The Demonization of Google
The Demonization of Google Has Begun
An interesting blog from from Dana Blankenhorn pondering over where Google News goes after the Agence France Press verdict against them.
It also comes out that both the Associated Press and Kyodo News Service have been objecting to use of their affiliates’ stories in Google News, and with the Agence France-Presse precedent in hand you can expect the wires to disappear entirely.
He suggests that a tipping point has been reached, and that a creative solution is required. Because commercial and not just editorial judgements at stake, he does not think that the appointment of a respected journalist to oversee the news put out would solve their problem. He suggests Google has two options
The first thing it has to do is recognize that it has a problem, and recognize that computers alone won’t solve it.
The second is to find a human being who can be the public face behind those decisions.
and has the interesting thought
It could also become more aggressive in spidering blog postings, many of which link in turn to wire service stories, and watch the news agencies go after bloggers.
Hmm, yeah sue websites for linking, what a - er, novel idea.
and Cut Off....
...one of your biggest sources of readers, personally I can see other news agenices giggling merrily, all the way to the bank.