[Sven7]

The best way to achieve that noble goal would be to open up their search index (unlimited API access) and build a marketplace around search, just as they have around Android, Youtube and Chrome.

Search has a very long way to go and they can be moving much faster than they currently are.

[embolism]

The goal isn't so noble when you realize that they don't want anyone else doing it.

[Sven7]

I think we have passed the point where anyone else can actually build an engine that returns results just matching, forget about surpassing, Google quality.

Since we are where we are, might as well move on to phase two and allow people to build on top of it. Just look at the random bunch(flights, recipes, patents...) of 10 or so tabs above the search box. Is that the extent to which the worlds information can be classified? Is that it?

[embolism]

I quite agree, however Google appears to have no intention of allowing anyone else to be involved, and why would it?

[Sven7]

Regulators.

Its going to happen. And I hope they save everyone a whole lot of time and preempt it.

[embolism]

It seems unlikely. So far they seem to be doing a great job of lobbying, and convincing the government of the idea that competition is only a click away.