nevermind 
Don’t know if the article was posted already:
http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/050225-104317
but it resorts that the huge majority of webmasters are frightened at least not happy.
Now I’m accustomed with Corporate strategies - since I’ve been in some marketing meeting though not as a marketing guy but as a technical guy which needed to be aware of the marketing - and they have “a step forward then step back strategy”: for example they will send a rumor or test an idea that wouldn’t be popular, so they expect the backfire. That’s why they have already prepared an apparent retreat and know that it will be perceived by users like a good compromission, but in exchange they will propose something a little softer, then many months or even years after they will implement it again. An other strategy is to use the pretext that some competitors have done it the better is to use a small firm for that because a small firm won’t be perceived as a threat, after the stuff spreads, they can buy the small firm.
I expect that if the opposition is really strong they will follow the “a step forward then step back strategy”. So for me it’s just a question of time. Meanwhile when I will hear "The Webmasters have won, Google has retreated or a made a compromission " that will make me laugh 
If Google keeps this up, i will abandon all other features they offer me now. AdSense, Gmail… A <meta> opt-in feature the only satisfying option for me.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1032364,00.html
Thankfully the major media is starting to pay attention to this issue but unfortunately Google’s comments make it look unlikely that they will respond. From what I am reading and hearing Google plans to expand on AutoLinks in the future.
Bad Google!
Sorry, havn’t had time to read through all the replies, but this is quite bad. I certainly won’t use the toolbar when this is inplace. (not that I do now, I use firefox so).
I don’t think they should be doing anything close. Forget the opt-in. They should not have anything that directly or indirectly looks like spyware, adware…
Thousands of webmasters from around the world “advising users to stay away from Google” might get their attention.
The timing of the new MSN search couldn’t be better as it gives us a real alternative to Google if they start to become more evil. Who would have thought that Microsoft would seem like the lessor of two evils?
We need to use whatever means we can to put pressure on Google over this issue. The wrath of web publishers over this issue needs to be felt so strongly that no one even thinks of trying to pull this stunt again.
As long as there are shareholders and google wants it’s stock price to go up, it will continue to do things to make itself more money. Very similar to spyware companies, etc.
its very strange and Scarry
Very similar to any company, public or not. Google made profits before it’s IPO too remember. Google has never been a charity - I don’t know of any web search engines that are run by charities.
Douglas
This move by Google certainly has serious ramifications, both from a business point of view, in stealing income, but also from the aspect of third parties inserting code into our web pages.
Some have suggested javascript to undo the links, which seems to work in a simple test I set up.
but what if the user has Javascript disabled?
I just did a simple test to see how the auto-links feature works.
If the ISBN is just text, then Google put an auto-link on it.
If you have already supplied a link, it is not changed.
So one simple solution seems to be to make sure that any ISBN numbers on your page are already in a link.
Isn’t Google violating your Creative Commons license?
http://plentyofcowbell.com/index.php?p=10
Aranjuez: That may seem like a valid work around but what about my choice as an author to link or not link? I may decide not to link an ISBN for a varieity of reasons, however Google decides to add the link anyway?
To Everyone: Has anyone taken any proactive steps yet to block Google or their toolbar, or educate users or other action?
We’ve not done so yet, but we’re seriously considering several options including seeking an injunction against Google in our local courts and/or outright deny any known google IP access to our servers.
I know that it sounds like overkill but this is that serious of an issue.
Has anyone looked into the financial ties between Google, Google’s key staff and Amazon? For instance how much stock in Amazon do key Google Toolbar staff and Google management have in Amazon? How much stock if any does Google have in Amazon? By tracing the money trail, one could prove that Google or at least key Google personnel stand to benefit financially by Google inserting links to Amazon. Do this and one could have an air tight copyright infringement case. The next step would be to turn it into a class action lawsuit so that it covered as wide a range of websites as possible.
Google probably has an Amazon affiliate ID too.
Sure, I am just as upset as everyone else over this.
By all means seek to keep the lions out of the jungle, but in the meantime, take reasonable precautions. We ahould be able to walk in the jungle without fear of being eaten, but until the lions are gone, we have to manage as best we can.
I think this is there way of doing away with adsense. Why give us any of the profit if they can just hijack our pages. They really do not need us!
Adsense was probably just there testing phase to see how much a technology like this could bring in. Now that we have all helped them by using adsense the lab rats are no longer needed.
And my god we helped them to make their toolbar popular to begin with. How many webmasters check the stupid thing to get there BS page rank.
http://www.betterbadnews.com/22
The video is 12 minutes and is well worth the time.
These guys do a good job with the video, the concepts are solid and it’s presented in a very funny way.
lets not forgot this is very early stages and who know what control they will have in 5 years time if we let this continue? Also, amazon sells a lot more than books and they are adding new lines to there inventory everyday, they sell mobile phones 
for example
Very scary. Here is a quick page I set up about autolinks: autolinksscript.com
Lol, well, no one smart ever said Google was stupid!
Being able to get info on anything in a document is great in a user’s perspective - I guess that’s why Firefox comes with Google built in! Google is the default homepage, and a rightclick brings up a “Search using google” box!
Douglas