Yes, I think so - especially with algorithms: math can't be owned.
On Google's implementation of them, yes, of course! This would have tremendous impacts and benefits for all.
I think your sarcasm came from "What happens with Bing? They are hungry!", and you can't understand the point inside that reasoning framework.
If Goog releases their algos, the would gain even a better position in the market.
All the society would benefit of controlling what makes you exists for others (if you can't google it, it doesn't exists), a storm of commits improving it would come (even fixing what makes that disgusting SEO practices) and you will have a viable alternative to Google: you will be able to choose.
Can Microsoft manage an infrastructure as big and efficient as Google - tuned over the years for a SE, with thousands of people with expertise, experience, motivation and values? I think not.
If Goog releases under AGPL, if Bing uses it, they will be able to look at the implementations, its improvements and merge them "back".
If Microsoft doesn't want to use the code, then they will have to spend years developing the same (and find the right people for it - which are already in Google). In that timeframe, Goog will keep improving - otherwise, a better alternative will eventually surpass them.
Yes, the can plain steal and don't enforce the license, but, Microsoft stealing?!?!?!? =P
This model relies on two things:
- You are willing to work continuously on it because it makes you happy
- You want to be on top because of how you do your job, not because you know a secret
- Money is irrelevant to you: you live (luckily) between 80 and 100 years, and suppose that you are on your 30s - if I was given 100 million dollars, I will probably not be able to spend them as I won't have time to do it (think Larry Page or Billionaires, but at a smaller scale). If you get a huge amount of money, after some years of "livin; la vida loca", would you return to code?
