"One need only look at the new Google Mail (GMail) interface and see how it's changed over the last year to view the effects of this new direction:" Hell no. You never need look at only a single example before drawing wide-reaching conclusions. Who the hell is writing this shit? And who the hell is allowing it to be posted on Slashdot?

Our personal data is worth money to others. They don't want their money taken from them.

"I can imagine it, therefore I must write an article about it."

there's money to be made!

Cause I'm an entrepreneur who is looking for exactly a guy like you!