News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Yelp’s Six-Year Conflict with Google by baddox on Tuesday July 04, 2017 @05:07PM (#14698292)
Isn't stifling competition only bad if it harms consumers? I don't understand how what's best for consumers isn't the point.
Re:Yelp’s Six-Year Conflict with Google by SwellJoe on Tuesday July 04, 2017 @05:20PM (#14698377)
As long as there is credible competition, market forces work. When Google (or MS, or Amazon, or...) successfully destroy all of their competition, that's when consumers suffer, and that's when it's too late for regulators to effectively solve the problem. See the cable/telco duopolies for an example of that problem in action.

So, sure. The fight to destroy all competitors is good for consumers while it lasts. Once it's over and there's a monopoly or cartel (as in the case of last-mile internet), the consumer is at the mercy of the monopolist. History indicates the monopolist will not be benevolent.

History also indicates the monopolist will leverage their increased power to manipulate the legal environment to prevent new competitors from springing up. In addition to the telcos, the fossil fuel industry is an example of that lately; despite renewables being cheaper and creating more jobs, more than half of our elected officials in the US are working hard to ensure another decade of fossil fuel energy dominance.

Re:Yelp’s Six-Year Conflict with Google by haltingthoughts on Tuesday July 04, 2017 @05:23PM (#14698389)
I should have said looking at whether it is harming consumers now isn't the point. It's how it harms consumers over time. The chilling effect on innovation, the monoculture/fragility, the lock-in will hurt consumers in the long run.
Re:Yelp’s Six-Year Conflict with Google by wbl on Tuesday July 04, 2017 @05:45PM (#14698502)
People can compete with Google on quality of reviews. This is attempt to make Google less useful.
Re:Yelp’s Six-Year Conflict with Google by bdcravens on Tuesday July 04, 2017 @07:06PM (#14698888)
I think the position the powers that take is that competition is intrinsically consumer beneficial, with the inverse assumption that anything that harms competition harms consumers.