Anti Trust?

Any news on Microsoft taking over Google? The MSN search engine blurs the line between news and advertising their own websites. For example on MSN a story may appear as "news" but it will tell about a special on Expedia, a Microsoft owned site. Search for "travel" and the number one result is also Expedia. With a few big companies (Microsoft, AOL Time Warner, etc.) owning more and more of the internet, televsion, etc, how will this affect the little guy trying to compete? If Microsoft takes over Google will they eliminate the blank page look and fill it with Microsoft banner ads, news stories, etc. like the MSN page has?

[golferboy]

Google is very highly likely to stay Independant. According to a news report on CNBC yesterday, Google will do an Initial Public Offering (IPO) during the first quarter of 2004.

I'm not sure why they want to go public. They can't get much bigger and are already the leader in search engines and S.E. technology, and they have plenty of money, so why go public?? Probably so the principals can cash out some of their equity.

Microsoft will unveil their new search engine sometime next year which may be another reason for Google going public.

Jim Longnecker
http://www.deepfried-turkey.com

[rlrouse]

My guess is that Google will remain independent, but they'll be hard pressed to maintain their overwhelming dominance past the short term.

[nakulgoyal]

That was a rumour. :-0