LISNEWS Bookclub: Chapter One of “The Search”

Chapter 1
Early in the chapter he talks a bit about Google Zeitgeist as being “directly jacked into the culture’s nervous sytems” and this leads him to his conclusion that Google is a “database of intentions – a living artifact of immense power. My god I thought, Google knows what our culture wants!”

I can’t help but think librarians have known this for decades. Plus, Google only knows what people who use Google want, I’m not sure that’s the same as “our culture” or not.

I like the phrase “traces of intent” he also uses on page 2. The possiblilties are endless, and scary I might add, about what Google can do with all the information they collect on people.

By page 4 we’ve already learned that Google is a media company. I’m not sure that’s entirely true, because without the geeks they’re dead in the water. They make money from the media part of their company, but without the technology they would be nowhere. Which side is more important now?

“Put a search box in front of anybody and he’ll know what to do with it”
I’d add:
“Put an OPAC in front of anybody and they’ll ask for Google”

I do like his ideas on why he chose to write about search, it’s central to the Web. Though I’m not sure it’ll lead us to AI, he does make a good case for that.

“Search is about 5 percent solved” Chew on that and think about what it means for libraries when it’s even 50% solved.

The implications section starting on page 12 is interesting. Those who have the “database of intentions” can learn an incredible amount of information about their users.

Finally, I’m struck by how much all of this makes me think the search companies want to replace libraries. They never say that, but they say they want to be smart, and lead people to information, and understand what they want. All things that we do now, and have been doing for a century or two. Of course now the amount of information out there makes it difficult for one librarian. The amount of information, combined with the cheap and powerful computers we have now make it a good time to be in the Search Business.