[Web4lib] "Will Google search favor Google content?"

[David Rothman]

I find it hard to believe that things this stupid would be said by people
this smart.

> "This is a step too far," says Danny Sullivan, editor in chief of Search
> Engine Land. "Google's job started out being a service that points people to
> other information, and that remains their primary job – not to be providing
> the information themselves."
>
So what?  IBM used to sell clocks.  Then they sold computers.  These days
they also sell software and services.  Google has been expanding beyond
search for years. So have Yahoo and MS.  This isn't news.

Like most search engines, Google keeps secret the algorithms that rank
> search results, meaning that users are left to trust the company not to
> favor its own burgeoning content over others.
>
True, but if Google search appears to be unreasonably favoring its own
content, people will notice.   While we're on the topic, why doesn't it
bother anyone that Yahoo and MS also own a ton of online content?  Is it
just because Google is so much more successful than its competitors?

> "I would prefer that a search engine keep church and state separate," says
> Jay Bhatti, co-founder of Spock.com, a people search engine. "You can't
> choose to be a content creator as well as a content aggregator that
> impartially sends people to data sources...
>
It may be troubling for search wonks like Sullivan and Bhatti that Google
isn't just its search engine, but "Church and state" is an absurd metaphor.
There is no sanctity, religious or secular in search *or* content creation.
You *can* choose to be both a content owner and a search engine.

David Rothman
Information Services Specialist
Community General Hospital Medical Library
Syracuse, NY


On Thu, Aug 7, 2008 at 10:21 AM, Day, James <jday at seminolecountyfl.gov>wrote:

> Actually, Google's stated mission is "to organize the world's information
> and make it universally accessible and useful" (
> http://www.google.com/corporate).  I'm certain they think Knol is doing
> just that.
>
>
>
> At least Knol (http://knol.google.com) is branded Google (or at least
> resides on the Google domain) so searchers using Google can see that Google
> is pointing them to its own resource.  With Google companies YouTube or
> Blogger, that isn't obvious.
>
>
>
> James Day, MSLIS
> Web Developer, Enterprise Software Division
> Information Technology Services
>
> Seminole County Government
> 1101 East First Street
> Sanford, Florida 32771
>
> Phone: (407) 665-1076
> Fax: (407) 665-7412
> E-Mail: jday at seminolecountyfl.gov <mailto:jday at seminolecountyfl.gov>
> Website: www.seminolecountyfl.gov <http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:
> web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of B.G. Sloan
> Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 5:27 PM
> To: web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: [Web4lib] "Will Google search favor Google content?"
>
>
>
>
>
> Arnoldy, Ben. Will Google search favor Google content? The search giant's
> new online encyclopedia raises concerns about conflict of interest.
> Christian Science Monitor, August 6, 2008.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/5sm4qh
>
>
>
> An excerpt:
>
>
>
> "'This is a step too far,' says Danny Sullivan, editor in chief of Search
> Engine Land. 'Google's job started out being a service that points people to
> other information, and that remains their primary job – not to be providing
> the information themselves.'...'They really didn't need to do Knol,' says
> Sullivan. 'What you really want sometimes is for Google to say no to
> itself.'"
>
>
>
> Bernie Sloan
>
> Sora Associates
>
> Bloomington, IN
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
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