Yahoo! in China

Well, it's a bit strange that my first few posts have been of a decidedly political bent, especially considering how apolitical I tend to be. It seems, however, that as the Internet grows more powerful, so will governmental regulation of it grow. Although only of tangential interest at this point, SEO may soon be very affected by politics, so it's worth keeping one's finger to the pulse of Washington.

Google on Capitol Hill

So, it seems that Google is entering more deeply into the world of Washington politics. No doubt a necessary evil for such an influential corporation, but a shame nonetheless. To quote the New York Times article, "'It's sad,' said Esther Dyson, editor of the technology newsletter Release 1.0 and former chairwoman of Icann, a nonprofit group that plays a role in Internet administration. 'The kids are growing up. They've lost youth and innocence. Now they have to start being grown-ups and playing at least to some extent by grown-up rules.'"

Google on trial?

A recent Forbes article suggests, once again, the power of Google. Although those concerned with protecting free-speech and/or small government may frown upon lawsuits challenging Google's right to run their business as they would like, it is hard to deny that Google's predominance resembles a monopoly. With the growth of Internet commerce, the preservation of a monopoly-free Internet will be increasingly important.
The story at hand, of course, is likely more complex than simply that of a search engine giant arbitrarily stomping on an Internet ant. That said, whether or not KinderStart.com used black hat tactics to increase their ranking, Google's ability to make or break the efforts of millions of businesses, non-profits, etc. is worthy of concern. Hopefully Google will be exonerated and theirs will continue to be a benevolent dictatorship. Sadly, power does tend to have a corrupting influence. Only time, I suppose, will tell if they will stand by their motto.