… קידום אתרים – - כלי מילות המפתח והביטויים המקודמים שעבורן מבצעים את פעולות הקידום של האתר היא על-ידי שימוש בתוכן. התוצאה של שלבים אלו היא לנסות להיות הוגנים ביותר עבור אדם מבוגר, שמצבו הבריאו… Why Search is Essential to the Freedom of Human Civil…

I’m glad it’s happening in the public eye at least – and I’m really very glad for groups such as the EFF poking their head in, going to have to find a way to give some time to those people.

You mention:
“I do agree that there is a danger when control of information access is in just few hands. But hasn’t it been that way forever?”

Before the printing press information was more controllable. Things changed when knowledge became easy to obtain, and take with you, in the form of a book. Books have managed to survive their persecutors time and again (hence my inclusion of a link to ‘How the Irish Saved Civilization’). The Internet presents the opportunity for decentralization and a lack of need for a physical copy in order for transportation, it’s another paradigm shift in how information moves around and between people, just like the printing press was. So no, it hasn’t been any particular way forever, information and access to it are in as constant a state of evolution as human inventiveness.

It seems defeatist to me to hear “it’s always been that way”, as though that’s some excuse for it being that way – everything is changing, the way things are going to be, is going to be different.

You mentioned:
“Any media whether books, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV is controlled. And state or government owned media is selective about what it puts out or gives access to as well.”

But the Internet is not owned by state, government, private organization or individual. Access to it, and the content of it, are what needs to evolve next.

Very comprehensive post for which you’ve done a lot of research I imagine.
It gives plenty of information as to what Google is doing and might yet do.

It is impossible to escape the overwhelming emphasis on your distrust in private corporations and especially the fact that they may make a profit.

I do agree that there is a danger when control of information access is in just few hands. But hasn’t it been that way forever?

Any media whether books, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV is controlled. And state or government owned media is selective about what it puts out or gives access to as well.

In some countries as you pointed out they not only control all the state and local media, they have subdued Google and Yahoo to their will as well.

So government or public ownership in itself solves nothing. On the contrary it will add to the problem and will enable total control of information and information access more easily.

It is my opinion that physical books will not cease to exist. Who wants to read everything on a computer screen?

And Google is not the future Frankenstein or monster that will control the world.
Interesting idea but just for the fiction section in a public library.

Vance