Google blocks Windows Phone from Maps, limits Gmail
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sat 5th Jan 2013 14:53 UTC
Talk, Rumors, X Versus Y And so this situation is starting to get ridiculous - and consumers are, as usual, caught in the middle of it all. Google has just blocked Windows Phone devices from accessing Google Maps on their phones. In addition, it also seems Windows Phone users are now restricted to the basic HTML version of the mobile GMail website. While understandable from a defensive perspective - Microsoft's extortion scheme targeting Android device makers and all that - it's still a massive dick move that only hurts consumers. Update: the media attention has worked - Google is backpedalling, and will remove the redirect. "We periodically test Google Maps compatibility with mobile browsers to make sure we deliver the best experience for those users. In our last test, IE mobile still did not offer a good maps experience with no ability to pan or zoom and perform basic map functionality. As a result, we chose to continue to redirect IE mobile users to Google.com where they could at least make local searches. The Firefox mobile browser did offer a somewhat better user experience and that’s why there is no redirect for those users. Recent improvements to IE mobile and Google Maps now deliver a better experience and we are currently working to remove the redirect. We will continue to test Google Maps compatibility with other mobile browsers to ensure the best possible experience for users."
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ze_jerkface
Member since:
2012-06-22

Schmidt and Ballmer are not founding members and they both answer to shareholders.

But it's obviously a generalization, you can find small businesses that are ran by total assholes.

In general though I would trust the moral decisions of a small business owner over a CEO that answers to shareholders.

I once ran into a compatibility problem with some small business software and the owner contacted me personally and even worked on a solution before I read his email.

To Microsoft, Apple and Google I'm not even worth considering unless it involves thousands of dollars or their public image. Even when they do care it's only out of obligation. None of those companies take pride in developing relationships with partners. Microsoft only contacted us once in the last few years to make sure we were going to follow through with a big purchase and not go open source. They never even followed up with a thank you for sending them thousands of dollars. Not going open source? That's all we need to know. Goodbye.

Reply Parent Score: 2

tylerdurden Member since:
2009-03-17

yeah, but I was simply pointing out that in this case, since the thread involved google and miscrosoft, your appeal to emotion was based on a bit of an iffy premise; Ballmer is a founding member of microsoft for all intents and purposes. And Schmidt is no longer the CEO of google, Larry Page is.

Reply Parent Score: 2

ze_jerkface Member since:
2012-06-22

Ballmer did not found the company, he was brought in later as a managing executive. He didn't create anything.

As for Schmidt he is still the executive chair and he and Larry both have an obligation to serve shareholders over the public.

Morality isn't built into the corporate structure. That's not an appeal to emotion but a well known fact. If humans want corporations to place greater emphasis on the public good then the corporate structure should be reformed. Capitalism can take many forms and we don't have to allow it exist in a state where publicly traded corporations prioritize profit above all else.

Reply Parent Score: 2