#FF00AA

TechCrunch:

Now, if Google actually announces their intention to eat Microsoft’s lunch by trying to kill their Office revenue with a full online office suite, that would be interesting. […] This isn’t about corporate secrecy – we all know that Google is trying to hit Microsoft where it hurts. It’s about deniability if things don’t work out as planned. One thing Google hates more than anything is to look stupid. They are afraid to fail.

Rough Type:

Spreadsheets is a complement to Excel. It actually makes Excel more useful - and hence more valuable.

So why would Google put out a product that makes its arch-rival’s product more valuable? Because Google doesn’t want to compete with Office. It sees Office as part of the existing landscape, and it wants to build a new layer of functionality on top of that landscape. No one is going to stop buying Office because Google Spreadsheets exists. But what people may well do is use Spreadsheets for sharing Excel and other data online – rather than just emailing Excel files around, as they used to. If Google Spreadsheets competes with a Microsoft product, it competes with a Microsoft product that doesn’t yet exist: Excel Live, Microsoft’s own web interface for Excel data.

Google, as it has itself said repeatedly, is not interested in fighting old wars. Microsoft won the war for spreadsheet applications. Google’s fighting a new war, a war that’s barely begun.

Redesign Competitions [via]:

I’m hosting a competition. I need a partner with whom to have a serious relationship but I don’t want to invest any time or effort in finding the right woman; I shouldn’t have to. I’m a great man and any woman should be proud to be with me, so I’m holding auditions. I’d like for all interested women to visit me and show me your “wares.” I’m definitely looking for someone with a hot bod, and not afraid to show it off. Extra points for staying the night and letting me sample your attentions and enthusiasm.

One lucky winner gets a $400 wedding ring and the prestige of having me for a partner (‘cause I look good). The rest of you just get screwed. Awright, who’s with me?

It’s a nice analogy, and I do admit that the Slashdot redesign contest announcement left me with a bad taste in my mouth (it really sounded like this, and I don’t think you can or should choose a finished design from a competition), but I still very much disagree with the No!Spec crowd — to me that reeks of pretentious designers who can’t stand the thought that a client wouldn’t give them a blank check for their site design. In other words:

I’m hosting a competition. I need a client for whom to make a website, but I don’t want to invest any time or effort in demonstrating I can understand their needs or desires; I shouldn’t have to/ I’m the best webdesigner in the country and any client should be proud to be with me. Many lucky winners get the chance to give me money and the prestige of using the designs I imposed on them (’cause they’ll be awesome).

Just get real. You’re not the center of the universe.