Google Pushed Hard Behind the Scenes to Convince Regulators

As a simplistic example, say some grandmother suddenly decides she would like to check out this "social networking" business she's been hearing so much about, and types that term into Google. The Feds and anti-trust advocates are saying that it should be illegal for Google to return a link to Google Plus above a link to the much more popular Facebook.

Personally, I think it's an outrageous overreach. I'm not a huge Microsoft fan, but if I was an MS shareholder I would be livid with the government for basically hobbling them over a decade ago. Nearly every insider who goes on the record about their recent troubles says that that was the beginning of the end for them, and I believe it. Imagine having to worry about not just what your competitors are up to, but also how the government will react to nearly every step you take.

The notion of monopolies in Tech is pretty farcical given how quickly the landscape changes on its own and how quickly seemingly invincible incumbents are displaced, but especially so when you are talking about websites like Google and Facebook that have no real barriers to entry beyond brand recognition, customer goodwill, and the quality of their product.