Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, and it looks like "sooner" won. Google has forgotten their core business (have I mentioned that their search engine is getting worse?), and is busy getting distracted by crap that doesn't matter:

• Knol - which manages to both suck and be a content play for a search company, which raises the ugly question of favoritism. Wait a few months, and watch someone bog Google down in an anti-trust suit.
• Chrome - exactly what purpose does a Google browser serve that having a bunch of guys donate time to Mozilla wouldn't serve better?

I expect Google to end up mired in stupid "monopoly" suits (just like Microsoft did), and to get increasingly distracted from their core business (as Microsoft clearly has). One thing is clear - the time span between young and innovative and old and dumb is getting shorter in the tech business.

As per usual, the tech glitterati are bedazzled by this. Meanwhile, Mathew Ingram has his usual level-headed take on it.