The point he's making, largely, is that Google going out is a bad thing because people use internet searches as a replacement for common sense. That's not Google's fault.

Using google to fill in gaps in your knowledge is not "replacing common sense"--doing so is USING common sense. Lets remove the straw man who visits the hospital and calls 911 for all possible emergencies from the argument. Learning that a numb right arm is a heart attack symptom changes the picture, and for better or worse, google is the main spicket for knowledge these days.

Fault is irrelevant once the dependence is there. If you're at google, flipping a switch, just like our dependence on power, could cost lives, and if you care about human life, you have to think about it before you do it regardless of whether would say it is your "fault."

I am about as anti-sopa as they come, so I'd personally like to see a gigantic message, and see them name names and explain what services won't exist if this passes.

Googling "Where to call in a gas leak" is almost certainly not common sense.

Similarly, the time spent looking up how to do CPR would be better spent calling emergency services so that they head out as soon as possible. Emergency dispatchers can talk you through CPR while you wait for them to arrive.

You see, the thing about CPR is that it's not really meant to revive somebody. It's meant to keep oxygen in their brain until something can actually be done. Delaying the call for help so that you can learn all of this on Google is the worst thing that you could do.

I have googled NSTAR's gas leak hotline from my phone, while walking down Beacon street and reported a strong gas smell near an apartment building. You think I should have called a different number first?

Just call 911. I assume you do not actually have the training to fully assess the situation, so let the professionals do it. For all you know there are people that need medical attention in that sort of situation.