Google never does anything that doesn't spell profits for Google. Never.

To be fair, they most certainly aren't the only large, powerful, publicly traded company that functions that way. But when their ploys become dangerous for those whom they are pretending to empower, somebody should say something.

So, as a marketing expert with a front row seat to the evolution of search engines these past 27+ years, I can smell a disingenuous "benefit" from a mile away.

Bear in mind that the best of them appeal to egos, make people feel special, or promote a worthwhile cause. On the surface they appear to be for the public good or to favor the underdog.

all of which are worthy endeavors!

...which I support 100%.

But when they are done for the wrong reason — when there's an ulterior motive, and when they put people in harm's way by making them a target – while making the sponsoring company a profit, THEN they suck — and they deserve to be outed.

If you haven't already guessed, I'm talking about Google's recent and growing trend to segment business ownerships into categories such as gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other affinity groups like veterans.

On the surface, such efforts might seem noble until you realize that what Google is doing is a plain and simple...