Looking at everything that Google is doing at the moment, it looks like a shameful power grab for the entire WWW.
I suspect that Google wants to gradually get rid of URLs, because if users can't identify websites by their addresses, they will be more dependent on Google Search. Landing on search pages means that users will click on more of their well-concealed ads.
I think it's also the reason why Google Chrome's URL bar has such terrible auto-completion functionality. It appears designed to send users to Google Search to click on ads instead of taking them directly to their destinations. Firefox's old address bar didn't do that. (The newer address bar in Firefox appears to be following Chrome's time-wasting functionality, and its auto-completion no longer works well.)
Without URLs, users won't know whether they are really on your site, viewing your content on google.com (via AMP), or in some kind of app or PWA. To get to an item of content, most people will end up clicking on an ad in Google Search or land on an AMP page that eliminates most monetization options that don't involve passing the money through Google's systems.
URLs shouldn't be trimmed at all. When you're on the URL, http://example.com/, (note the trailing slash), Chrome will only display "http://example.com", even if you copy it onto the clipboard. (It's still possible to fix it in Firefox with about:config.)
Technology shouldn't be made more restrictive and stupid -- users should be taught how to use technology correctly, and they will adjust. I've even met professional programmers who don't really understand URLs because their browsers mask the real URLs. The WWW isn't only about consumption -- it's about creating as well. People need to know how it works in order to create things.
I suspect that Google wants to gradually get rid of URLs, because if users can't identify websites by their addresses, they will be more dependent on Google Search. Landing on search pages means that users will click on more of their well-concealed ads.
I think it's also the reason why Google Chrome's URL bar has such terrible auto-completion functionality. It appears designed to send users to Google Search to click on ads instead of taking them directly to their destinations. Firefox's old address bar didn't do that. (The newer address bar in Firefox appears to be following Chrome's time-wasting functionality, and its auto-completion no longer works well.)
Without URLs, users won't know whether they are really on your site, viewing your content on google.com (via AMP), or in some kind of app or PWA. To get to an item of content, most people will end up clicking on an ad in Google Search or land on an AMP page that eliminates most monetization options that don't involve passing the money through Google's systems.
URLs shouldn't be trimmed at all. When you're on the URL, http://example.com/, (note the trailing slash), Chrome will only display "http://example.com", even if you copy it onto the clipboard. (It's still possible to fix it in Firefox with about:config.)
Technology shouldn't be made more restrictive and stupid -- users should be taught how to use technology correctly, and they will adjust. I've even met professional programmers who don't really understand URLs because their browsers mask the real URLs. The WWW isn't only about consumption -- it's about creating as well. People need to know how it works in order to create things.