Interesting article in Wired covering Google's plan to include video ads in search.

The Google guy's comment 'Expect a scenario where we'll move extremely cautiously' is spot on.  So far, Google have built their business on three principles:

1. Make the fastest search engine.

2. Make a brilliant way to monetize it (Adwords).

3. Don't piss people off.

We often lose sight of just how quickly things can change in today's market.  On my pessimistic days, I take the view that, given enough time, anything will fail - the trick being to be in and out at the right time. Just look at the Ancient Romans and Greeks, or the British Empire.

Nobody got fired for buying IBM, the biggest games company in the world (Sony) is now in third place, and Google is looking invincible.  But, of course, it's not. 

I love Google.  I use it for search, email, word processing, spreadsheets, maps, shopping and pretty much everything else online barring messaging and social networking.  Would I consider changing search engine now?  No way.  If Google started annoying me, how long before I'd change to another?  Maybe a day?  I loved Altavista too.

Fortunately, Google are much cleverer than I am and doubtless won't piss me off.  Yet.