Google Goes "Evil," Part 2

Like Google's spare, fast-loading, graphics-free interface? Kiss it good-bye. Thanks to the AOL deal, Google will begin experimenting with accepting many different kinds of graphical ads, including the banner ads loathed by many, according to the New York Times. Now, I know that this isn't really "evil." And Google's front page, for now, will remain free of graphics, even though many other Google pages and sites will sport them.

But still, the move flies in the face of the Google ethos of clean, spare, simple, and fast-loading, which helped catapult the company to the top of the search heap.

The move to accept graphics is one more example of how far the company has come from its roots and pledge to do no evil. Part of the AOL deal will also include links to AOL that are not labeled advertising, even though that's what they clearly are.

There's no doubt that Google still makes the best technology on earth. But when it comes to business practices, it's no different than any other company out there in search of the buck. So it's time for the company to drop its holier-than-thou attitude.