back to article ALPHABET TOTALLY LOSES ITS SCHMIDT: Exec chairman Eric quits

Eric Schmidt has quit as executive chairman of Alphabet, Google's post-restructuring parent. Schmidt – who served as Google's adult supervision and CEO from 2001 through 2011 before stepping back to enjoy time as exec chairman of the board and billionaire – will remain a board member. After officially stepping down from the …

  1. deevee

    This is EXCELLENT news, and can only be made better by getting rid of him entirely. Google went from a "do no evil" company to a "greed is good" company under Schmidt's rule.

    1. BillG
      Mushroom

      Usually, when someone steps down like this, there is a major scandal on the horizon.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Usually, when someone steps down like this, there is a major scandal on the horizon.

        Yeah, but they control the search results. It'll never see the light of day.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Usually, when someone steps down like this, there is a major scandal on the horizon.

        Maybe this one?

      3. Flakk

        Usually, when someone steps down like this, there is a major scandal on the horizon.

        Sometimes terminal illness is also a factor. I think Schmidt's cavalier attitude toward privacy is revolting, but I don't wish him dead.... merely in a position where he can do less harm.

        You've done Google stockholders a service, Eric. Well done, I guess. Now go away.

      4. Adam 52 Silver badge

        "Usually, when someone steps down like this, there is a major scandal on the horizon."

        He has a bit of a reputation with the ladies, something that's become increasingly untenable in the past year.

    2. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

      I can't think of a time when Google wasn't as evil as possible.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      And what evil do they do EXACTLY? In what way are they any worse than Apple, Facebook Microsoft?

      If anything Google are more open and honest about things than the other big players I mentioned.

      1. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

        "If anything Google are more open and honest about things than the other big players I mentioned."

        You don't know anything about Google. Google is open and honest about a just enough things to make it appear that they're not being evil. They're also collecting huge amounts of personal data that isn't disclosed, they're associating personal data in clever ways that potentially reveals much more than they disclose, and they lie to their advertising customers about how accurate their information is.

        People say that personal data spying is a fair trade for a free product. That's fine until Google starts dominating markets and there are no spying-free alternatives. Did you know that Apple and Google refuses to offer microSD cards so you're connected to their cloud more often? Did you know that the headphone jack is being removed so that Bluetooth beacon detection works more often? Do you really think that self-driving car technology won't coerce you into taking sponsored routes? It goes on forever.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          I think you need to apply more tin foil to your hat.

          The google deal is out in the open with a easy to read privacy policy. Out of all the big players, it's the easiest to read.

          If they were breaking their policy, there would be litigation on a grand scale.

  2. W4YBO

    ALPHABET TOTALLY LOSES ITS SCHMIDT

    As usual, El Reg scores with the headline. Good one!

    1. Pen-y-gors

      Re: ALPHABET TOTALLY LOSES ITS SCHMIDT

      "No Schmidt, Sherlock" - the subhead is even better!

      +lots

      1. BillG
        Coat

        Re: ALPHABET TOTALLY LOSES ITS SCHMIDT

        "The Schmidt has hit the fan?"

        I'll get my coat...

      2. Chemical Bob

        Re: "No Schmidt, Sherlock"

        Schirley, you mean "No Schmidt Scherlock"...

  3. beast666

    The globalists are being taken down one by one.

    The storm is coming.

    1. Mpeler
      Holmes

      Another Schmidt-head leaves Alphabet

      And another one rides the bus.....

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      They said similar things about the East India Company, when it dissolved.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Been spending a lot of time on - 'Philanthropy'" ???

    Schmidt is Bill Gates II. But will he wake up and see the harm caused from selling everyone's privacy to Ad men? Quote: 'If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place.'

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "Been spending a lot of time on - 'Philanthropy'" ???

      Schmidt is Bill Gates II. But will he wake up and see the harm caused from selling everyone's privacy to Ad men?

      Why would he? He made his money off off it without any consequences. Gates was even given a knighthood for his ability to squeeze money out of the educational system and then give a fraction of it back for a building in his name.

    2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      WTF?

      "Schmidt is Bill Gates II" ?

      Somehow he'll always be just "Creepy Eric" to me....

      But in Corporate America where "Antisocial Personality Disorder" is a synonym for "Fast track promotion" or "Entrepreneur" the odds on bet is he won't be replaced by anything more human.

      1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Coat

        Re: "Schmidt is Bill Gates II" ?

        And I've been downvoted.

        Someone with a touch of APD feeling a bit discriminated against perhaps?

  5. John Crisp

    Saw what you did there

    "Schmidt's canned"

    Nice one :-)

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Then end is Nigh (hopefully)

    For your spying on all of us.

    Good riddance I say.

    Once upon a time, you were seen as a shining light.

    Now all your slurping makes you a sticky mess. Too many fingers in too many pies makes you fat and bloated.

    Your time is over big 'G'.

    Give us all a great christmas by announcing that you will cease ALL operations by 31st Dec 2018.

    1. Down not across

      Re: Then end is Nigh (hopefully)

      Then end is Nigh (hopefully)

      For your spying on all of us.

      Except, sadly it is not usually possible to put the genie back into the bottle.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I don't understand the comments..

    The majority of opinions expressed seem to suggest that Google will change its ways with the departure of Schmidt, but I can't see what that optimism is based on.

    I cannot see Google change a winning formula if they are still getting away with it.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I don't understand the comments..

      This. I'm not at all convinced that Page and Brin aren't wholly in step with the corporate culture that Schmidt fostered. "Don't Be Evil" is meaningless in a post-modern society, where evil means whatever you wish it to mean.

    2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      Unhappy

      "I cannot see Google change a winning formula if they are still getting away with it."

      Exactly.

      If a US corporation is legally a "citizen" their default personality is psychopathic.

      The history of Corporate behaviour is that they will in practice (not in theory).

      a) Do whatever they can get away with to maximize profits.

      b) Deny they are doing anything wrong unless you have cast iron proof, and probably still lie about it even then.

      What sort of personality type does that sound like to you?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    "I just got a big tax break!"

    Mwaawwwaaaah!!! Need some time off to spend all those billions!!!

  9. The Empress

    Bond Villain 2.0

    He wants to be a Bond villain like Bezos

  10. trisul

    Serial womaniser

    Google him and you find out he's a serial womaniser. If you ask me, he got caught.

  11. Sir Loin Of Beef

    In other words, he is moving sideways so he has more room to run the company and work with the government(?) from behind the scenes while a hand picked successor is "in charge"

  12. Matthew Glubb

    Leadership

    His name clearly indicates his performance during his tenure. If you separate the shit from Schmidt, you are left with SHIT CMD = Poor leadership.

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