Best Business Commentary

Is Google a monopoly?

Google “won its near-monopoly fair and square,” says Steven Pearlstein in The Washington Post, just like “AT&T in the 1950s, IBM in the 1960s, Intel in the 1970s, and Microsoft in the 1980s.” But does it stifle competition, as antitrust regulators charge? With its purchase of ad firm DoubleClick, “not particularly.” But with its proposed investment in Facebook, yes. AT&T, IBM, and the others were supplanted by innovation. And Facebook may well be the “new idea will come along to supplant Google as Internet kingpin.” The government needn’t punish dominant players like Google, but it should “make sure the monopolist doesn’t use its advantages to eliminate the emerging contenders.”

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If things go badly in a new job, can you ask for your old job back? says Tara Weiss in Forbes.com. Maybe. Your best shot to “keep your dignity intact and convince your former manager to rehire you” is if you left in the right way: giving at least two weeks notice, finishing “as many projects as possible,” being honest about why you’re leaving, and “staying in touch.” But “before you go begging,” consider whether it’s even a good idea. “After all, you left for a reason.” If your job didn’t match “your natural abilities and things you’re interested in,” you might be better off working to get your “dream job.”