FASTENATED WITH GOOGLE

I know very little about computer programing and indeed I know more than I want to know. However, it is fascinating to learn the power embedded in Google.

Perhaps the most important thing about Google is that management is trying to leave the doors open to allow others to connect as many programs as they like. Google wants to be partners with millions or even billions of web users. To this end, Google offers services without charge and gives away code so users can adapt the web to fit their needs.

As best as I can understand, what is about to happen is that many web applications will be designed by thousands of programmers. One can already find hundreds of short programs available for free on the web. Consumers are beginning to see benefits.

Consumers no longer need to pay Microsoft big bucks for a spell checker, because in the blink of an eye, Google will scan the whole page and highlight questionable words. I am typing this message on what in effect is a Google word processor. I have the expensive Microsoft Word program on this machine but I use it less each day.

I understand that thousands of users have found neat tricks they can program into Google search features. Maps are good examples. Users are building directories of neighbors, class members and other groups with maps that show the locations of all members. Companies that are not real sure about what they think about the Autolink web features are busy building links all over the place.

Guru.net made news today out of old news when it announced AdSense links on its answers.com web site and RealMoney.com agreed to purchase a small search company. Yahoo is said to be buying a photo program that will compete with Google's Picasso and Yahoo will soon start a competing contextual advertisement program.

I sense a good market for Yahoo and Google in the weeks and months ahead. A number of short-term traders are making the mistake of taking profits in energy positions. Unless they get lucky, they are not likely to get back in much lower than today's prices. I don't think the average young person appreciates the enormity of the energy problem. It will not go away quickly. However, the market is like the ocean tide. When the tide comes rolling in there will be big waves and little waves but you can't stop it. Traders do not want to be left behind. They may jump off the energy wave, miss the next surge and then jump on the internet wave again as it starts another good run.

I'm holding onto my oil drillers and my Google and my Yahoo to name a few. I'm not letting go of my railroads, airlines or discount brokerage firms either. I have lightened up on interest sensitive stocks such as banks and retailers but then Sandra identified JAS as a nice retail play.

In the mean-time, I will continue to try new Google services as they come available. My toolbar is filled with Google buttons. I have used the movie search the video search, the stock quotes, the thesaurus, the spell checker, the news, the site search, the desk-top search, the university search, Picasa, Blogger, Gmail and the autolink. I have been a Yahoo owner for a long time. Yahoo has more sources of revenue and some neat tricks in its bag. Yahoo is great but Google is special. I am FASTENATED WITH GOOGLE.