Google: Is Hiding URLs Part of the Walled Garden Play?
June 15, 2020
I read yet another baffled lament about Google’s hiding urls. Google nuked urls for PDFs a while ago. Now the url itself will go away. “Google Resumes Its Senseless Attack on the URL Bar, Hides Full Addresses on Chrome 85” states:
Google has tried on and off for years to hide full URLs in Chrome’s address bar, because apparently long web addresses are scary and evil. Despite the public backlash that came after every previous attempt, Google is pressing on with new plans to hide all parts of web addresses except the domain name.
The write up asserts:
Google’s goal with Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and similar technologies is to keep users on Google-hosted content as much as possible, and Chrome for Android already modifies the address bar on AMP pages to hide that the pages are hosted by Google.
DarkCyber wants to point out that as regulation becomes increasingly likely, outfits like the Google are doing a “land grab.” Ideas which have been subject to the old-school five-year mentality are now being pushed forward.
Google will become increasingly aggressive in its drive to capture, create, and retain as many clicks as possible. When the url bar is blank, the idea is that a user will just type “CNN” and let Google do the deciding for the user.
The less one knows, the better it is for Google’s ad matching. The more clicks Google can generate by “improving the user experience” with less information, the more revenue the firm projects that it will earn.
Let’s face it. The majority of users are really poor online information searchers. Therefore, Google’s Internet wants to be positioned as the Internet.
When regulators arrive, it is unlikely that those astute individuals will understand how removing information increases Google’s projected online ad revenue.
Nefarious? Nope, just an acceleration of Google management actions.
Where are those clicks going? Same places, but the real estate on which ads can be displayed is tiny compared to those big fat, boat anchor PC screens.
Thus, less info is good for the Google, and the regulatory authorities will be confused. Without an influx of clicks, obtained one way or another, the Google is vulnerable to the likes of Amazon-, Apple-, and Facebook-type predators.
Stephen E Arnold, June 15, 2020
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