tedster - 5:44 am on Jul 11, 2008 (gmt 0)

Sure, if potential advertisers can see numbers for keywords that they haven't tried, that can encourage Adwords spends, and even more, better ROI for the advertiser and therefore fewer discontinued campaigns.

But I also think that Google really does want to help the average webmaster. They feel that improving the Internet as a whole will benefit everyone involved. Call that "enlightened self-interest" if you will, but I'm not suspicious of everything that happens in Mountain View, and I sure don't see Google as my enemey.

I commented on this a few years back. The whole playing field that Google and webmasters generate is a fascinating paradox. First, we do need each other. Second, our self-interests are sometimes in conflict. This is what game theorists call a "competitive-cooperative" environment. It's a good idea to stay conscious of both sides of the paradox. If you get too far in either direction, you end up making foolish moves or missing out on good things.