for online information is Google. This probably won’t happen, but the potential exists.