Downfall of paid-listing websites

Very interesting analysis from Bill Burnham on the impact Google Base, and future similar services, will have on vertical businesses like monster.com, ebay.com, match.com, and basically any other paid-listing website. These services use a "Walled Garden" approach, a model that will soon be made obsolete because of the open character of the web, and the way it can be indexed, structured and searched. With Google Base as a potential king of vertical search.

"Google base is essentially the world’s largest XML database. If you take the time to read through the XML schema you will see that Google has essentially already built all of the components that it needs to enter the vertical search space in a big way; all it needs to do now is refine a few algorithms and flip a switch. If and when it does so, it will undoubtedly not only the have the largest collection of listings in all major categories overnight but will also have arguably the best distribution channel for those listings on the Internet. This is not good news if you are currently charging to either to display or to access similar listings (or if you are a vertical search start-up)."