[Web4lib] What's in a name (Google Book Search, that is)?

[Walt.Crawford at rlg.org]

I don't always disagree with Karen:

I haven't seen any Google bashing on Web4Lib either. Indeed, I'd guess
almost everyone on Web4Lib uses Google and appreciates what it does and is
trying to do. Yes, it's a company, not a religion (sorry, had to paraphrase
the title on my current "disContent" column in EContent), but I believe
most Web4Lib discussions are on Google strengths, limitations, quirks, and
naming conventions--not accusations of evil or anything even close to
bashing.

I'll bet there are at least a few Googlers on the list. I'll bet they feel
welcome here as well. At least I hope so.

Seems to me some of us raised questions about AltaVista's total excellence
and perfection back when it was #1 as well. Ditto Yahoo! (still a pretty
strong #2 even as a search engine). None of which was or is bashing. (Now,
Gopher *was* perfect, so of course we never said anything bad about
it...and yes, that is a weak attempt at humor.)

This is a good day to give thanks that we have competition for excellence
among web search engines. None perfect, all useful, and none of them out to
destroy or undermine libraries or librarians...

Walt Crawford
wcc at rlg.org, 650-691-2227
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web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org wrote on 11/23/2005 12:56:23 PM:

> > All the Google bashing that takes place on this list sometimes makes me
> > think folks are scared that it will replace a person. Did you bash
Yahoo
> > this much when it was the search engine of choice?
>
> What Google bashing DOES take place on this list? I see intelligent
> discussion, tips for usage, reports of its activities, speculations about
> its future, worries about Google and its affect on libraries, positive
> comparisons with your typically evil ILS, explorations of its strengths
and
> limitations, and the occasional "well, I sometimes search something
else."
> Then there are some critiques that are valid, and are nearly always
framed
> in debate-like back-and-forths. Did I miss a thread where we drubbed
Google?
>
>
> Your comment about Yahoo does remind me of one thing: all things change.
>
> Karen G. Schneider
> kgs at bluehighways.com
>
>
>
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