As we all know, the two students establish a network guide information library, and then developed into the most visited websites. A few years later, another two students to develop a search engine, and only focus on one goal: become all the only search engine. The results of the search engine company to replace the first company to become the world's most popular websites.
Of course,
the two companies Yahoo and Google. At present, in the field of social networking sites is being staged with the same story, Facebook plays Google, Myspace played by Yahoo. But the difference is that the second story, the introduction of a third party Twitter. With the addition of a third party, we have been very difficult to distinguish clearly between Facebook in the end is to embark on the broad road like Google, or embark on Yahoo thoroughfares?
Background: Google and Yahoo's history
Google and Yahoo is taking two different road. Yahoo only a short period of one year from the formation of the company to the IPO, after quickly began a series of acquisitions. Yahoo to leave its web directory / search the main industry, embarked on the road of diversified development. 1997 Yahoo acquired Rocket Mail, released Yahoo Mail; 1998 Yahoo acquisition Classic Games, Sportasy, Viaweb Webcal, became Yahoo Games, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo the Mall and Yahoo calendar; 1999 $ 5.7 billion acquisition of Broadcast.com Yahoo $ 3.6 billion acquisition of GeoCities. Yahoo every year in the acquisition, not how many years, Yahoo has a club, message boards, news, instant messaging, chat rooms. The Yahoo portal strategy to create a myriad of products (including own development or acquisition).
At the same time, in 1998, Google was founded, until 2001, began the first acquisition (acquisition Deja after became Google Groups), before the year 2003, Google has been only two acquisitions. Google spent six years before listing, and has been focused on the search field. Was founded a few years later, Google began publishing and search related products, such as Blogger (acquisition in 2003), Orkut, Gmail (released in 2004), Google Maps, iGoogle, Google Reader, Google (2005) . At this time, Google has firmly established the status of the search engine boss.
In the early days, Google is only focused on one goal: to become the best search engine on the Internet.
We do all things (including optimization page design Google co-founder Rochelle - Gaibu Lin (Sergey Brin) in 1999, a press release said: "Our mission is to provide Internet's best search experience. improve the relevance and scalability) are designed to provide the most accurate search results. "
The results of the focus is, Google development has become the Internet's most profitable, most powerful, one of the most popular websites. Yahoo although there have a lot of traffic, and its lack of focus led to market value evaporated, resulting in many Yahoo executives and engineers left the company, and Yahoo has lost its competitive edge in the highly profitable search market. That in 2006, Yahoo's chief financial officer, said they have to give up in the search field and Google competition.
Facebook story
Even if it did not directly witness the story of Google and Yahoo, can also feel familiar. Recently Facebook beyond Myspace become the boss of the social networking sites, and the above simple Syria story is too similar.
Facebook is founded by a group of young college students, in the first few years to focus on its core products (social networking). Within a relatively short period of time, Facebook has developed into the world's largest social networking site, even one of the largest sites on the Internet. This comparison is not very accurate, but this analogy seems to have some significance.
The biggest difference is the field of search engine two companies in the competition. Ask and Microsoft does not really form a strong competition. While a third party social networking: Twitter. When Twitter careful study add to the mix, we will find, Facebook may embark on Yahoo downhill.
Peanut butter Declaration
Garlinghouse, Yahoo's senior vice president Brad - (Brad Garlinghouse) published an article called "Peanut Butter Manifesto" in 2006. Article, Garlinghouse, Yahoo made a harsh criticism that Yahoo's lack of focus, lack of "cohesion", the lack of clear division of responsibilities and rights ", and undecided.
Garlinghouse wrote, "We have lost the ambition to win," and pointed out that Yahoo's product line is too long, too many redundant products. Garlinghouse of Yahoo's strategy as "a piece of toast smear peanut butter, but the coating was too thin. At that time the company has the most Internet users, Yahoo has lost its direction of development.
Over the past year, Facebook seems also coated with peanut butter. " Facebook increased groups, activities, fan pages, gift market, chat features, not to mention the numerous third-party applications on the Facebook application platform, become bloated.
These functions are mutual gains and losses: "market" function never succeed, but the "activities" is a feature of the most popular breed. However, from the point of view of an ordinary user, Facebook overexpansion is obvious. Browse complicated Facebook site, and the site's privacy settings is very complicated, and there are many overlapping services exist (like the page, profile, group). To outsiders, Facebook seems to some extent being used Yahoo already failed strategy: "try anything to see which is better?"
On the other hand, Twitter gives the feeling of a very Google. And Google's philosophy (website only the most essential core elements), Twitter, leaving only the basic form of social networking. Is now the third year after its founding, Twitter has established a simple mass communication platform, and has been focusing on refining and improving core services, like Google has been focused on the search for products.
Facebook's future is uncertain
Of course, Facebook does not like Yahoo in 2006 as overextended. At that time, Garlinghouse said Yahoo eight different redundant product (that is, Yahoo's own products competing with each other). This question Facebook. , Facebook has not started walking the road of diversified development through a large acquisition.
Facebook is still the boss of the social networking sites, such as Facebook Connect to consolidate their position.
Recently, however, some big moves of Facebook (apparently inspired by Twitter and Google competition) and even in some degree, for example, released a real-time search engine to increase the @ function release Facebook Lite is becoming like the people feel Facebook Yahoo had. Although Facebook still has more in common, and Google, but Facebook is an identity crisis exists. Facebook completely confused it wants to become a full-featured social networking site, application platform, the authentication platform, micro-blog platform, real-time search engine or something else.
Say Facebook's recent moves to despair, this is not right. But Facebook 2012 action is very important in the future, will decide that it is the next Google or Yahoo.
