Does Google = God?

lgreco writes "In an op/ed for the NYT, Thomas Friedman wonders "Is Google God?" Interesting article that disseminates things mostly known to and hopefully well understood by the Slashdot readership. The fact that such commentary made it to the NYT op/ed pages is remarkable." It's the NYT, so a free registration is required.

Comments

Google IS God

[presroi]

since google news does not need to register

you can be god, too:

[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/29/opinion/2 9F RIE.html?ex=1057464000&en=5a99f13790700f88&ei=5062 &partner=GOOGLE[/url]

The tongue of the savage foreign hordes

[lordlod]

"... only one-third come from inside the U.S. The rest are in 88 other languages."

Americans may speak funny but generally its still known as english. Amazingly it's actually spoken outside of the US as well.

Perhaps a bit more detail?...

[Radon Knight]

Would it be possible for the posters of articles to include at least some hint of the content of the piece?

I mean, my first reaction to the question "Is Google God?" is "No... Next topic!" Presumably the article is asking something at least slightly more compelling or interesting, but we have no idea of what that might be.

The site is supposed to be news for nerds... not sound bites for nerds. Although I guess that is a lot of what passes for news in the States.

Real point of the piece

[localroger]

...is not the snazzy comment about google=god but the well-taken point that small groups of people who hate [pick target] will be able to much more effectively mobilize, recruit, and act in a world where everyone is connected and searches are universal.

Note the last paragraph about the effectiveness of Osama bin Laden's recruiting videos, and the possibility of targeting them precisely via broadband video. Brrrrrr.

Read the article :)

[aepervius]

Summary : google + wireless = inforamtion available for everybody everywhere. They compare it to omniscience and thus gods (btw, where is the other part traditionnaly associated to gods, omnipotence :) ?).

Then they go on rambling that this will allow the bad guy to touch "more" the U.S. (what of the rest of the western world...?) and allow them unite quicker and better.

I think this is a "slow news" sunday, thus this [devoid of content] article went on slashdot...

Er, no..

[Trevalyx]

First off, the title of the article is somewhat sensationalist, as the premise isn't really "Is Google God?", it's more of a "How should we Americans adjust now that 9/11 is over and done with and the world is in it's changing paradigm?"

But that's not my point. My point is the comparison is quite ludicrous.

Says Alan Cohen, a V.P. of Airespace, a new Wi-Fi provider: "If I can operate Google, I can find anything. And with wireless, it means I will be able to find anything, anywhere, anytime. Which is why I say that Google, combined with Wi-Fi, is a little bit like God. God is wireless, God is everywhere and God sees and knows everything. Throughout history, people connected to God without wires. Now, for many questions in the world, you ask Google, and increasingly, you can do it without wires, too."

There is the disclaimer "little bit" in there, but even so, it feels a lot like Beowulfian "flyting" in the nasty "pay attention to me!" sense. Google may be wireless, but only when it piggy-backs on another, even vaster service, and even so, it's only such part of the time. Not to mention, as ability goes, it's not exactly omnipotent. And anyone who worships Google in more than a "Hey, I've got the toolbar" kind of way should probably reconsider their choice of deity. As dieties go, Google is probably a bit more deserving than some other common choices today, of course, but is still on the "Not such a great idea" side of the choices of "things, Things, dieties, and God's to worship."

What's with the scaremongering?

[wfberg]

Jeez Louise.. Terrorists will be using the interweb to organize more efficiently! Foreign people who hate use will be able to talk about us behind our backs! (No mention that the internet has done more to proliferate American culture and "values" than MTV or McDonalds, or that the internet can be, and actually is, used for good as well as evil..)

Don't get your panties in a wad, United States. Better start fearing your domestic Police State To Be!

OMFG! There's a knife next to my plate! What if a terrorist had sat down here!

Re:This is a fluff article.

[maggotbrain_777]

Not only is it a fluff article, it was technically incorrect and seemed intent on perpetuating more mindless post 9/11 fear-mongering pap.

Verisign operating much of the Internet's infrastructure??? Please, spare me.

So, the article concludes that Google and Wi-Fi will bring the world together in omniscience all the while there are dark forces at work plotting to destroy us.

After reading this op-ed piece, The World Weekly news or the Onion seems a more credible source for gaining insights into world perspectives.... ....gak....too much coffee.....

Is Thomas Friedman a simplistic hack?

[Glowing Fish]

I've read Thomas Friedman's book, "The Lexus and the Olive Tree", and I can say the answer to that question is yes.

Thomas Friedman has a basic understanding that the 1990's saw major changes in the technological and social structure of the world. He uses this to make up sweeping trite statements about things that he doesn't really understand. Some of his statements are true, but he sugarcoats them and puts them in impressive terms that make them seem more impressive than they are.

For example, he has the famous statement: "Two nations with McDonald's have never gone to war with each other". Yes, that is true, but it actually means "advanced industrialized democracies don't go to war with each other", or perhaps "nation states no longer go to war with each other". But he puts it in flashy terms, and sounds like it is a magical formula.

"Is Google God" is his flashy way of saying "Is the internet a source of near endless information?". When you put it in those terms, then, well, yes, it is. But he gets away with being a serious writer by changing his words around and seeming to say something new.

It's people like him that make me wonder why Slashdotters ever bothered to complain about Jon Katz.

The real point of the article

[MarkWatson]

Sure, the technical details of the article were fluff.

However, the real point of the article is that in an increasingly linked world, it is more important than ever to be good world citizens.

Lord Rees Moag and James Davidson make this point in their book 'Sovereign Individual": large countries become increasingly vulnerable to small countries and organized groups because of the threats of cyber attacks, etc.

As this article points out, with the free flow of information, small groups can share information and form larger political and action groups.

Not to be political, but I was against the recent Iraq War because I think that it is a very bad idea to alienate other countries when we largely depend on the global "dollar standard" for hoarding money and purchasing oil to prop up our economy. I am a more than a little concerned that our turning our backs on the UN will cause us all kinds of problems in the future. (BTW, the US has vetoed 35 UN security council resolutions ssince 1970 - so, it was not so atypical for Russia, France, and Germany to threaten to veto one of our resolutions.

-Mark

Re:Still Waiting...

[SunPin]

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett is a play (theater) that explores the meaning of existence. The whole production is two guys engaged in a meaningless attempt to fill up time while waiting for somebody named Godot to show up. He never does.

As for the post, God = Google therefore... ok.

It's pretty deep stuff and requires a few readings before you start to enjoy it. The time wasting and hopelessness says a lot about K5 (/. doesn't take itself seriously enough to be included in a comparison to this book.)