The Low-Down on the DL

All right, so what's really at play here? Why is Google making such a big deal out of letting you move your stuff out of its services?

As the company explains it, the concept is part of Google's push to create an open Web with open standards. Certainly, Google's moved in that direction before (see: , Android vs. , Apple). But this is a far more pronounced step, with a focus that almost seems to encourage you to pack up and say so long. So what's up?

The truth, in all likelihood, is that the Apple comparison I made probably isn't far from Google's mind. Per the Data Liberation Front announcement:

"We think open is better than closed -- not because closed is inherently bad, but because when it's easy for users to leave your product, there's a sense of urgency to improve and innovate in order to keep your users. When your users are locked in, there's a strong temptation to be complacent and focus less on making your product better."