Happy Birthday Google

Reading Happy 9th Birthday Google on CybernetNews.com caused me to consider how much this blog and my daily life is dependent on Google tools and applications. Here is my suite of essential Google apps:

• Blogger
• Feedburner
• Google Reader including mobile version
• Google Mail including the mobile version
• iGoogle
• Google Search - the blogger in me particularly appreciates Book, Scholar, and Blog Search
• Google Maps

Then I consider that my Google list doesn't include YouTube, a site that I generally only access when another blog links me to a video, but a site that is truly a social phenomenon. My list doesn't include AdWords, the Google revenue flagship.

Am I afraid of Google's dominant position? For me, not yet. But I recall having the same feeling about Microsoft a few years ago. This feeling changed with the emergence of Linux, Yahoo, and Google. Competition is good. I truly hope that another player is certainly sitting in the wings.

In the meantime, a tip of the hat and "Happy Birthday" to Google.

Thanks for reading. Please lead quietly.
Don