Really its just advertising, who cares? Why should we? If M$ gets it they will use their monopoly on the desktop to obliterate Google by making MicroHoo! integrate more and more into windows. Since the US isn't going to do anything to that convicted monopolist and if they were to buy Yahoo they would get away with it because they don't own the market. Unless some big non-US player steps up and does something we are all subjected to 1 disgustingly powerful company that controls everything we see and do on a computer or 2. 1 disgustingly powerful company that controls everything we see and do except internet advertising + 1 equally trustworthy internet advertising monster that gives the other the finger at every opportunity it gets.

I like option number 2, how about you?

A monopoly is only really bad when they offer anything less than the best quality possible for an unfair price... Now to be honest, advertising wise I couldn't care less if the quality (i.e. serving the right ads to the targeted market... quality of the actual ad has hit rock bottom long ago) goes down and the price sky rockets.Because although they are extremely annoying, I never pay any mind to their content, so if a higher price and lower quality discourages companies from advertising (via banners and other annoying forms) a bit then monopoly should be encouraged.

the days when there was no advertising on the internet and only the occasional virus (tho' I never caught one and I had no online protection), and whilst there were still flame wars, they were of a higher calibre than 'I eat your mother out - lol'.

I have to wonder why, once a thing grows beyond a certain size, it turns to shit... I mean Facebook, c'mon, if you want to socialise, get out there and - you know, physically interface with people. It's a lot nicer touching skin than stroking an LCD monitor.

I wouldn't mind, but the fight appears to be more to do with advertising revenues than offering a decent search engine that doesn't offer you the best price for a thing...

I love my Adblock.