All Google has to do it allow the Google-TV user to change the user agent to look like Internet Explorer, done :)

Everywhere google gets blocked - Bing and Yahoo should step in.
Bing and Yahoo probably arent that bright though.
Shame

Another step away from the open web. The opposite of the usual problem, which comes from the telcos, but not good either.

You can change the user agent in Chrome on the Google TV. Google must have planned for this since Hulu blocks Boxbee the same way.

I haven't done it yet, but I did notice that the network sites didn't play on the Google TV.

Old Media is hanging on as long as they can, but it's inevitable they they are eventually going to be just like other video outlets, like YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, Veoh, Mevio, etc.

Personally, I can hardly wait.

Personally, I can hardly wait.

Get ready for quality to go way down, then. Money is the motivator for any quality programming you get. If profits go away, so will the quality.

I think it's more that "Old Media" is concerned that Google might want to pggiy-back advertising on their content. From the WS article:

The company also has been in talks with Madison Avenue's media-buying firms to discuss how to sell ads on the Google TV interface without interfering with TV commercials, people familiar with the matter have said.

I think it's more that "Old Media" is concerned that Google might want to pggiy-back advertising on their content.

Most likely that's the case. "old media" is worried that Google will sell ads and take away their ad revenue.

Quick, imagine if they'd done the same thing to TiVo, where would we be now?

Actually glad to see companies standing up to Google. TV now? Google needs to cool it. What's next, Google coffee shops?

Once Google buys out my electricity provider and opens a grocery store, I'll have no reason to use any other companies for anything. Long live the GOOFLE.

I just want to reply to some of negative things people say on here about Google. Google has improved my life and the lives of many of those who post hateful comments about the company in many ways.

I hope they continue to innovate and grow. There are recent reports of a major investment and research Google is conducting that may result in many lives being saved due to car accidents being avoided. I'm sure some would say Google doesn't belong in this market too.

It's nice to see Google continue to innovate in ways that provide a better quality of life for consumers. This makes great business sense, and investors will be well rewarded in my opinion.

Google TV is going to be huge I believe. The networks have a valid concern regarding advertising, but it sounds like Google is prepared to work with them to address these concerns. Makes sense. It's best for everyone concerned.

It's astounding that Google thinks the worlds content is theirs if they build new platforms for it all.

Good on ya ABC, CBS and NBC for saying "Mighty nice platform Google, too bad you don't produce your own stuff to put on it".

Google TV is going to be huge I believe.

Google TV is everyone else's content putting money in Google pockets instead of theirs and that's never going to be a HUGE hit, like EVER.

I think this is a good move for content owners. It needs to be crystal clear that the free ride for Google needs to come to an end. Where is the point in giving Google content for free and thus decreasing the value of that content for the owner or its licensee?

Surely, there are always fanboys claiming that Google has "improved" their lives. Could be that these work for Google (likely). Could be that they were successful with Adsense. Could be that they have used Google Maps to calculate a route. Could be that they like the experience Google search is giving them.

However, I am becoming very very suspicious when these claims are being posted in a very unreflected manner by new members. If these posters were acknowledging the width and depth of the discussion about Google, they could never come up with such statements. Google is NOT the white knight that can not do wrong. It is much more like a kid that does not understand or care for any social conventions and is still trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong. Unfortunately, the kid is a 5,000 pound Gorilla by now, and any wrong move can cause serious problems for those standing in its way.

But people are beginning to bark back. They are forming opposition, be it in form of 245,000 households who requested removal from Google Streetview in Germany; be it in form of data protection government offices accusing Google of illegal data collection. Also, those users moving to Bing from Google are speaking a very clear language. There will be a time when webmasters around the globe will be openly promote Bing FOR FREE just to loosen the grip that Google has on them.

Google WILL go down like so many other huge Internet services before. It's just a matter of time.

Just imagine the day we are talking about goog like we talk about AOL. If that shows anyone anything its how the mighty can fall so far.

ABC, CBS and NBC don't need Google to be found or sell advertising as most of us publishers do. Moreover, these networks are not interested in sharing advertising money in the publishing of their content – nor should they.

By blocking Google they are removing the potential of a middle man and any revenue cutting maneuver Google might have plans for.

Looks like a smart business move by the TV networks to me.

This may very well be my first post after years of lurking.

I think that Google has improved my life. Every day, for no cash, I get search, email, analytics, reader, calendar, much more. I know they aren't "free", but I am aware of the information I trade for these services and I think that I am getting a damn good deal.

disclaimer: over the last 5 years I have earned almost $200 from AdSense, and bought 3 steak dinners for myself and my friend with the money.

sorry, 4th post.

Personally, I can hardly wait.

Get ready for quality to go way down, then.

Most of us here are business owners, so we're familiar with the theory that in order to be great, you must be willing to fail multiple times.

I believe there is better TV programming today than there has ever been, because the Internet allows so many people to fail so spectacularly with their new productions ideas. This ultimately leads to spectacular success in new production ideas, and I think we're seeing that already. People are buying entire seasons of shows in ever-increasing numbers, often shows they've already watched. And I'm right there with them.

Lets see... if you or I, as webmasters and business owners:

• Completed market research to find our audience
  
• Paid good money (or did it on our own sweat and labor) to have great content created
  
• did all the legwork of getting quality website advertisers
  
• Found ways to attract more advertisers and create an income to sustain our business, families, and employees with.
  

Then Google came along, and simply because we didn't stop them... took our hard work and content, used it on THEIR websites, plastered advertisements all around it and reported record earnings every quarter, Well, I would be pretty upset!

...wait a minute!

Now that I think about it... if you or I did it, we would be penalized, called a mashup site and possibly even removed from the search index.

This may very well be my first post after years of lurking.

I think that Google has improved my life. Every day, for no cash, I get search, email, analytics, reader, calendar, much more. I know they aren't "free", but I am aware of the information I trade for these services and I think that I am getting a damn good deal.

disclaimer: over the last 5 years I have earned almost $200 from AdSense, and bought 3 steak dinners for myself and my friend with the money.

Google would throw you under the bus in a second for profit. THAT'S the scary part.

over the last 5 years I have earned almost $200 from AdSense

Good for you that you don't depend on google to put dinner on the table. It is about time you head over to the adsense forum right here on webmasterworld and read a few posts from the people who were booted by google.

Google has improved my life...{/quote]
{quote]I get search, email, analytics, reader, calendar, much more.

Free email, analyics, calender etc. existed way before google came into existence. I don't see google founders or employees getting nobel prize for inventing any of these things.

Besides, most of the "free" products you use were merely Google buying out good companies. Analytics used to be Urchin, etc. Just follow their acquisitions list and you'll find out how little they truly developed.

Well - rockitfuel - errrr yes. Right then.

Now - down to business.

Post above said google will go down - its just a matter of time.

The thing is - i'll be an old man by the time that happens - theres too many fanboys yet to get their asses slapped by g (mind you any fanboy worth his salt would probably enjoy a google spanking), and another group (the public) who couldnt give a toss.

I wonder - in reality though - whilst I cant stand goofle - I sometimes wonder whether as a site owner I am in the minority or the majority.

Reading this thread - I think the latter - but in terms of globally - I sadly suspect theres still a large majority if google bottom kissers out there.

The simple most sensible thing in this thread (and there are a lot of very correct posts here) is the one which says give bing some free advertising.

Its a HUGE picture to comprehend is that - but even enough to split the market a bit more would put the site owner (IE THE INTERNET OWNER) in a stronger - and more secure position with his/her livelyhood.

This for me is key (below)

The thing is - we rely on the engines - we acknowledge this in the main part.

We try to please one of them - in the main part. We spend a lot of time and money on pleasing just the one - and yet for almost ZERO dollars and ZERO risk - we could split the market.

It wont happen of course.

The Lions know this aswell - the poor Zebra herd only has to stampede the lion and kill it to change their lives forever.

They wont stampede though - because they are cowards. Stupid Thick Blind Cowards, and they will continue to be eaten alive for all eternity.

Do they deserve this life of theirs then?

:)

To me, it's not a question of whether or not someone is a Google fanboy or not. The only people who can be upset about Google taking content and slapping advertising around it, and not be hypocrites, are those who have blocked their sites from being indexed by Google.

Secondly, everyone keeps talking about how Google makes money from other people's content. They are not. They are making money from mining the content and presenting it in the most useful format currently available.

The same people who are upset about Google should also be upset about digg, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, and even Webmasterworld. Isn't WebmasterWorld made up of user content? Just because there is no advertising on the forum it does not mean there is not value being extracted from this very interaction between member. But we are all here willingly, contributing, and benefiting. So if we choose to participate, then there is no room for complaints.

If you are so upset about Google making money from your content, then why not exclude its spiders from your site? I know some members of the forum do this, and they are the only ones who have can voice their opinion about Google without being hypocrites. I am not one of those people.

I use AdSense, Gmail, Google Analytics, Voice, AdWords, WebmasterTools, Docs, and other services.

Google has made my life better, even though I have privacy concerns; however, so far they have not outweighed the benefits that I get from Google...at least not based on my understanding of what I am giving up in return for the services.

So let's bring the discussion back to what the issue really is: Networks being afraid that Google TV will do to them what iTunes has done to the music industry.

What is funny is that most of us (including myself) talking about this topic do not know what exactly Google TV is.

Sorry about the long rant. :)

Thank you for your insightful comment Kufu. I'm one of those being called Google "fan boy". Like that's supposed to be derogatory.

There's an interesting discussion about this topic going on over at slashdot if anybody is interested. I found this comment particularly interesting - [news.slashdot.org ].

I'm not sure what all this other nonsense has to do with Google TV.

The fact is that Google TV is a pure internet appliance, something those TV services already allow visitors to use, such as laptops, netbooks, desktops and smartphones.

Why block Google TV?

Why not block Opera, or Firefox?

As far as we the consumer are concerned, this is an access issue, and I'm inclined to side against the people blocking Google TV in this case because my TV is a legit internet device at this point.

I can access the net via my Wii, PS3 or even the laptop plugged into the TV, so why block a different valid internet appliance?

The answer is simple, greed.

These services already inject advertising into their content and now they want Google to pay as well, just like they want Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner, etc. to pay for "distributing" their content.

The difference here is that Google isn't a distributor, they merely supplied an internet device, not unlike a TiVo in a way, that allows us to easily search and play content.

What's next, they won't allow us to play Hulu from a Comcast IP address?

C'mon people, this is censorship of user access, I'd expect a bit more outrage.

I got my Google TV the first day it was available. I own just about every other Internet video appliance, too. I figure I make my living from technology, so tech gadgets are my one vice.

I see the networks blocking GTV access as a desperate roadblock effort to hold onto the past as long as they possibly can. They know it's inevitable, old media's monopoly is crumbling and they are having to change to serve the viewers instead of themselves. They wish it wasn't happening, but like printing press publishing and record stores, their destiny is clear.

It's like Hulu having an iPhone app, but blocking that app from being connected to a TV. Hulu plays on your computer, but not on your computer through boxee. Do they want viewers or not? They are definitely conflicted here. (Hulu is a partnership with a majority ownership by big networks.)

The big networks are simply holding onto the past as long as they can. I recommend switching to alternative online-only networks, to help make that transition period as short as possible.

Guys, do we then take it that if some really wealthy paid some sharp programmers to designer a web only super dupper web page frammer, frammed everyones blog posts, forum content, directory listings, etc,
all on a neat TBPR 8 site with links from every .edu, .org, .gov site his renown can attract, then surrounds the content with advertising , that would be a neat business too wouldn't it.

Afterall, if it can be done, it should be done appears to be the attitude, intellectual property, hah, it will be good for all to have their content framed and viewed on thius mega site :)

Okay , I am just kidding , in case some don't get it

rocketfuel thanks for chiming in. i too have "lurked" here for a long time.