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

[B.G. Sloan]

There's another critique of Knol at the Guardian's website:

Arthur, Charles. Google attacked over Knol's spam potential. The Guardian, Thursday August 7 2008. 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/07/searchengines.spam

At one point the article opines that Google's "weighting algorithm seems to favour content on Knol pages rather than those 'outside' Google".

Bernie Sloan
Sora Associates
Bloomington, IN

--- On Thu, 8/7/08, Day, James <jday at seminolecountyfl.gov> wrote:

From: Day, James <jday at seminolecountyfl.gov>
Subject: RE: [Web4lib] "Will Google search favor Google content?"
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Date: Thursday, August 7, 2008, 10:21 AM

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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