The Greatest American Lawyer

Coke and Google

Reading up on Larry Bodine's blog, I stumbled upon a link he had to another blog: Bookworm-SEO, and a post from Gab Goldenberg about his troubles with Google, uniquely titled: "Top 10 Reason Google Sucks My Chia Pets".

As you can tell by Goldenberg's title (or maybe not) he isn't a fan of Google, and he raises some very valid complaints regarding the giant search engine within this post. Forgetting about the merits of the different complaints right now, Goldenberg's post also begs the question - can you do business with anyone other than Google in internet marketing?

In today's age, Google has become synonmous with internet search itself. In fact, in common English, "google" has become both a noun and a verb, as consumers "google" rather than "conduct an internet search". What Coke is to the beverage business, Google is to the search engine one.

What this really means is that if you want to do business in internet advertising, you have to do it with Google; because that is where all of the consumers are going - whether or not you like it.

Those Who Came Before Me

Anonymous blogging is a fascinating obsession. It gives a voice to those who may only have ideas instead of credentials; and it protects those with credentials when sharing their ideas. That is what anonymous blogging is, its about writing what you feel, think, or believe without any danger of repercussion or accountability for those ideas.

The problem of putting your name to ideas that may carry unwanted repercussions, is not a new one arising before the writers of the world:

Denis Diderot (1713-1784), the publisher of the first Encyclopedia of the world, one of the great minds of the Enlightenment, was forced to work through the publishing of his 35 volume work in secrecy, in order to spread the ideals he shared with the other French Philosophes.

Voltaire (1694-1778), another Philosophe spreading the ideas of liberty and personal freedom in a France that was dangerous for both. He was one of the greatest philosophers the world has ever seen, and published Poem of the League (1723) anonymously from Geneva.

Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849), one of the most famous American writers. Poe invigorated the mystery and horror genre for the world, and published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), anonymously.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), subscriber to the Enlightenment in Europe, writer of the American Declaration of Independence, President of the United States. Jefferson anonymously published a Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774) as instructions for the Virginia delegates to the First Continental Congress.

We anonymous writers do so to say what needs to be said at times when the ideas that we spread may not find safe harbor from our neighbors, friends and colleagues. Writers who choose to do so anonymously, realize their duty, but acquiesce to their responsibilities. We compromise by saying what needs to be said, while separating that idea and the author so as to protect our public livelihood and name.

This is why I stand in a long line of proud and accomplished anonymous authors. To say what needed to be said at a time when my doing so carried consequences I did not want to deal with.