If we all just keep chipping in without competing, everyone benefits. Maybe. Throughout most of human history, there have been winners and losers, rulers and

If we all just keep chipping in without competing, everyone benefits. Maybe. Throughout most of human history, there have been winners and losers, rulers and serfs, leaders and followers. I have trouble believing that any invention, the Internet included, will magically change that state of affairs. My reasoning for giving Google the benefit of the doubt is much simpler -- if they fuck this up, and lose the trust of developers, they will hand over control of the next strategic platform to someone else. And I think that would be a much greater blow to the company than paying market value for a startup that succeeds on their platform. I could be wrong, but I hope I'm not. When I worked there, Google people still believed in "Don't be evil" and articulated decisions around their interpretation of said, just because it seemed to offer long-term benefits. I hope that has not changed, and I sincerely hope this woman is off-base. That said, without alternative perspectives, folks in this here echo chamber would likely march right into the 'trap'. Somewhere between your sunny futurism and her apocalyptic vision of Google Apps as an Ouroboros likely lies the truth.