diberry - 1:20 am on Oct 23, 2011 (gmt 0)

@Reno, the govt doesn't care about Panda and there's no reason they should. What they should look into is not so much the algo but how Google's using it in an anti-competitive way that harms consumers. That's what anti-trust is all about.

But whether they will or not... I don't believe Google is quite as cozy with the govt as you do. There's already been an anti-trust hearing and now the IRS is auditing them. These are signals of something. It's very likely Google will mollify the govt without anything improving for us, and that'll be that - it usually is. I'm just saying the govt is our ONLY chance of real change because - and this is important - MSN is the only competitor poised to take back a big chunk of the market, and they can't, because they got slapped by the govt all those years ago and can't use every tool available to win.

That's why it's essential that Google get a similar slap. Think of it as a -50 from the DoJ. ;)

I'm not saying it will happen. But change IS the only constant. Somehow or another, Google won't always have this much power, because power always comes and goes.

But we'll always be at somebody's mercy, if not Google's, and that just part of how it works.