Google is now attacking the media industry
16. August 2007
Google has added a new revolutionary feature to its Google's news section. The search engine giant is giving the chance to the people who are related to a story published in Google news to directly respond to it.
So called ''participants'' (...of a story) can send their comment to news-comments@google.com and their contact details in order for Google to verify their identity. These comments are linked alongside the normal media coverage of the story.
At the moment, it is up to Google to contact people and organisations concerned by a specific story and ask them to comment. This idea is not new, Yahoo news has already experimented with this by displaying forums based around specific news stories. But the experience was a disaster and they stopped it again last year because the site had been quickly encumbered by spams and other irrelevant comments.
Even if Google pretend to only give to 'Google News' users different points of views and information on the story written, the media industry are skeptical and worried. This could be a way to control the content of information and even worse it can 'decredibilize' the entire article because how Google can guarantee that the comments come from a true ''participant ''.
At the moment, it is up to Google to contact people and organisations concerned by a specific story and ask them to comment. This idea is not new, Yahoo news has already experimented with this by displaying forums based around specific news stories. But the experience was a disaster and they stopped it again last year because the site had been quickly encumbered by spams and other irrelevant comments.
Even if Google pretend to only give to 'Google News' users different points of views and information on the story written, the media industry are skeptical and worried. This could be a way to control the content of information and even worse it can 'decredibilize' the entire article because how Google can guarantee that the comments come from a true ''participant ''.
Article by Sonia Langevin @ Tetridia

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