Hi, Paul: As the editor of said story, I feel compelled to argue that the writer, Vishesh Kumar, is saying this: That a coming/present recession has a good shot of actually helping Google's search business due to the ultimate efficiency of search ads. HOWEVER, much of Google's current stock valuation is dependent upon its move into new markets, which stands to face additional hurdles under a slowdown, and will likely, ultimately, "pinch" its stock price. Your point on the headline(s) snafu is unfortunately dead on.

Competition might be stressful for business leaders, but I think it’s a net benefit for humanity. What’s really going to be interesting to observe in the next few years is the Gphone makes all media more ubiquitous, and how that ubiquity will impact company profits. That can benefit both consumers and investors. The NewsVisual article on Google’s Open Handset Alliance http://www.newsvisual.com/newsvisual/2007/11/google-and-moto.html implies that it’s really personal connections among business leaders that determine future success in the competitive marketplace. But consumers can also benefit from the new products those alliances spawn.

Perhaps Kumar is an economist.

Or maybe not!

Anyone who deals with accountants knows that the answer to any and every question is, "it depends." So, I'd argue he's a accountant (accredited or not) as much as an economist!