walrus - 3:53 pm on May 29, 2010 (gmt 0)

But how are we, the publishers, benefited with this?

I don't see any benefits either, just drawbacks. Their main concern is profit for shareholders, not webmasters. I know thats typical business but by increasing their presence with maps, G earth, G books, G sites, youtube, android, GTV etc etc, they have morphed far away from a search engine into its own content supplier/advertiser behemoth. Google Music and Google games have to be next.

One more thing i just don't get is this. If i search for a gift for a kids birthday, say an ipod.
I find it the first day. What is the logic in chasing me around the net with creepy ads
AD -"need a new ipod ? "
AD - "Did you buy that ipod yet ? Cause if you didnt heres one ! "
A week goes by and still ...
AD - "did ya get that ipod yet ?" I know you're actually at a site about motorcycle parts but did ya get that ipod yet ? "

Yes Google I did, last week, and if i wanted another you would have caught me searching for another one, but i was searching for motorcycle parts, and havn't been intersted in an IPod for over a week. What a waste of ad space.

Really wish they would just drop IBA altogether.

[edited by: walrus at 4:15 pm (utc) on May 29, 2010]