Quote: Original post by Straudos
It was the Mecca of the Computer Science world.

It's the Mecca of the advertising world ;P

Quote: And yet, since then, it seems like Google has produced nothing but flops.

They can afford to. They originally stumbled on a way to disrupt the search engine industry, so now they're spending their infinite money dabbling in every other industry, churning out "flops" in the hope that just one of them will be another big thing.

Quote: Original post by rian carnarvon

Wave is a great example. What problem is Wave attempting to be a solution to? I don't know, my friends don't know. It's neat, but the problem it solves is not immediately obvious, and thus it has no purpose to the majority of Internet users except as a trinket/novelty.

Microsoft Exchange.

A likely reason for slow progress is that it represents direct assault to Microsoft Office ecosystem, which is the real MS moneymaker - consumer Windows editions earn money, but MS's power is in enterprise. And exchange is the core of that.

When Google moves into that area, it will probably get very ugly, similar to Apple/HTC.

So far, Google had a lot of success by gathering up unclaimed land. Now they'll need to move into other's. And despite popular impression, Google has little leverage to fight on that level. Engineers don't do much in that world.

Quote: Recently, Google has started solving problems again. National broadband is a massive issue.

That is the popular image, it's not a real issue.

Quote: Unfortunately, broadband service is an expensive business. Unless Google can bring price of broadband down to mass market affordability, this too will be a flop.

They aren't going in via consumer markets - Google gives stuff away for free.
They are going into universities and research institutions. That gives them infrastructure of the most perspective people for generation to come.

Later, they can use that to expand, especially for stuff like Voice over IP, which is direct assault on telcos, while side-stepping many of government regulations. Another really ugly battle with century old monoliths all surpassing Google in real power, deeply entrenched in all facets of government and legislation.

Quote: Original post by Straudos
Two years ago I bought Google stock out of great optimism for the company. ... so what's with all the bombs lately?

Sounds like you made a stupid mistake.

The mistake wasn't buying the stock, but for buying it for the wrong reasons.

The Motley Fool recommends a 5-year window. If you need to even look at the money within the next five years, stocks are probably the wrong place for it.


If you believe the company is great then you will make a long-term investment. If it truly is great then the long term will show it.

If you believe the company is no longer great then move your long-term investment to somewhere better.

Move it somewhere that you can feel good about leaving it for five years. If that isn't a stock or fund or bonds, then move it to a CD or savings or a fire-safe.