Google (company): Difference between revisions

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'''Google Inc.''' is an [[internet]] search engine company that was co-founded by [[Larry Page]] and [[Sergey Brin]]. It is currently one of the most popular search engines on the internet. Among the services offered by Google are Google Mail, Google Video, and Google Maps. Google Inc. is also the owner of several other websites and companies, for example Blogger, [[YouTube]], and [[DoubleClick]]. The history of Google has been detailed.<ref name="isbn1-59184-141-0">{{cite book |author=John Battelle |title=The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture |publisher=Portfolio Trade |location= |year= |pages= |isbn=1-59184-141-0 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref>
'''Google Inc.''' is an [[internet]] search engine company that was co-founded by [[Larry Page]] and [[Sergey Brin]]. It is currently one of the most popular search engines on the internet. Among the services offered by Google are Google Mail, Google Video, and Google Maps. Google Inc. is also the owner of several other websites and companies, for example Blogger, [[YouTube]], and [[DoubleClick]]. The history of Google has been detailed.<ref name="isbn1-59184-141-0">{{cite book |author=John Battelle |title=The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture |publisher=Portfolio Trade |location= |year= |pages= |isbn=1-59184-141-0 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref>


==Criticism==
==Controversies==
Google's unofficial motto is "Don't be evil"<ref>''San Francisco Chronicle'', "[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/01/26/EDGNSGSK5U1.DTL Don't be Google]", Debra J. Saunders, January 26, 2006.</ref>, which is contradicted by the facts listed below.
The Google Book Search Library Project, in which millions of books from libraries will be scanned and made searchable on the Web, has led to controversy and legal action. In support of Google's mission to "organize the world's information," the Google Book Search program is designed to digitize printed book content so that it may be searched and retrieved via Google's search engine.  The program has two facets—one that involves publishers, which has not been controversial, and one that involves libraries, which has. The University of Michigan has committed to allowing Google to scan its entire print and journal collection. Publishers are suing Google for copyright infringement, while Google claims their use falls under the fair use privilege of the Copyright Act. <ref> Baksik (2006) </ref>  


*Google has agreed to [[censorship|censor]] results for queries made from China. Google has decided to do so to stop [[China]] from hindering Chinese user searches (blocking Google or substantially slowing down the result display). Google has agreed to block content that the Chinese government deems unacceptable, which displeased [[Reporters Without Borders]]<ref>''Fox News.com'', "[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,182695,00.html China's Google Search Engine to Be Censored]", [Associated Press], January 25, 2006.</ref>. This story happened after Google refused to help the U.S. [[Department of Justice]] with its efforts to fight against [[child pornography]] and started to be seen as a [[privacy]] proponent for this reason<ref>''San Francisco Chronicle'', "[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/01/26/EDGNSGSK5U1.DTL Don't be Google]", Debra J. Saunders, January 26, 2006.</ref>. [[Sergey Brin]] admitted that by censoring results he compromised Google's mantra (Don't be evil)<ref>''Cnet Asia'', "[http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/lemaklemang/post.htm?id=39367104 Google... 'Don't be evil']", Jeff Ooi, June 12, 2006.</ref>.
 
*[[Google Reader]] now automatically allows any contacts you have at in your [[Gmail]] account see to what feeds you are subscribed. Now, if somebody write to somebody else once, both can see all the other's feeds from their Google Reader account<ref>''Profy'', "[http://www.profy.com/2007/12/27/google-reader-privacy-mess/ Don't Be... What Was That Again? We Seem to Have Forgotten]", Cyndy Aleo-Carreira, December 27th, 2007.</ref>.
Google has agreed to censor results for queries made from China. Google has decided to do so to stop [[China]] from hindering Chinese user searches (blocking Google or substantially slowing down the result display). Google has agreed to block content that the Chinese government deems unacceptable. <ref>''Fox News.com'', "[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,182695,00.html China's Google Search Engine to Be Censored]", [Associated Press], January 25, 2006.</ref>.  
*Google [[cookie]]s are criticized by the [[World Privacy Forum]] and others. They to expire automatically after two years, but Google has become so prevalent that this basically mean that the cookies will not be erased unless you don't visit any Google sites for two years. Those cookies contain unique IDs that make it possible to create a dossier about a specific user (for advertisement, for instance). It is possible to delete the cookies by oneself (and even block them entirely), but many users are not even aware of the existence of cookies<ref>''USA Today'', "[http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-07-19-google-cookies-privacy_N.htm Google's cookie policy good for privacy?]", Anick Jesdanun, July 19, 2007.</ref>.
 
[[Google Reader]] now automatically allows contacts a person has in a [[Gmail]] account to what feeds are subscribed.<ref>''Profy'', "[http://www.profy.com/2007/12/27/google-reader-privacy-mess/ Don't Be... What Was That Again? We Seem to Have Forgotten]", Cyndy Aleo-Carreira, December 27th, 2007.</ref>.
 
Google [[cookie]]s are criticized by the [[World Privacy Forum]] and others. They expire automatically after two years, but cookies will not be erased unless a person does not visit any Google sites for two years. <ref>''USA Today'', "[http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-07-19-google-cookies-privacy_N.htm Google's cookie policy good for privacy?]", Anick Jesdanun, July 19, 2007.</ref>.
==Bibliography==
* Baksik, Corinna. "Fair Use or Exploitation? The Google Book Search Controversy," ''Libraries and the Academy''- Volume 6, Number 4, October 2006, pp. 399-415 in [[Project Muse]]


==References==
==References==

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Google Inc. is an internet search engine company that was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. It is currently one of the most popular search engines on the internet. Among the services offered by Google are Google Mail, Google Video, and Google Maps. Google Inc. is also the owner of several other websites and companies, for example Blogger, YouTube, and DoubleClick. The history of Google has been detailed.[1]

Controversies

The Google Book Search Library Project, in which millions of books from libraries will be scanned and made searchable on the Web, has led to controversy and legal action. In support of Google's mission to "organize the world's information," the Google Book Search program is designed to digitize printed book content so that it may be searched and retrieved via Google's search engine. The program has two facets—one that involves publishers, which has not been controversial, and one that involves libraries, which has. The University of Michigan has committed to allowing Google to scan its entire print and journal collection. Publishers are suing Google for copyright infringement, while Google claims their use falls under the fair use privilege of the Copyright Act. [2]


Google has agreed to censor results for queries made from China. Google has decided to do so to stop China from hindering Chinese user searches (blocking Google or substantially slowing down the result display). Google has agreed to block content that the Chinese government deems unacceptable. [3].

Google Reader now automatically allows contacts a person has in a Gmail account to what feeds are subscribed.[4].

Google cookies are criticized by the World Privacy Forum and others. They expire automatically after two years, but cookies will not be erased unless a person does not visit any Google sites for two years. [5].

Bibliography

  • Baksik, Corinna. "Fair Use or Exploitation? The Google Book Search Controversy," Libraries and the Academy- Volume 6, Number 4, October 2006, pp. 399-415 in Project Muse

References

  1. ↑ John Battelle. The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture. Portfolio Trade. ISBN 1-59184-141-0. 
  2. ↑ Baksik (2006)
  3. ↑ Fox News.com, "China's Google Search Engine to Be Censored", [Associated Press], January 25, 2006.
  4. ↑ Profy, "Don't Be... What Was That Again? We Seem to Have Forgotten", Cyndy Aleo-Carreira, December 27th, 2007.
  5. ↑ USA Today, "Google's cookie policy good for privacy?", Anick Jesdanun, July 19, 2007.

External links

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