Google's Self-inoculation

Is it a coincidence that these two news items both came out on the same day?

NYTimes (John Markoff): Google moves toward clash with Microsoft

CNET News.com (Declan McCullagh): Google offers advice to writers of adware

Nah. Google probably intends their forthcoming desktop search product to include an advertising component. But, they don't want to be lumped with the Gators of the world, or face another PR crapstorm like the one that accompanied GMail's email-based ad-placements. Hence, in advance of the desktop release, they're laying the groundwork for what an "acceptable" piece of ad-supported dekstop software might be. With any luck, they'll get publically attacked for meddling and arrogance by the makers of software that violates their proposed "principles," highlighting the very differentiation they seek to establish.

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