We all know Dave Winer, the veritable mastah of the web that has invented everything worth inventing: RSS, podcasts, outliners, blogs, applescript, XML-RPC, push, pull, OPML, and, oh jesus, the list of gifts to humanity goes ever on. This force of graciousness needed to re-download Firefox and, instead of visiting firefox.com or mozilla.com, Googles for it instead. In his infinite wisdom (for Mr. Winer does not make mistakes), he clicks the link that looks like no other ("Unique, like me!" he expounds). Instead of realizing he clicked a Sponsored Link, or that the page he reached looks pathetically like a Wordpress template ripoff, he goes nuts and rips into Google, Firefox, trust, promises, and paranoia:
Firefox started misbehaving, so I thought -- let's go download a fresh install. Guess what's waiting for me: no choice but to install the Google Toolbar. Remember what they said about their hack, if you don't like it, don't install it. Well, there it is. Where's the choice now. Back then I couldn't get anyone to listen.
Not once did he think of clicking the "Back" button and looking for a second opinion ("Me? Dave Winer?! I need no second opinions! I am the second opinion AND THE FIRST ONE WAS WRONG!"). He follows up a bit later, but naturally it's no "I"m an idiot" and instead a further tirade about trust and Google spamming. Awesome, awesome work: the trust he has placed in himself is as dangerous as the trust he warns us to place in others (except for Dave Winer, natch). He asks "Why do you guys trust Google so much?" to which I can only reply "I can't go wrong if I use the same engine Winer does."
