Is 'Good Ship Lollipop' Sinking At Google?

Search Engine Marketing > Search Engine Watch Blog

The 'state-of-the art' day care facilities at Google have increased their pricing to around what it costs to go to some community colleges, according to the New York Times. While the free food, refreshments and candy, once looked upon as a great perk by many outsiders considering a Google job, now seem to be considered pampering by co-founder Sergey Brin, NYT reports.

Though a Google spokesperson denied it, several people who attended a T.G.I.F. meeting in June claim Brin said "he was tired of “Googlers� who felt entitled to perks like “bottled water and M&Ms,� NYT stated.

Hey Sergey, you keep these people at their desks longer - or is it productivity or new thoughts outside the box are not coming as rapidly as in the past? Maybe the $72 million a year spent on food is cutting into Sergey's private income, and he does not want child care to take even more.

Given stock prices are a long way from the $700 highs of last year, it should now not fall on the non-millionaire employees to make up the short fall.

Seems to me this approach is a lot like the minimum bid increases that saw the regular advertiser pay for Google's efforts to stop arbitragers - they were so profitable Google continued this with implementation of Quality Scores to keep minimum bids and have all new advertisers pay premiums starting out their accounts.

Working at Google was once almost an extension of living with your parents, but now it seems dad is starting to charge rent.

Full article at: http://feeds.searchenginewatch.com/~r/sewblog/~3/329050857/080707-123311

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Channel Title: Search Engine Watch Blog
Channel Description: Provides constant updates of the latest search engine marketing and other search news from Search Engine Watch and across the web.
Channel Link: http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/
Time added to seo24 archive: 13:00:15 - 08/07/2008 - Current server time: 08:17:00
seo24 Category: Search Engine Marketing