On Mon, 29 Jul 2013, Stephen Paling wrote:
> I worry that the incessant bashing of Google and Wikipedia is becoming a
> professional suicide pact.
Doesn't have to be. Could be turned into a professional problem-solving
pact.
I'd rather not see these 2 included in one sweeping statement, since
they are diametrically opposed, so let's just talk about correcting the
problems each face.
First, Wikipedia is the only open egalitarian, online information source
available, in that real people participate in it (as they should also in
government and public institutions like libraries)), whereas Google only
exists to serve itself at any cost to its users.
Libraries could participate in the editing of Wikipedia pages and in
helping Wikipedia find ways to prevent that editing from being corrupted
(which is not the fault of Wikipedia). Of course, library collections can
be corrupted in many ways also.
OTOH, Libraries could develop (collaboratively) more efficient non-profit
search engines that would put Google's lack of ethics to shame.
> Very few things damage professional credibility more than looking at a
> solution that works for its purposes, then claiming that it doesn't.
Very few things damage all forms of credibility more than looking only at
*whether* solutions work well for obvious, self-satisfying purposes rather
than evaluating the nature and possible consequences of all the purposes
involved.
Maybe the trains did run on time, but no one cared about or had the
courage to look at where the trains were going or what they carried... or
why... or to what possible consequences such efficiencies might lead.
Support Wikipedia actively because it is the only egalitarian structure
on the Internet and because it encourages public participation and
awareness (would that libraries and our governments might or could do the
same).
Oppose Google actively because it is doing to privacy what the government
once tried to do to libraries. Or at least make sure library patrons know
what tracking could do to them and that nonprofit libraries could never
support it.
Cheers!
jgm
John G. Marr
Cataloger
CDS, UL
Univ. of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
jmarr_at_unm.edu
californiastop_at_hushmail.com
** Forget the "self"; forget the "other"; just
consider what goes on in between. **
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Received on Mon Jul 29 2013 - 15:25:40 EDT