Pay Me Now, Or Pay Me Later. Google Decides It's Later
Google's search engine has begun placing their own properties atop search engine results in the form of "Tips," ending its protocol of keeping advertisements and search results separate. Blake Ross of Firefox no likey:
After all, Google is predicated on the idea that the democratic structure of the Web will push the cream to the top. Search for "photo sharing" and you should already get the highest quality services. According to Google, Picasa is not one of them. These "tips," then, can only be a tacit admission of failure: either the company does not believe in its own search technology, or it does not believe its products are good enough to rise to the top organically. I'd guess the latter. And if I were on the Calendar, Blogger or Picasa teams, I wouldn't be celebrating the news that my employer has lost faith in me.
Google has become the default search engine. They've decided to use the muscle that comes with that prominence. It's a small change, but will it grow? And if you're not satisfied that a search engine is displaying results honestly, will you continue to use it? Read it all here.
