What the hell is Hobson’s Choice?
Ask Google.
What is Hobson’s Choice?
Hobson’s Choice refers to a scenario where the illusion of choice is presented, but there is actually only one viable option.
Take that, or none.
The term originates with Thomas Hobson (1544–1631), an English stable owner who hired out horses. He gave his customers the “choice” of the horse nearest the door or none at all. This practice ensured fair treatment of his horses by rotating their use, but it also meant that customers had no real choice.
You keep it, or we steal it.
A more contemporary example — and more insidious — is Google Search. As a website owner, here are your choices:
In both options, organic traffic to your website is strangled. Not much of a choice.
Our thoughts
This is nothing new. Not really. In case you haven’t noticed, this is how Google has always worked. It converts the value that users create, into profit for itself. It doesn’t ask permission and it doesn’t share. That’s its business model.
