[ThomPete]

I fail to see how you are addressing the argument made in the previous post.

Google is giving you a service for free because they are selling data about you for money.

In other words if you aren't paying for the product you are the product.

How does that have anything to do with sophistry?

[hn_decay]

Sophistry : "a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning."

Google makes money because they have users, in the same way that a television network makes money because they have viewers. Both are entirely reliant upon their user base, and will desperately trying to optimize and maximize that user base.

If the GP's point was "there is a very low profit / user, and a limited impact by irate customers (at least those who don't shout from the rooftops)" then they are making an accurate statement, and it's actually what I supported -- Google doesn't care whether you're on a "free" or pay program, they'll still try to avoid talking to you.

The bit about products and customers is just completely unnecessary, again, sophistry. Google's product is a mail system and a search engine and a social product, and sometimes users pay for it (I use Apps for Domains), and sometimes advertisers pay for it. Cutifying that into comforting slogans isn't helpful.

[ThomPete]

The majority of googles revenue comes from exactly the fact that they can sell targeted advertising.

Neglecting that is what is unnecessary.

[Andrew_Quentin]

But they sell it to advertisers and the advertisee. They both are the customers of google.

Frankly, I think the problem is that google has no real competition. Google, really is becoming a fine example of why monopoly, regardless of whether it is merit based or otherwise, is bad, for in the end, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.