[masterzora]

While I absolutely agree with that principle, it gets awkward when it comes to social media. To use a social network optimally, everyone I want to communicate with should be a part of it. If some subset of that group doesn't want to be on the network, that's one thing, but it's something completely different if the company in charge is actually reducing the utility of using the product.

This entire issue is incredibly sticky and, while I find it hard to disagree with Google's position in the short term, it does have me worried in a number of ways in the long term.