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Google sets sights on $1.6bn bid for YouTube (Very troubling--censorship)
The Guardian ^ | Saturday October 7, 2006 | Andrew Clark

Posted on 10/06/2006 6:58:19 PM PDT by freedom4me

Reports in America yesterday suggested that Google is in talks to buy YouTube for as much as $1.6bn (£855m) in an effort to capture its huge following of users who view video clips more than 70m times a day

(Excerpt) Read more at business.guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: google; youtube
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This is very troubling, especially in light Google's censorship of conservative sites and what we learned this week about YouTube's censorship of content that might offend Muslims.
1 posted on 10/06/2006 6:58:20 PM PDT by freedom4me
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To: freedom4me

Who cares? Another one will start to fill its place.


2 posted on 10/06/2006 7:01:53 PM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: freedom4me
Who do you think you are? The Koran says you cannot defame the Prophet Mohammed, so Google and YouTube are only accommodating the Prophet's wishes.
3 posted on 10/06/2006 7:07:21 PM PDT by KJC1
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To: freedom4me

How does anyone put a market price on what this websites are worth? For $1.6 billion, it would seem google could have created their own version of youtube?


4 posted on 10/06/2006 7:10:10 PM PDT by rawhide
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To: rawhide
"For $1.6 billion, it would seem google could have created their own version of youtube?"

Unless they want to control the information it provides through censorship/editing/omission.

5 posted on 10/06/2006 7:17:42 PM PDT by TheCrusader
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To: Dog Gone

"Who cares? Another one will start to fill its place." You got it, there are already so many sites out there where you can load video, just like YouTube. It's just that those sites are not as popular and well known as YouTube.


6 posted on 10/06/2006 7:18:41 PM PDT by Panerai
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To: KJC1

A couple of years ago I was reading up on "Judaism for Dummies" and I found it to be a nice way learn a bit more about the religion. Online reviews of the book ran from serious to quirky and every flavor in between - some liked it, while others could do without.

After 9-11 I felt that it might be helpful to employ the same series "Islam for Dummies" to prime myself on the religion of peace.

Surprisingly, it was a 5 star read for anyone and everyone that so much as touched the book. I figured I really didn't need to bother with the book.


7 posted on 10/06/2006 7:18:49 PM PDT by incredulous joe ("We got heaps and heaps of what we sow." -- Jack Johnson)
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To: rawhide

Google already has, it's Google Video. YouTube it's their main competition, so they are going to buy them out.


8 posted on 10/06/2006 7:19:31 PM PDT by Panerai
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To: Panerai

but that's what they are buying - the brand name, not the technology. what's "nike", anybody can make sneakers.


9 posted on 10/06/2006 7:21:06 PM PDT by oceanview
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To: oceanview

You are right, however are also buying the content. YouTube with be nothing without the videos that are already there.


10 posted on 10/06/2006 7:24:11 PM PDT by Panerai
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To: freedom4me
Does google allow as many Jihad videos as You Tube? You Tube has become the jihadists buddy while censoring conservatives.
11 posted on 10/06/2006 7:27:19 PM PDT by armymarinemom (My sons freed Iraqi and Afghan Honor Roll students.)
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To: freedom4me
Speaking of You Tube, I noticed that Cingular advertises on You Tube. It would be nice if a lot of folks would contact Cingular and complain that they are supporting terrorism by advertising on You Tube.
12 posted on 10/06/2006 7:34:21 PM PDT by armymarinemom (My sons freed Iraqi and Afghan Honor Roll students.)
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To: Dog Gone
That may be true, but if this goes through and google begins implements "regulatory rules" of some kind that result in censure (and we know who they'll be censuring - hint, it wouldn't be the Code Pinks of the world) this could become a popular avenue for folks who want to shut certain people up.

Who's to say that another group won't buy whatever replaces YouTube and proceed to censure that - copying whatever "regulatory" mumbo-jumbo (look for the language to come from California's legislature) google may use to control YouTube content.

Either this process needs to be shut down now or a strategy needs to be developed before the practice spreads.

If this google buyout goes through, we should begin developing a counteractive strategy.

If any company with money like google can buy out YouTube for the express purpose of controlling content (videos like 9-11 Was a Conspiracy... (by Islamic Fascists) would be pulled so fast you'd never know it was ever there), you can bet someone will devise a plan to buyout and "regulate" FreeRepublic. So just think about that.

13 posted on 10/06/2006 7:35:00 PM PDT by the anti-liberal (OUR schools are damaging OUR children)
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To: armymarinemom
Does google allow as many Jihad videos as You Tube? You Tube has become the jihadists buddy while censoring conservatives.

There are dozens of jihad lecturers on YouTube, including one "former Christian". It is very disturbing.

14 posted on 10/06/2006 7:42:13 PM PDT by montag813
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To: montag813
Well, is anybody posting videos to YouTube to counteract this, or are we just complaining that there are no videos on YouTube to counteract those jihadi lecturers?

If we don't post videos expressing our side, we can't complain that there are none.

YouTube will host it, but you have to post it.

15 posted on 10/06/2006 7:47:20 PM PDT by the anti-liberal (OUR schools are damaging OUR children)
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To: incredulous joe
After 9-11 I felt that it might be helpful to employ the same series "Islam for Dummies" to prime myself on the religion of peace.

Get a copy of the real deal, preferably for free from your neighborhood mosque during Ramadan (haha).

People need to read the Koran for themselves, no cliff notes, etc. Excerpted passages just don't do it justice to get a real understanding.

It will probably take you weeks to read it, since you will lose your lunch/dinner often and have to put it down for a day or two.

16 posted on 10/06/2006 7:52:06 PM PDT by KJC1
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To: the anti-liberal

Google already has Google Video. Buying out their main competition increases ad revenue, but it doesn't prevent startup sites.

In fact, it opens the door. I don't thing this is a good decision by Google.

It's definitely not going to reduce the number of video sites on the web by more than one.


17 posted on 10/06/2006 7:54:56 PM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: Dog Gone
Ah, you're looking at this from a purely business stand point - swallow your competition.

The problem is that google has become political.

18 posted on 10/06/2006 7:57:40 PM PDT by the anti-liberal (OUR schools are damaging OUR children)
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To: the anti-liberal; doug from upland
Well, is anybody posting videos to YouTube to counteract this, or are we just complaining that there are no videos on YouTube to counteract those jihadi lecturers?

Michelle Malkin got BANNED from YouTube. DougfromUpland posted an anti-jihadi video a couple days ago, but I don't know if he's been banned yet.

19 posted on 10/06/2006 7:58:04 PM PDT by KJC1
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To: rawhide

Time is of the essence in cornering the information market and its best to pay up front and gain the 2 or 3 years it would take to generate a site with the hits youtube has.

The real cost to Google is just the cash. I would guess it's probably less then 25% of the deal. The stock portion is just an exchange of like value and in a way is just funny money.

John


20 posted on 10/06/2006 8:06:47 PM PDT by Diggity
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