BeeDeeDubbleU - 9:43 am on Jan 25, 2010 (gmt 0)

after years of a mutually agreeable relationship, it does appear more and more that Google is seriously tilting the table in their own direction.

Yes, this is becoming more and more evident and gathering speed.

What is clear is that Google is clearly starting to really upset many webmasters with these new practises. OK they have always done this but many of the these new "features" are getting pretty close to copyright infringement. What they are now doing is cherry picking content for their own benefit. It's an interesting time and what is clear is that the Gorg is no longer being perceived as a cuddly monster. But then what do these guys care?
[theregister.co.uk...]

This is a transitional period. It could be the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning in Internet terms. Just prepare for the worst because it's not going to get any easier.

Placing your income in the hands and at the mercy of a business you have no control over doesn't seem like a very good plan to me...

Of course not, and most people are well aware of this. But we have all done it and have to live with it. It WAS a good plan for many years and we have to continue to live with it for the moment. That does not suddenly make us all stupid now does it?

The only real win for the individual webmaster IMO is to find traffic without the engines, which means you have to build sites of value which get word-of-mouth and other types of traffic.

Yes this is quite obvious but for the "individual webmaster" it's also very much easier said than done. What is also obvious is that it is impossible for all of us to do that. You may as well tell the aspiring pop star practising in his/her garage that the best way forward is to get a hit record.