Google is the maverick of the Internet age

While Google has soared recently in terms of share price and quarterly revenues, it seems as though all is incredibly cheery in the land of do no evil. For the most part, this is true -- Google has, in a relatively short time -- forged ahead of competitors in very lucrative spaces such as Internet services (head-to-head with Yahoo! and the work-in-progress Windows Live) and is now moving into more business-oriented services, such as small-business email and corporate search. Corporate search is desperately needed and Google, once again, seems to be leading the marketplace with a product that can help business users navigate indecipherable corporate intranets for the information they need -- and only what they need.

With that said, the reason Google has been known as the do no evil company, aside from product strategy and the mantra that rules its kingdom, is the way it went public in August 2004. Google executives -- and no doubt fueled by wunderkind founders Brin and Page -- decided to open the IPO to normal, everyday individual investors by allowing shares to be traded on the open market immediately as the IPO opened, in what the market calls a dutch auction. Not only did this impress me as a bystander (I don't own GOOG stock), but it reminded me of why the company can get away with what it does without the market screaming for blood -- especially the hedgers, investment banks and institutionals that almost always (oops, always) want the lucrative IPOs for themselves.

Although Google continues to produce quarterly results, it generally does not give guidance and answers inept market questions (short-term nonsensical stuff) to the chagrin of the big boys, but earning respect from the rest of us. Google's maverick status is a sign o' the times in the day and age of short-term result euphoria and long-term shareholder value forgetfulness by The Street. I'm impressed -- should you be?