Life After Google (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of a book review of "Life After Google" by George Gilder.

The first few chapters of this book describes Google and its business model.

On the subject of "free" products:

In business, the ability to conduct transactions is not optional. It is the way all economic learning and growth occur. If your product is "free," it is not a product, and you are not in business, even if you extort money from so-called advertisers to fund it.

On "open source" software:

If you do not charge for your software services -- if they are "open source" -- you can avoid liability for buggy "betas."

On security:

Security is the most crucial part of any system... But when the Internet became a forum for monetary transactions, new security regimes became indispensable.

An interesting, yet relevant, discussion of Newton, his appointment to the Royal Mint, the gold standard, and his interest in alchemy is included to illustrate where Google is today.

The Google theory of knowledge, nicknamed "big data," is as radical as Newton's and as intimidating as Newton's was liberating.

On privacy:

Google may talk a good game about privacy, but private data are the mortal enemy of its system of the world.

The author declares the end of the free world.

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