more on Suggestion Regarding Google/IE Search Default Controversy

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Zach White <zwhite () darkstar frop org>
Date: May 2, 2006 12:38:10 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Re: [IP] Suggestion Regarding Google/IE Search Default  
Controversy

Dave,

For IP, if you wish.

On Tue, May 02, 2006 at 11:53:15AM -0400, David Farber wrote:
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
> Date: May 2, 2006 11:49:43 AM EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Cc: lauren () vortex com
> Subject: Suggestion Regarding Google/IE Search Default Controversy
>
>
> Dave,
>
> As is now being widely reported, concerns have been raised (in
> particular by Google) regarding the manner in which Microsoft's new
> Internet Explorer 7 will assign default search engine capabilities.
> Apparently in the vast majority of cases, IE 7 installations will
> choose Microsoft's own MSN Search as the default engine for the main
> IE 7 toolbar search box.  While IE has seen a falling market share,
> it still accounts for around 85% of browser users.

IE currently allows you to search from the address bar. You can't  
configure
it to use any other search engine, at least not from spending the  
last two
minutes searching through "Internet Options".

Given that IE7 allows users to configure a different search engine in  
place
of MSN, where IE < 7 doesn't, I predict we'll see two things come of  
this.

First, google's share of the search pie will increase as techies go  
around
switching the search engine on their friend's and relative's computers.
Since most users aren't even aware of what a search engine is, they'll
simply accept whatever comes up when they click in the "search bar" and
type in their search.

Second, we'll see new malware that reconfigures the search engine for a
user. Many users will just assume that "The Internet Search" is being
redesigned everytime they get infected with a new malware.

Lauren has some interesting ideas, but I don't think they're the answer.
Microsoft's current search implementation is a lot more heinous than  
their
new implementation, and yet google still controls ~50% of the search  
market.
Given that, MSN's supposed advantage isn't really all that much of an
advantage afterall, at least not enough to warrant regulation.

-Zach


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