Google as Publisher?

[Ann Okerson <ann.okerson@yale.edu>]

This excerpt from the most recent Outsell newsletter may be of interest.
Ann Okerson

____

From: Outsell Insights December 21, 2007

It's Official! Google Launches a Publishing Entity
by Ned May, Director & Lead Analyst - Boston, Massachusetts

* Google's new "knol" initiative signals the company's intent to 
become a publisher.

Important Details: In typical fashion, Google quietly announced, 
via a posting on its corporate blog, another new initiative. This 
one involves "knols", which Google defines as 'a unit of 
knowledge'. This new offering is intended to: "... encourage 
people who know a particular subject to write an authoritative 
article about it"; in return for these contributions, Google will 
share 50% of any associated advertising revenue. Authors can 
choose whether or not they want advertising associated with the 
content which they have created.  Despite the blog post being 
titled "Encouraging people to contribute knowledge", the intent 
of the company should be clear. Google is going to directly 
solicit, market, and deliver original content - i.e. Google is 
becoming a publisher.

[SNIP]

Google will not be exerting any editorial control and so must 
depend on the wisdom of the crowds to self police. Yet unlike 
Wikipedia, multiple entries - and thus viewpoints, will be 
allowed for any topic. That approach removes the benefit of 
crowds policing the community and will likely result in an 
information riot. There should also be serious concerns raised 
regarding enforcement of copyright. If individuals are rewarded 
directly for having the most informative page, there will be 
tremendous incentive for them to source that information in the 
quickest of ways.

But focusing on why it might not work should again not detract 
from what it is. Knol is Google's new publishing arm - with the 
potential to dis-aggregate everyone from the information 
marketplace except those who write and those who read.

[SNIP]

Copyright 2007 Outsell, Inc. All rights reserved.

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