It is good to focus. I get that Google can only do this by killing projects that are not working.
The problems that many of these killed initiatives are trying to solve, often have successful solutions being built outside of google. Google Wave, for example. If Google doesn't have the right team working on a project, I wonder if other teams inside Google have chances to take on failed projects before they are killed. Another team might make it work.
I think 'kill' is a strong term to use.
Although the original Etherpad service was terminated some time after aquisition, the source was released in December, 2009 :
The problems that many of these killed initiatives are trying to solve, often have successful solutions being built outside of google. Google Wave, for example. If Google doesn't have the right team working on a project, I wonder if other teams inside Google have chances to take on failed projects before they are killed. Another team might make it work.