British CNET subsidiary ZDNet UK issued what appeared to be a sarcastic apology to Google this week, calling into question the search giant’s decision not to talk with CNET reporters until July 2006. The open letter was not signed by anyone, only “Leader” whose e-mail directed to the site’s general mailbox.

“Acting under the mistaken impression that Google’s search engine was intended to help research public data, we have in the past enthusiastically abused the system to conduct exactly the kind of journalism that Google finds so objectionable,” the site says in its letter. The boycott of CNET by Google began over a story written by reporter Elinor Mills on July 14.

In the story Mills showed how easy it was to “Google” the company’s CEO, finding that Eric Schmidt was worth $1.5 billion last year, lived with his wife Wendy in Atherton, California, complete with street address, and that the then Novell exec attended a fundraiser for Al Gore in 2000 starring Elton John. Read More ….

(Source: Beta News)