oddsod - 8:04 pm on Feb 1, 2007 (gmt 0)

The conspiracy is spinning the argument that Google doesn't act in its best commercial interests but in some saintly, self-sacrificing, do-no-evil, altruistic way. ;)

I didn't claim that, but the fact is that their traffic has become less valuable to Google in terms of EPC, eCPM, or whatever figure is being discussed.

Google paying less for the traffic is not necessarily the same as the traffic becoming less valuable.

they might want to ask themselves "Why me?"

danimal and I have already suggested reasons.

I do not say I have proof that Google is intentionally screwing small publishers in a cynical and planned way... but they have the ability and they have the motive... to argue otherwise does come across as sycophantic.