Mr Google, Mr Blogger....

We should wish our host, Larry Page, god of Google, overlord of all Blogger blogs, a happy birthday. He was born 26 March 1973.

Pyra Labs originally created the Blogger service in 1999. It was acquired by Google in 2003. Pyra was co-founded by Evan Williams( born March 31, 1972, also Aries Sun like Page) and Meg Hourihan (d.o.b. unknown).

Let's have a gander at Mr. Page's natal chart, it'll be set for 12 noon as no time of birth is available:

Without time of birth Moon's position can't be plotted exactly. If Page were born before around 7.00am Moon would have been in Sagittarius, any time after that, in early Capricorn. Capricorn fits his obvious business sense -

Wiki: As of 2014, Page's personal wealth is estimated to be US$32.3 billion, ranking him #17 on the Forbes list of billionaires.

Sagittarius Moon would reflect Google's world-wide application as well as Page's wider ranging interests beyond Google (Tesla Motors, hybrid vehicles,alternative energy investment, philanthropic ventures, etc.)

Ascendant can't be calculated without birth-time.

Sun and Venus in Aries, sign of the enthusiastic initiator is very appropriate, especially with Jupiter at 6 Aquarius sextile Sun/Venus, adding Aquarian innovation and Jupitarian expansive reach to the mix.

One would confidently expect to see some prominent reflection relating to information communication in this chart. Yes, it's here! Saturn in Gemini in harmonious trine to Uranus in Libra, an Airy harmony producing a nice blend of career-based mentally oriented communication and innovation. Saturn in Gemini also opposes Neptune in Sagittarius: possibly balancing any flighty or too-fanciful notions with a cool Saturnian business-oriented eye? That is also echoed in Mercury the communications planet in Neptune-ruled Pisces, squared by Saturn in Gemini (sign ruled by Mercury).

ROBBER-BARONITIS

A robber baron, originally, was an unscrupulous and despotic nobleman of medieval Europe. The term is also used to describe wealthy and powerful unscrupulous industrialists of the 19th century who used exploitative practices to amass their wealth. They would exert control over national resources, gain a high level of government influence, pay extremely low wages to their unfortunate employees, quash competition by buying out competitors in order to create monopolies and eventually raise prices and limit services, and devise schemes to sell stock at inflated prices to unsuspecting investors in a manner which would eventually destroy the company for which the stock was issued and impoverish investors. (Wikipedia)

I did a bit of light research on Google's two entrepreneurs, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, then went on to look into that other internet giant, Amazon, and its CEO and founder Jeff Bezos (below). Are these three individuals some of the 21st century's equivalents of 19th century robber barons? They are now certainly among the wealthiest individuals in the USA, multi-billionaires, (allegedly more than 20 billion each, and # 11 and 13 on the Forbes 400 list). All three experienced meteoric rise from the mid 1990s onward, in tandem with mushrooming of the internet.

I am becoming frustrated and annoyed with Google's ongoing shenanigans. Having forced me into using their Chrome browser because Blogger's (now owned by Google) new interface is incompatible with the most up to date version of Internet Explorer my XP pro operating system is compatible with, there then arose an issue with the e mail address associated with my Blogger/Google account. I am to be forced to provide a second e mail address. I don't want to do so. Chrome will not function without my doing so. Firefox to the rescue. What'll happen when Google buys out Firefox?

Google has become way, way too big for its boots with too many tentacles! Much as I admire the skills and talent involved, and the wondrous search engine, I can't help thinking that the interests of users have, latterly, been well and truly sidelined. I don't know how Google treats its staff, but they tend to treat users of their services with deep disdain.

Amazon, on the instruction of their CEO, do put the interests of their customers first at all times, but often to the detriment of their staff members. Staff are badly paid and in some cases expected to work excessive hours in poor conditions with no sick pay should they fall ill. Amazon's undeniable efficiency is achieved at the expense of its workers - in conditions loosely comparable to Walmart's staff treatment.

Admittedly, these examples of 21st century robber baronitis are not nearly as nasty as 19th century counterparts, they are not the worst 21st century examples either, but they are two very familiar to all who spend time online every day. There is, though, potential for even worse to come. Google has access to information on everyone who uses the internet, and on what we do online. If such information were to be only slightly expanded, maybe released to government by mandate, results could prove to have unpleasant consequences - doesn't take much imagination to see that!

Google and Amazon: two examples of how excellent innovative ideas from brilliant minds, with initially good intention, can become corrupted by intoxication of success and then morph, like some unwieldy drunk, into an entity the men may not have originally envisaged. They are now blinded by the size and power of the behemoths they created.