Blog, Notable Links: September 25, 2009 : 10:30 pm
Google’s Coming Monopoly on Knowledge
Found this (admittedly somewhat slanted in tone) breakdown of the Google Books lawsuit currently underway:
The Fight Over the Google of All Libraries
It’s worth reading for yourself, as well as following the most recent update here (as of Sept 25).
Key points to consider:
- “Google’s mission is to ‘organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.’” It doesn’t say what that will cost, and it begs the question: if one has a monopoly on all the world’s knowledge, do they have a right to charge for it, especially when it can be transferred to anyone else at zero cost?
- Google isn’t known for charging for its services…up to this point. Right now, thanks to “free,” Google has been able to stake claims in the markets for email software, office document processing, telephony, and a lot more.
Whenever I hear about something Google is doing, I think back to an old Star Trek episode my father used to tell me about (Ep 41: I, Mudd). A group decides the human race is too dangerous to be free, so they decide to take control of us. When asked how they will do it, they respond thusly:
NORMAN
We will serve them. Their kind will be eager to accept our service. Soon they will become completely dependent upon us.
ALICE 99
Their aggressive and acquisitive instincts will be under our control.
NORMAN
We shall take care of them.
SPOCK
Eminently practical.
KIRK
The whole galaxy controlled by your kind?
NORMAN
Yes, Captain. And we shall serve them and you will be happy, and controlled.
Makes you realize how open to interpretation a phrase like “Don’t be Evil” can be.
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