Google Monopoly

Paul Ramsey has blogged an interesting point about Google monopolising the Internet market.
Historically monopolies have been for tangible goods. As history has progressed we are seeing a transition form the tangible to the intangible (salt, cars, baseball, Microsoft and now Google?).

Should we worry about this?

My last blog spoke to a market versus provider led market. Google are chucking out huge volumes of data and tools for us to use. Tim Berners-Lee is waiting for a time for a consumer led market where we are asking for specific data (linked data). Google are now providing us with online proprietary tools (Google docs, Google Profile, Google Maps, Picassa) which must be used in unison to derive the most value from them. In the process we are adding to the information available and thus perpetuating Google.

Is this healthy? When comes the time that this monopoly of choice becomes a monopoly of necessity. One can all opt into and opt out of these services (think Google Latitude). But what happens when Google becomes the only viable option for deriving the most value from our Geographical Information. A flick of a switch and the Service Level Agreements change and Google start charging for services.

Oooo errr.