Weekend Open Forum: Imagining Google's own country

[Dawn1113]

Remember how Google sought to gain control over the online distribution of books in a number of the world's best libraries? I saw a documentary about it not too long ago, "Google and the World Brain," I think it was. I no longer remember who produced the program, so I cannot attest to its credibility. But the documentary outlined some pretty scary stuff. Many use the word "Orwellian" to describe Google's shady shenanigans. That documentary suggests that the description is eerily appropriate.

What makes the idea of Google gaining control over such a huge body of great literature even scarier is the fact that they had actually catalogued Walt Whitman's famous book of poems, Leaves of Grass, under 'Gardening.'

 

[captaincranky]

Remember how Google sought to gain control over the online distribution of books in a number of the world's best libraries? I saw a documentary about it not too long ago, "Google and the World Brain," I think it was. I no longer remember who produced the program, so I cannot attest to its credibility. But the documentary outlined some pretty scary stuff. Many use the word "Orwellian" to describe Google's shady shenanigans. That documentary suggests that the description is eerily appropriate.

This is all "Crime Think" darlin', all Crime Think.

Or at least it surely will be in Google's new country.

 

[captaincranky]

They probably aren't welcome after the Google Street View cars proved a dangerous distraction to canoe enthusiasts (note Ned Beatty's desperate attempt to retain anonymity) in Georgia

Although, I'd hazard a guess it went down the other way around. The Google street view guys likely hightailed it when Beatty whispered in their ears, "y'all sure got sum right purty mouths". Or perhaps, "I'll make ya squeal like a pig"...