[rexreed]

It would seem to be more of a trade of services - provision of content to Google which they then monetize in the form of advertising, and possibly share with the content generator. Google then keeps the majority (or all in most cases) of the ad revenues to cover their operating costs and profit, or shares a small percentage with certain eligible producers. So, I don't see it as a gift as much as an exchange of services that is balanced primarily to the benefit of Google. Otherwise, why would Google do it? They're a business, not a charity.