[WEB4LIB] RE: More on Google going commercial

[Karen G. Schneider]

The question is not whether Web portals need money to function, but to
whom they are beholden--the public good, or the profit motives of their
owners. If Google's primary responsibility is to turn a profit, it may
be a wonderful resource, but its priorities and outcomes will always be
driven by its allegiance to its shareholders.  And that changes things.

Public-domain portals--LII, Infomine, BUBL, Scout, MEL, IPL, etc.--are
driven by a different set of priorities and expectations.  Public-domain
portals need money, too, but the funding comes from the public (or in
some cases from philanthropies). It would be self-defeating for these
portals to sell relevance, for example, because it would undermine the
public's trust.  

If you're still missing the point here, think about Starbucks vs. your
average public library.  Where does Starbucks build?  Starbucks is
putting a store in my neighborhood even though we have several good
independent coffeeshops, and that's because it knows it will make money
(at the expense of these small businesses, I might add).  It isn't
building coffeeshops in poor downtown Richmond, where a latte would be a
true novelty and where their presence wouldn't dilute local businesses.
Where do public libraries build?  Where they are needed--where they best
serve their communities.  (Usually, of course, and we don't need to hash
out exceptions.)

I don't begrudge Google its commercialism, but I also won't confuse it
with a resource created by the people, for the people.  Information, as
a public good, needs high-trust caretakers whose primary allegiance is
to public service.

Karen G. Schneider
Coordinator, Librarians' Index to the Internet
http://lii.org


::-----Original Message-----
::From: web4lib at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]
::On Behalf Of Drew, Bill
::Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 9:50 AM
::To: Multiple recipients of list
::Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: More on Google going commercial
::
::Oh My God!  Google costs money to run?  All this hand wringing about
::Google
::adding commercial features and services really rubs me the wrong way.
As
::long as they are clear about what they are doing, what is the real
::problem?
::There is no free lunch and there never has been a free lunch.  Thanks
to
::the
::people at Google for finding a business model that works.
::
::Wilfred (Bill) Drew
::Associate Librarian, Systems and Reference
::SUNY Morrisville College Library
::E-mail: mailto:drewwe at morrisville.edu
::BillDrew.Net: http://billdrew.net/
::Not Just Cows:http://people.morrisville.edu/~drewwe/njc/
::Library: http://library.morrisville.edu/
::Wireless Librarian: http://people.morrisville.edu/~drewwe/wireless/
::SUNY Morrisville College: America's Most Wired 2 Year College - 2001,
2000