Google Inc. unintentionally provided a sneak peek at what appears to be a looming expansion into classified advertising — a free service that might antagonize some of the Internet search engine’s biggest customers, including online auctioneer eBay Inc.
Screen shots of the experimental service, dubbed “Google Base,” appeared on several Web sites Oct. 25 shortly after the legions of people who dissect the online search engine leader’s every move discovered a link to a page inviting people to list things like a used car for sale, a party planning service and current events.
