[learc83]

>For every winner, there's a loser. While you rally behind websites that are penalized (often with good reasons), you forget about the economic surplus that favors other businesses and regular users.

This is true, but I don't think one company should have the power to affect so many people.

>It's hard to measure if an algorithmic tweak is good for users, but Google has no incentives to do otherwise.

Google has plenty of incentives to make algorithmic tweaks that aren't good for their users. Left to their own devices, with no fear of regulation, do you think they would ever display a link to Bing Maps even if Bing Maps offered a better service?

Google is a search provider and a content provider, there is an inherent conflict of interest.