On the other hand, your argument that Schmidt's post is "b.s." hinges on the assumption that catering to users is a completely separate business model distinct from catering to their direct revenue sources (e.g. ad publishers). It's not.
On the other hand, your argument that Schmidt's post is "b.s." hinges on the assumption that catering to users is a completely separate business model distinct from catering to their direct revenue sources (e.g. ad publishers). It's not.
The fact is, Google occupies a unique position under the framework of browser + search engine. Their inability to expand meaningfully to other web segments (except gmail) proves:
1) they are idiots. (highly unlikely) OR
2) the theory of "user engagement" does NOT work in case of Google Inc. Therefore, mining of users' data serves purely for the business interest, it has no value added to users. And yes, Google Search's model is fundamentally different than ugc-centric services (e.g. fb).