Perhaps my weekend sojourn in Hollywood left me jaded. But an email anonymously tipping Valleywag about YouTube's "head of monetization" and former Google Web search lead Shashi Seth leaving the Googleplex to become COO at multimedia browser developer Cooliris smelled fishy. Seems we weren't the only site that got a tip, which suggests that our Yahoo Mail-using correspondent is probably a flack using the time-honored entertainment industry trick of a publicist "leaking" a detail to the press. My guess? Someone representing Cooliris. Though hiring the guy who was ultimately accountable for the failure of YouTube to make any money doesn't seem like a real "top talent" poaching from Google.

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