Comments on: “Research without Google would be like life without electricity”

By: Francis Sedgemore

Francis Sedgemore — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:36:48 +0000

“I doubt if there are that many Mossad agents on the Net, but perhaps their supporters and sympathisers.”

I neither concur with nor deny that statement.

By: Martin Veart

Martin Veart — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:32:17 +0000

Lol: I doubt if there are that many Mossad agents on the Net, but perhaps their supporters and sympathisers. Last year I spent a lot of time in Israel and very interesting it was too, albeit for some of the wrong reasons.

By: Francis Sedgemore

Francis Sedgemore — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:37:06 +0000

Martin – It seems you became a victim of the “50c” brigade. Estimates as to the number of such state lackies on the Interwebs vary wildly, but I guess it’s safe to say that there are at least 100,000 of these 50c-ers. But then the ultra-left over here would say that there are legions of Mossad agents (me included) who spend their time planting favourable comments online about the Zionist Entity.

Google withdrawing from China will not lead to the downfall of the “communist” superpower, but it would have a significant political impact. I don’t see Baidu filling the void left by Google, and becoming a global search engine for Chinese users

By: Francis Sedgemore

Francis Sedgemore — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:30:27 +0000

Loafing has evolved, dear Boyo.

By: No Good Boyo

No Good Boyo — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:29:27 +0000

I’m trying to remember journalistic research in the pre-Google era. I’m getting lots of trips to our office reference library – we have a good one – and phone calls to Wise Elders. I miss the opportunity for crafty fag breaks, though.

By: Martin Veart

Martin Veart — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:15:18 +0000

It is easy for the Western mind to underestimate the numbers of people involved in observation and reporting in authoritarian states. Last week an ex-Stasi general claimed one in twenty four East German citizens were involved in information gathering.
When I used to appear on the Minekey site, I put up a question asking if there were any Chinese people there or whether Minekey was able to get through the Great Firewall? I recieved a reply a guy who called himself Napoleon Li (the relevence of the name Napoleon was not lost on me) who proceeded to accuse me of holding all kinds of anti-Chinese sentiments. When I pointed out that I was asking a question and not making a statement, I was then ascribed a level of deviousness that is usually reserved for the Mandelsons on this world. After that I was “befriended” by three Chinese individuals on the site. None of them were notable for their level of activity.

Of course, this does not takes anything away from your central point the Google has become a vital tool. The nature of a free market means that where there is a demand, supply with strive to meet it. But do not expect a search engine to be the final straw on the back of authoritarianism.