I think they started off at a good spot. Then realized they wanted more control of the data going through them. Then they realized they wanted to control the way the data flowed in an ideological way. It is a natural reaction to someone who gets a decent amount of wealth. They think 'how can I make the world a better place'. But the mistake many make is not realizing that their way is not the best way for others. Sometimes the best way is just to kick the actual trolls and just let everyone be they way they are. They are no longer satisfied with that. Doing what they are doing is going to 'dismantle' their people network. In 10 years people may be saying 'oh yeah remember google'. It can happen. At one point a lot of people were on AOL now it is a ghosttown of what it was.
Absolutely, with AOL the paradigm shifted and it couldn't change quickly enough. Google will likely predominate until another shift of similar magnitude occurs.
Seems it's impossible to make predictions in this area with any certainty.
Remember, Bill Gates was paranoid about this and about Microsoft getting caught out for similar reasons especially so around the time Windows 95 came out. Even so, MS missed the boat with search, smartphones and Android.
