I was sitting at my comp and reading articles from latest issue of Axandra, and what I discovered was quite... well, startling, though not surprising. It is true that when you are huge, you become an easy target. I am sure we would not forget how skinny looking college kid outran his big bully. True, big brother might have strength and power, but what’s use if he can't get a hold of Mr. Skinny?

What we read today about Internet industry, is more or less true. While Google quickly grew from small to big, it has to retain its position. But, they say it’s lonely at top. And it sure looks lonely from top, especially from Google, with MSN, Yahoo showing out that they are really serious and mean what they say. Personally, I really prefer MSN's search as compared to my once favorite Google. Ok, you might get an idea that I am biased. Far from it, perhaps a little bit of reading between lines is what might make you a bit queasy.

Yahoo! set to celebrate its 10th anniversary

Co-founders Jerry Yang and David Filo parlayed Yahoo Inc. from a college hobby into a full-time job 10 years ago, but Internet icon was never quite comfortable with happy-go-lucky mood of dot-com boom. It's not that Yang and Filo don't like to have fun. After all, they gave their company a name often associated with rubes and adopted a joyful yodel as their calling card. Yahoo has grown from a handful of employees to more than 7,600 workers today, but Moore said company's "work hard, play hard" culture has remained intact.

There's a similar ethic going on a few miles to north at Google Inc., a fierce rival that Yang and Filo helped inspire. Yahoo doesn't pamper its workers as extravagantly as Google, which feeds its employees breakfast, lunch and dinner and even arranges to have their oil changed for free. No one eats for free at Yahoo, although company subsidizes cafeteria prices. Yahoo is also inviting all registered users in United States to download a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream on March 2 from Baskin-Robbins in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

In other words, there's a very subtle message hidden here. A message Yahoo! is giving out to everyone, and more specifically to Google.

"Watch Out, we're coming for you."

The Google toolbar- Devil in disguise?

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Now there's nothing wrong about Google, in giving out free meals or pampering its employees. However, underlying fact remains that it needs to really focus and improve its services if it wants to really be at top. However, a few mistakes happen here and there like "New Google Toolbar" Well, i'm not drawing any conclusions here. But, matter of fact is that it sure does give out a negative impact to its audience.

The SEO Blog complains that Google has lost its cool and become evil. The site says that Webmasters and search marketers should be concerned about prospect of a Google tool changing their websites. Now let’s not get paranoid about this and set aside our critic hats for a while and give Google some more time to explain.

However, it is quite disturbing to note that if a web-user was to try to purchase a book from Barnes and Nobel while using new toolbar, a link to rival Amazon.com would be added to view's version of Barnes and Noble site as soon as book's ISBN appeared. There was a uproar about this when Microsoft tried to introduce similar SmartTags back in 2001. Although Vole didn’t go ahead with scheme, Jeff Reynar, who designed it, now works at Google.

Now, you might not be a Barnes & Noble, but if you sure are into business of selling something which has a probability that it is listed on Amazon, be sure that Google toolbar will surely take punch out of our website.

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