[vilmosi]

Google got so big because it didn't "cram ads down people's throats all the time", I don't know why you think that.

Are you saying Google should drop Maps, Gmail, Drive and all the rest because they are not valuable from a business perspective? Their business is ads after all (today at least).

[dredmorbius]

I actively avoid Maps and Gmail because of the ads (and surveillance). Similarly Google search itself.

Which means that when I am open to suggestion I am on other services.

By not maximising the short-term ad-impressions (or other short-term) metric, Google increases odds of being there when people are interested in its money-maker: quality suggestions for commercial goods and services.

They've lost me. I suspect they'll lose others.

[vilmosi]

They've probably lost you but their business model is not shrinking, at all. Far from it.

>>> By not maximising the short-term ad-impressions (or other short-term) metric, Google increases odds of being there when people are interested in its money-maker: quality suggestions for commercial goods and services

Google is already 18 yo, they are clearly not playing the short term game.

And they are offering quality suggestions for commercial goods and services. People are arguing whether or not they collect too much data for said services, but I haven't heard anyone complain that their ads are obtrusive. Including yourself.