The Googlization of Everything: 11/07/12

The Googlization of Everything by Siva Vaidhyanathan looks at Google history and it's growing reach of services across the internet. The thesis is that Google is striving to control the world's access to the internet to harvest as much marketable data as possible.

Right off the bat, though, Vaidhyanathan approaches the different pieces of Google's services with a clear anti-Google agenda. With such negativity regardless of the evidence presented, it's hard to take any of his observations seriously.

The book first outlines the different services Google offers and how it uses the data it collects both through its robots and through user interaction. These observations, though, are done as an outsider — as a user of Google — without an effort to get Google to respond to perceived abuses. I suppose I am spoiled by the Google articles written by Barbara Quint.

The most interesting section is the examination of search usage by languages spoken. Google's saturation as a search index is highest in multi-lingual countries and amongst multi-language speakers. Google's flexibility of search in multiple and simultaneous languages makes it an invaluable tool.

The take away messages of The Googlization of Everything is that Google isn't as all present as the title implies. It does have its adopters — namely in multi-lingual countries like India, but it's not the world dominant behemoth you might think.

Two stars

Comments (2)

Comment #1: Friday, November 09, 2012 at 14:44:16

Siva Vaidhyanathan

I am sorry you took from my book that I have an "anti-Google agenda." I thought that I made it clear that I do not. The book is much different than what you have described here.

Comment #2: Saturday, November 17, 2012 at 11:08:44

Pussreboots

Unfortunately that's the way your book is beging taught. It was used as the introduction to why librarians need to use for fee databases to get access to better, vetted information.