Searchengines and democracy

Don’t be evil, is a frase associated with Google (link to article on subejct). Google is your friend, is the impression most people have. The searchengine helps you find relevant information fast and effectively. You think.

But, consider this. Google sorts the index according to advanced logarithms and presents in the SERP (search engine resultpage). Let’s say you want to go on holiday, and do a search for cheap trips, flights, hotels to, let’s say Paris. You think Google is your friend and returns an objective result on who is in that business.

But, actually Google returns a first page, which 90% or more people choose from, is optimized intentionally by experts on optimization. The resultpage is not an objective result anymore. As a matter of fact, the first page consists of only optimized pages. Who says that these pages represents the great sources you are looking for ?

I don’t blame the SEO-companies at all, hey they are optimizing to google. If anyone is to blame, it’s the Google results, aka Google.

Students
Students look for sources to their research. Beware now, cause optimized pages are not objective and representing the “truth”. Students should be very aware of this from an early age.

Cencorship
Now, what’s this with Google in China, is that ok ? Personally I think Google is just trying to get a piece of the cake. But,,,, Perhaps it’s better to have Google in China, than to not. In some way, Google could influence world cultures, democracies and the power balance. It may be a theoretic thought, but being the primary source for searching information in the world, Google could decide or be told to provide special results, censored results.

I support my local Google, I allow Google to gather information on my searchpatterns, submit data etc etc. I beilieve this can help improve Google and thus my favourite search source. I don’t belive China can keep up the censoring of information. Sooner or later technology will set them free, or at least grant the Chinese people, and others, the right to access information and knowledge.

This hopefully will help making the world a better place.

[TAG]Democracy, Censorship, Google[/TAG]