google.
I wouldn't say I hate it, but I genuinely dislike every aspect of it other than what it originally was, a straightforward search engine, obtaining revenue through a few ads.
Its latest foray into selling the books it attempted to co-opt by scanning whole libraries in the name of informational freedom without providing authorial copyright compensation or notification illustrates the hypocrisy, as does its continuing battle to prevent youtube downloading while soliciting the very same free video content for its commercial and promotional purposes. Why shouldn't you be able to freely download a video contributed to Youtube by someone else? Youtube doesn't say you can't but makes it impossible without specialized third party programs which must be constantly updated as it alters its own protection methods.
Likewise Google books doesn not provide a simple means for downloading public domain material, as does something like Project Gutenberg. It intentionally makes downloading difficult. The intent being to keep the reader online, in its interface, being tracked, and connecting that information via cookies and search preferences by profiling and for sale to any marketers and spammers interested enough to buy it.
Well, apologies for ranting, I shouldn't, just that an open ended topic like this gets me going in a way I don't want to. Actually it's a beautiful day outside, I'm going to go take advantage of it.....