[Web4lib] Google Print gets new name

[John Kupersmith]

I agree that "Google Book Search" is likely to be shortened by real people 
in everyday use, but it's hard to imagine a better alternative that's 
reasonably concise, contains the target word "books" yet isn't grossly 
misleading.

This is like many of the labeling challenges that libraries face.  The most 
important role of a name at this level is just to get users moving in the 
right direction.  It's a rare thing for a name also to clarify the 
distinctions, ramifications, and complications that lurk just below the 
surface.

If you think we've got problems, try finding a new name for a Israeli 
political party:
< http://tinyurl.com/74reh >
or a name that makes kangaroo meat seem appetizing:
< http://tinyurl.com/9uffw >

--jk


>Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2005 08:48:44 -0800
>From: "K.G. Schneider" <kgs at bluehighways.com>
>Subject: RE: [Web4lib] Google Print gets new name
>To: <Web4lib at webjunction.org>
>
> > In any language, the new name is still confusing. Is the point to find
> > books, or to search the full text of books? Are the items on the hit list
> > "snippets" or are they full text of books? What do end users think they
> > are
> > searching for? What do they expect to retrieve?
> >  Plus ça change...
> >  /rich
>
>My hunch is that "Google Books" was some third rail they didn't want to
>encounter, so they made it Google Book Search. But I've been calling it
>Google Books (even though a blogger wagged his finger at those of us doing
>this) because it's one more syllable and one more word than most Google
>projects.
>
>We could ask them to change it to Google OPAC; or perhaps Google
>Bibliographic Utility...
>
>Karen G. Schneider
>kgs at bluehighways.com