Donna Bogatin blogs at ZD Net:
This could be a watershed week in the Google era. The June 28 rumored launch of a Google online payment system, last known as GBuy (see my Google GBuy specifics: 'Could be a game-changer' ), is setting up to represent more than just another Google "limited invite," or "test," or "beta." Last week, Google set in motion an eBay style marketplace affiliate network, "Content Referral Network" (see my Google goes for the hard sell: New 'Content Referral Network' targets higher click-throughs, ad rates and new GBuy transactions ), most likely designed to serve as a platform for GBuy enabled product sales.
Potentially, this pitches Google against Amazon as well as eBay. Bogatin conclues:
While Internet users currently seem to accept the Google position that Google ads enhance user experiences at third-party Web sites, such an acceptance may be tested as "non-intrusive" and "relevant" text ads are replaced by "intrusive" and "irrelevant" product pitches.
