In the movie The Wizard of Oz, I remember how strange and giddy the inside of the Emerald City was, when the singing quartet Dorothy and company finally arrive to see the wizard. After a bunch of silliness at the front door, they get inside and are greeted by throngs of singing people all dressed in green, an arena full of marvels, horses that change colors, and spa treatments. It's all brightly colored, shiny, and crazy.

A few years ago, I joked with a friend of mine that the inside of Google's headquarters in Mountain View was probably a lot like the inside of that Emerald City. The only part of the story that didn't fit, I thought, was the Wizard himself, who was little more than a confused old man who was masquerading as mysterious, all-powerful leader.

Last December, there was an interview with the current president of Google, Eric Schmidt. In response to privacy concerns and how Google is using the data they track and store about people who use their search service, he said:

"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our wizard. (You can watch the video here.)

Remember, Eric Schmidt is not a bad man...he's just a very bad wizard.