Google losing ground; Zukerberg losing half of Facebook?

A couple of really interesting pieces on The Atlantic's website today.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2011/04/heres-email-could-cost-mark-zuckerberg-half-facebook/36579/

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2011/04/bing-actually-gaining-google/36586/

In the first, the seemingly crackpot lawsuit filed by a guy who says he deserves 50 percent of Facebook might not be so outlandish. In fact, a single email, at least according to the slightly sensationalistic headline, could cost Zuckerberg half of Facebook. Experts don't think the emails are fake, but we'll have to wait for Powerline to weigh in on the fonts before figuring it out for sure.

And the other one is in some ways even more improbable. Bing had 30 percent of searches in the U.S. last month while Google, which has 64 percent, lost 3 percent. If it continued at its current pace, it'd actually pass Google next year. Unlikely, but it does seem like Google is losing a bit of luster. I blame Bleacher Report and Demand Studios for mucking up the results pages.

 

I wonder how much of Google losing ground to Bing is because Microsoft still controls the OS battle for most platforms. For example, my Blackberry's default search engine is Bing, and I'm assuming it is for IE too. Considering the shocking amount of people who never, ever upgrade, it wouldn't surprise me that most of them just use the default search that Microsoft tells them. According to a 2010 Slate article, 16 to 27 percent of people still use IE6, which came out in 2002:

http://www.slate.com/id/2267673/

 

Yep, the IE toolbar is defaulted to Bing. Every so often I forget to click the Google button and it turns up Bing on a search. Whether that's 10 percent or 20 percent of the time I don't know, but it does create an artificial surge for Bing. (And every time I accidentally end up there I am reminded of how badly it sucks -- like, it sucks so bad I long for the days of Alta Vista.)

 

But would just being the default account for the jump and Google's drop? Wouldn't it have always been the default? I don't know anything about technology, just curious. Seems like there'd be more at work than laziness from users.

 

If Google has the Droid and Bing has the Blackberry, you want your money with Google.

 

I have the same issue.

Bing sucks.

 

I hope the emails are 100% real and Zuckerdick has to fork over half the company.

 

Why?

 

Did you see the movie or read the book? This would make the third time he screwed people out of their piece of the company.

 

Agreed on Bing....It SSUUUUUCKKS. Go to Google every time.

 

I saw the movie. I still can't imagine caring about whether Mark Zuckerberg has $50 billion or $25 billion. Unless that half of Facebook is going to me, it doesn't really matter to me who owns it.

 

“It’ll be great to see the old gang again, Potsie, Ralph Malph, the Fonz.”

“That was ‘Happy Days’.”

“No, they weren’t all happy days, like the time Pinky Tuscadero crashed her motorcycle, or the night I lost all my money to those card sharks and my dad Tom Bosley had to get it back.”