Search engines have zero switching costs, so mainstream PR is a key competitive advantage for Google (not engineer PR). Their massive capital investment in server farms (esp. for google suggest) is another.
20% time was a long-term strategy to lead new technologies instead of being disrupted by them. Google+ is a short-term strategy to avoid being disrupted by facebook.
Long-term self-interest is often close to "good" (so close it may be why it's good).
oblig snark: Instead of turning evil, Google be like Sun - die, and be reanimated by evil piecemeal.
20% time was a long-term strategy to lead new technologies instead of being disrupted by them. Google+ is a short-term strategy to avoid being disrupted by facebook. Long-term self-interest is often close to "good" (so close it may be why it's good).
oblig snark: Instead of turning evil, Google be like Sun - die, and be reanimated by evil piecemeal.