Google TV
Thanks to Google Blocoscoped for linking to an interesting Australian TV program, Google: Behind the Screen. Lasts about 45 minutes.
Watch it here. (downloads also available)
5 Comments
I saw Cerf explaining the tastemakers aspect of Google’s PageRank algorithm.
It’s a promotional piece for Google since Google just recently stepped up their efforts in Australia.
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Marc
It gets more critical towards the end. I thought the programme makers actually gave Google a pretty hard time, and gave a large chunk of space to people who are very worried about giving so much information to a single company. Cerf and Meyer seemed quite shocked at being questioned aggressively.
Privacy is an issue.
The problem with having a “Do No Evil” mantra is that it sets you up for heavy criticism anytime you do something that may be perceived as evil or even just bordering on evil.
You can’t really lead by mantras.
Marc
I saw it go by on the torrents, but it didn’t pique my interest after I read about it. For some reason, I am very aware what happens in the Australian media. It’s probably because I cover the Australian Big Brother.
Probably most of us would like to ‘Do no evil’. And then your job suddenly becomes making profit for the shareholders, rather than making the best search engine. It’s easy to be purist when you don’t have to work with other companies and organisations. I’m not an apologist for Google. Google China remains, to me, an outrageously unprincipled manouevre, but I can see how it happens.