If it's a high salary, it benefits. In my experience, the ranges people in our industry get paid are sufficiently broad that not sharing your salary can result in serious offers that are, well, not so good.
Certainly true. Speaking as a current Googler, I don't understand the motivation of all the current Googlers who are speaking anonymously here to defend Google.
Google's a good place to work. Like any, it has its faults and is not the right place for everyone.
Hopefully you'll make these important career decisions by, I don't know, talking to people you know and trust who do or have worked here, and not by taking the Internet ramblings of anonymous dorks at face value.