Marking his first year back as Google’s CEO, Larry Page just posted an “update” in which he
articulates, well, not a whole lot.
“In it, [Page] underscored Google’s commitment to making big long-term bets and to its social network Google+, but he did not make any big
revelations or provide any financial details,” writes The Los
Angeles Times.
“It is a bit of corporate-speak, but nevertheless it feels like it is from a guy who feels happy with his first 12 months in the job,” according to GigaOm.
“Reminiscent of a State of the Union address,” The Verge writes of the update: “Social search and product unification is
[sic] at the forefront of the conversation.”
Reasons Wired: “Though the memo of
course puts Google in its best light, it does have a sense of authenticity, as it accurately reflects the values and thought process of its author.”
Also, as GigaOm adds, the letter is
not entirely without details, including the claim that Google+ now has more than 100 million “active users.”
“Of course, Page failed to define ‘active,’ leaving
room for the social network’s naysayers to counter with skeptical critiques,” remarks VentureBeat.
“As one astute Twitter user put it today, "Define active? Me logging into Gmail every day, which
automatically shows me as available in G+, doesn’t make me an active user.”
Meanwhile, as Reuters reports, Page “signaled Google's intentions to make hardware devices when its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings closes later this year, even as
some observers have speculated that Google was only interested in the company for its extensive patent portfolio.”
“In a side reference to the ‘Do No Evil’ motto that
Google unveiled when it went public, Page said that Google has ‘always believed that it's possible to make money without being evil,’” CNet notes. “At the same time, however,
he acknowledged that tapping that emotional chord is harder than simply turning a slogan into a corporate goal.”