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A comment on Alphabet Becomes the Most Valuable Public Company in the World. Parent comment

Re:Alphabet Becomes the Most Valuable Public Company in the ... by msh on Tuesday February 02, 2016 @01:00AM (#11017848)
Google is a ad company who uses search to attract customers.

I don't see the McDonald's reference as the same, drinks are part of their food product. Ads are not a integrated part of search (google did not start out having ads).

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Re:Alphabet Becomes the Most Valuable Public Company in the ... by Drdrdrq on Tuesday February 02, 2016 @02:07AM (#11018011)
Sure they are - that is what separates AdWords from other advertising platforms.
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Re:Alphabet Becomes the Most Valuable Public Company in the ... by ivanca on Tuesday February 02, 2016 @01:20AM (#11017893)
So, if set up a fashion magazine and then I fill it with ads, I'm in the fashion magazines business, or in the ads business?

If someone asks, which of the 2 answers would be more helpful to them?

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Re:Alphabet Becomes the Most Valuable Public Company in the ... by hanspeter on Tuesday February 02, 2016 @02:02AM (#11018000)
If your magazine starts handling ads in every other publisher's magazines too and then starts handling ads in TV and then starts putting up billboards by the highways, I'd say the answer isn't so obvious.
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