Very few online relationships have provided me with as much entertainment as the one between CNet reporter Elinor Mills and Google CEO Eric Schmidt. 

It all began a couple years ago when Ms. Mills wrote an article detailing how Google can be used to call up a bunch of private information about individuals.  She used Schmidt as her example pulling up several facts that he evidently didn't' want public.

Schmidt in turn issued an edict to all Google employees forbidding them from talking to any CNet reporters for one year as retribution for the article.  Schmidt, facing public outcry, was rightly forced to back down.

Fast forward to present day where Ms. Mills was offered a 1-on-1 interview with Schmidt if she would be willing to fly across country to get it.  She complied only to find Schmidt wasn't willing to answer any questions that were not about Google Health (which Schmidt had just announced).  You can read Ms. Mill's account of the encounter here and her Boss Dan Farber's commentary here. 

Normally I don't comment on this sort of thing but it was such a great follow up to my previous post on Microsoft vs. Google that I had to post.  Does blacklisting reporters and dodging questions seem like a company that's "doing no evil"?  Do you think Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer would ever dream of doing the same thing?  Maybe a decade ago but not now. 

Google is, more and more, looking like Microsoft of old and while Mr. Schmidt's interactions with CNet might be amusing they also show a disturbing pattern.