I’m too mired in book work to offer much besides pointers, but here are pointers galore on the important controversy over the Google toolbar Autolink feature — in which Google offers to overlay its own links to certain types of information that it finds on everyone else’s Web pages. In 2001 Microsoft proposed putting something similar right into its Internet Explorer browser, and Walt Mossberg and many others blew the whistle on it. Links should be considered part of the vocabulary of Web content; inserting links is tantamount to tampering with the content.
This time it’s been Dave Winer who’s been blowing the whistle insistently. Here’s Dave’s case against Autolink. The opposite point of view — it’s a tool, I should be able to use any tools I want once content lands on my screen! — is smartly summarized by Cory Doctorow here and here. Paul Boutin in Slate, and Tim Bray, also offer good, careful perspectives.
Me, I think the issue is fundamentally political more than technical; Google is now powerful enough that it needs to learn to tread more lightly in areas like this. My hunch is the Google-ites, encapsulated in their “let’s bring all the world’s information to light!” mission, simply had no idea what an ethical morass they have plopped themselves into. If the past is any indication, they’re nimble enough to step out.