In the midst of writing last week's "click fraud" post, I was suddenly struck by something. Is Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) forcing a "reboot" of the advertising industry as we know it? Although this article postulates that Google's new universal search unveiling (really just a rework) was a causal event for the rather large 10%-15% click fraud estimates that came out of Fair Isaac, what is one to make of all this?

Google has stated before that it measures click fraud activity stringently and zaps almost all of it out of existence -- sometimes before the Google ad partner is even billed. While some Google partners are not 100% convinced of this, they continue to trust the web search leader since so many businesses live or die based on Google advertising revenue. You can be mad at the company's efforts to keep click fraud under control, but you can also be quite powerless.

The company can't just give all the specifics on how it fights click fraud, lest it enable click fraud hucksters even further. But, Google will continue to face public pressure over click fraud well into 2008 unless is devises some kind of strategy (a public one) to assure customers that it it keeping a lid on the problem. Google has some of the best engineering minds on the planet -- so if any company can get this under control, keep it that way and prove to its customers that it's not a concern, it will be Google. Time to put up or shut up.

This post is written as part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst of 2006. Vote for YouTube as the up and comer of 2006, or check out the other nominees in the category.

My six year old and I share a fascination for YouTube, the viral video-sharing site that Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) recently acquired for $1.65 billion. I got interested in the site last April after I read an article in Slate about the lip-syncing phenomenon on YouTube and then shared a few videos mentioned with my daughter.

We quickly became fans of the Two Chinese Boys and then went on to look at other Chinese music videos (this is a really catchy tune). I've been able to introduce her to Elvis in all his Las Vegas glory, early R.E.M., and just today, Donny and Marie. That reminds me, I bet there are some Captain and Tennille videos I should dig up to show her as well ...

Just in writing this post, we've ended up yet again as a family gathering around the computer viewing choice items found on YouTube. My husband just walked away frustrated once more that we wouldn't spend more time searching out game-winning shots from famous basketball games from the 1970s.

GE closed today at $33.72 down 21 cents. It's been a rough market with lots of volatility. GE is a grand and staid large cap stock, but with people pointing out NBC's 21% loss of advertising revenue it still seems like NBC is the anchor in the mud for GE at the present. 21% loss of revenue is big for a large media corporation.

CNN Money pointed out that as the market continues to give investors a rough ride, many are turning towards stocks that can withstand the bumpiness, like GE. Particularly multinationals that can profit off growth happening in other parts of the world. With GE's strong investment in China and India, both fast growing countries, it is a well diversified company and may make an interesting bet as more people turn to it in a tough market.