December 14, 2004

Is Google the next library? It would appear that they're trying. I personally think this is great, although there is still something to be said for actually curling up in front of a fire to a nice copy of Fahrenheit 451 or something (especially here in the Pac. NW where it rains every once in a while).

On a side note, and only because it relates to Google news today, Geico thinks they can rape (uh, I mean sue) Google for some of their money... bastards. They're just jealous Google is smarter than they are.

posted by Emmcee 19 years ago
  • If Google does this, I will fall down and worship at the feet of anyone working for the Google. Long live Google! Confusion and death to all would-be shafters of Google out there!
  • For anybody who (like me) doesn't want to bother registering with the Miami Herald, here's a summary of the story: Attorneys for auto insurance company Geico and search engine Google have presented opening statements today in their trademark lawsuit. Alexandria-based Geico says Google should NOT be able to sell competitors' ads triggered by searching under Geico's name. They say consumers can be confused into clicking on to one of Google's sponsored links. Google says the program, called AdWords, is NO different than getting a competitor's coupon when you buy something at the supermarket. The company said in financial filings that it would face financial risks if it were limited to only tying generic words to advertisements. Geico filed the suit in May. It's seeking nearly nine (m) million dollars in lost profits. It also wants to stop Google from using its name to sell ads.
  • I have to say that I am nervous about how big Google is. Pretty soon they'll absorb Wikipedia and the biggest blog sites, then we'll see the dreaded headline AOL/Time Warner announces purchase of Google.
  • scholar.google.com is the new hotness for those of us in academia. The academic databases seaching is pretty crappy in some ways. scholar.google.com is already better than most of them. If only there were a way to search for "X within 5 words of Y" like some academic databases allow, then scholar.google.com would rule my world.
  • Sorry Monkeys. Neither paper liked me linking to them aparently. I'm not registered at either paper, and didn't have to create a login to either when I first read/posted the articles. Thanx languagehat for the Geico article, here's the gist of the title article I posted: SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc. is trying to establish an online reading room for five major libraries by scanning stacks of hard-to-find books into its Internet search engine. The initiative announced late yesterday gives Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., the right to index material from the New York public library as well as libraries at four universities - Harvard, Stanford, Michigan and Oxford in England. The Michigan and Stanford libraries are the only two so far to agree to submit all their material to Google's scanners. The New York library is allowing Google to include a small portion of its books no longer covered by copyright and Harvard is confining its participation to 40,000 volumes so it can gauge how well the process works. Oxford wants Google to scan all its books published before 1901.
  • Google has just acquired MoFi. From now on, our name is MoooooonkeyFilter.
  • As any person involved in a library could have predicted, the resources will be limited to old, out of copyright material. Valuable, but hardly replacing libraries, many of which have already started scanning old material and making it available on-line.
  • Yes, hardly replacing libraries. But I am excited by this Google prospect nonetheless. GoddaloveGoogle.