> Google is the closest thing to a "shared public resource" for indexing/searching the Internet that we have.
Being the closest doesn't mean it's actually close. The 1st page of google is not a "shared public resource" and not just in the physical sense. The roads are collectively owned by society and are designated and maintained for the explicit prerogatives of the public good.
The first page of google is a privately owned webpage that many businesses rely on for increased sales, but it isn't even close to the only resource for society to search/index the web.
> it is also much more than that
Like what?
> That is like saying a supermarket that can give cash-back at the register is just an ATM.
This analogy doesn't fit. Cash-back is a negligible ancillary function of a supermarket while serving up ads is the sole business purpose of google.com.
Being the closest doesn't mean it's actually close. The 1st page of google is not a "shared public resource" and not just in the physical sense. The roads are collectively owned by society and are designated and maintained for the explicit prerogatives of the public good.
The first page of google is a privately owned webpage that many businesses rely on for increased sales, but it isn't even close to the only resource for society to search/index the web.
> it is also much more than that
Like what?
> That is like saying a supermarket that can give cash-back at the register is just an ATM.
This analogy doesn't fit. Cash-back is a negligible ancillary function of a supermarket while serving up ads is the sole business purpose of google.com.