Hoping To Never Lay a Flower on Gmail's Grave

This week, as we talk about search engines and Google, most specifically, a thought occurred to me…

“What did I do before Google?!”

Pulling from recent memory, I could not immediately come up with that answer. So, I decided to Google it – because I cannot think of a better way to get the answer I’m looking for. My initial search of “what did we do before Google” brought up a long list of editorial articles in which other people have asked the exact same question. I started to see names like “AskJeeves” and “MSN Search” that jogged my memory. I remember they were hard to work with, but the best I had access to at the time. As I continued to read through various editorials, one sentence caught my attention – a blog post titled “Do We Rely on Google Too Much?” 

In the post, the author Gordon says, “their sudden and surprising decision to axe Google Reader, throwing RSS fans across the globe into chaos, it makes you wonder if we’re starting to rely on their services just a little too much for our own good.” My answer to that question is yes, absolutely. I rely on Google not only for daily searches, but also for personal email service and driving directions.

It is hard to imagine what I would do if Google decided that Gmail was no longer relevant. I have years of information stored within my Gmail account that would need to be relocated. Not to mention updating every subscription I have used my Gmail username to receive notifications (i.e. school, banking information, personal contacts, etc.). In addition, how would I know directions to drive somewhere without Google Maps? Sure I could find another map site, like MapQuest, and I could create a new personal email with Yahoo, but the time to switch these behaviors and use a new service that may not be as good is not something I want to do.

I have come to terms with my reliance on Google. I do not plan to use a different provider until Google decides they will no longer offer the services I regularly use. And just in case they do decide to get rid of Gmail or Google Maps, I know I can join other mourners at the Google Graveyard and leave a flower in the application’s memory.