Re: Google as Publisher?

["Joseph J. Esposito" <espositoj@gmail.com>]

A question traditional publishers might ask is, Why didn't they 
do this first?  It is not hard to build a repository for this 
kind of content (you could use DSpace or Wikimedia, the software 
behind Wikipedia, for free). Such a repository could be designed 
for search engine optimization, meaning Google would index it--at 
no cost to the publisher.  It's not even necessary to build the 
advertising software platform; a deal with Microsoft or Yahoo or 
any of a couple other firms and you now have a potential revenue 
stream. In other words, the building blocks for this kind of 
venture are now readily available and not all that hard to 
integrate, allowing for the fact that everything to do with 
software is always harder than it looks at first.

Of course, it's entirely possible that this idea will not work. 
On the other hand, isn't it better to try rather than let a 
competitor take the risk and potential reward?

I am an unabashed supporter of traditional publishing models, but 
the absence of a spirit of experimentation is troubling.  Better 
ten failed experiments than one successful lawsuit.

Joe Esposito

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ann Okerson" <ann.okerson@yale.edu>
To: <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Monday, December 24, 2007 10:37 AM
Subject: Google as Publisher?


> This excerpt from the most recent Outsell newsletter may be of 
> interest. Ann Okerson
>
> ____
>
> From: Outsell Insights December 21, 2007
>
> It's Official! Google Launches a Publishing Entity
> by Ned May, Director & Lead Analyst - Boston, Massachusetts
>
> * Google's new "knol" initiative signals the company's intent to become a
> publisher.
>
> Important Details: In typical fashion, Google quietly announced, via a
> posting on its corporate blog, another new initiative. This one involves
> "knols", which Google defines as 'a unit of knowledge'. This new offering
> is intended to: "... encourage people who know a particular subject to
> write an authoritative article about it"; in return for these
> contributions, Google will share 50% of any associated advertising
> revenue. Authors can choose whether or not they want advertising
> associated with the content which they have created.  Despite the blog
> post being titled "Encouraging people to contribute knowledge", the intent
> of the company should be clear. Google is going to directly solicit,
> market, and deliver original content - i.e. Google is becoming a
> publisher.
>
> [SNIP]
>
> Google will not be exerting any editorial control and so must depend on
> the wisdom of the crowds to self police. Yet unlike Wikipedia, multiple
> entries - and thus viewpoints, will be allowed for any topic. That
> approach removes the benefit of crowds policing the community and will
> likely result in an information riot. There should also be serious
> concerns raised regarding enforcement of copyright. If individuals are
> rewarded directly for having the most informative page, there will be
> tremendous incentive for them to source that information in the quickest
> of ways.
>
> But focusing on why it might not work should again not detract from what
> it is. Knol is Google's new publishing arm - with the potential to
> dis-aggregate everyone from the information marketplace except those who
> write and those who read.
>
> [SNIP]
>
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