My column at Forbes about the real reasons why Google is quitting China has generated a strong response. Check out the comments if you don't believe me.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/15/baidu-china-search-intelligent-technology-google.html
I asked a number of leading venture capitalists in China and Silicon Valley if they agreed with my premise: that it was primarily a business decision--not censorship--that is leading Google to quit China.
Here's what they had to say:
"You hit the nail on the head. Nice ink."
"Yes, I agree. This was purely a business decision. It is what is called a 'Hail Mary' in football."
"Interesting . . "
"Interesting perspective."
"One thing is real: arrogance is like the hare losing the race to the turtle. It's true that expats can't play local."
"Many people are happy that Google is taking this decision. We will see how this plays out. . . I think Google is on the right side of the discussion."
"Is it 100 percent business decision, probably not. But if they had been #1 in the market, would they say they were pulling out? Unlikely. So it definitely factors in that they are not winning and have a lot of bodies there."
Tech innovation and venture investment with a Silicon Valley view of global trends
