> Alright, I'm not for or against Google - I appreciate the things they've done but really notice their shortcomings - I'd say I'm more "pro-sensible advertisin

> Alright, I'm not for or against Google - I appreciate the things they've done but really notice their shortcomings - I'd say I'm more "pro-sensible advertising". I am. I liked their services for years, but reality crept in. They're rotten apples. The majority of news headlines about Google for the past 2 years have been scandals and crimes against the public. > No, but it can dictate what plugins are available in _their_ store for _their_ browser. No not necessarily. If Google's only business was a browser and an app store for it, then maybe. But that's not their business. Their business is infecting every corner of every market. They are _clearly_ abusing their position as a monopoly to influence the market in their favor. Which is a crime, in this country. A good question is why hasn't the breakup started already? Hell the only reason they invented that "Alphabet" nonsense was so they could avoid monopoly abuse charges! That is evidence of criminal intentions! They're also one of the worst offenders for moving money off-shore to avoid paying their taxes, and they lie about it when challenged. That is the behavior of crooks. > Absolutely, and there are other competitors in this space. Google is too big at this point to spin those off. With all due respect, if you think a corporation is "too big" to break up then you don't understand this topic at all. I recommend the story about Ma Bell, which I think was the largest corporate breakup in American history. Google will be broken up in time, if they continue on the path they're on. > It's not dead because there's no real valid alternative that's not how economics work. > This is where advertising falls apart and it all becomes valueless, which I think is more destructive overall. I would suggest that, rather than destructive, it is _disruptive_. We were born into this world, but Advertising has not always existed. It was invented by men who were looking for ways to put bread on their table when they have basically nothing of value to offer the world. I think disrupting that is great. It's great because it encourages healthy economic evolution, that isn't technically "Destructive". But it might appear so, the same way a natural forest fire might appear disruptive. But it's necessary for healthy new growth. The free ATM machine that is online advertising is going to dry up, and everyone who was relying upon that revenue stream is going to suffer, unless they recognize the warnings NOW, and invent new revenue streams, the same way that some men invented Advertising so many years ago. We invented literally every single thing in the entire economy. It's called "Adapt or Die". And they will. You will. Everyone does.