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France National Library Attacks Google Book Effort
An anonymous reader writes "The National Library of France is not happy with Google's effort to scan and integrate millions of books into its Web search. Jean-Noel Jeanneney, President of the library, wrote in an editorial that he is concerned Google's initiative to digitalize volumes at five leading libraries will reflect a unipolar worldview dominated by the English language and American culture. Jeanneney is pushing for European libraries to follow in Google's footsteps. Google said it was surprised by Jeanneney's remarks and noted, 'This is a first step for us; we can't do everything at once.'"
to find some reason why they don't like a good idea. Aside from France, Quebec, and a bunch of little African countries, where is French the primary language? Oh yeah, Haiti... let's not forget Haiti. France need to stop living so vicariously in the past. They are not the world player they used to be.
"I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey
Most of france is the same way. I was there over the summer, and God were there a lot of assholes. Then again, the French have always been known to be completely full of themselves... (ask any other European).
Did you ever know someone who no matter how hard you tried, you simply could not find any redeeming reasons to like them? That's France. An arrogant, self centered little tiny egomanical ankle biting country that has a part of it's government devoted to keeping english words out of the language. An arrogant, rude country that thinks they are a gift to the world. An arrogant rude country who after they were liberated from Nazi Germany at the end of World War II refused to be a part of NATO because it wasn't run by them. They happily took the Marshall Plan money from the US all the while ankle biting the US at every step. And they are still nasty little ankle biters. Instead of biting the ankles of Google because their idea of putting books online which happen to be in english offends the sensibilities of the French, why don't they build their own in French. I'm sure all of those French speaking countries out there, you know those old French colonies in Africa and Asia - would love to be able to find the collected works of DeGaulle online. Any while the French are at it, why don't they simply create their own Google instead of whining about an American created company being in English? Geez. But then the French will be the French.
Enjoy your Karma, after all you earned it. Feel your Karma Joe, feel it burn.
because they always whine about shit like this.
Given current demographic trends - in another 40 years there will be no French culture. The French in France aren't procreating enough to replace their population. The French in Quebec are becoming increasingly Anglicized. And here's a news flash: the French quarter of New Orleans isn't French anymore either. So seriously, why should Google waste their time on it from a business perspective?
Hardeharhar. Seriously folks, I like to make fun of the French as much as anyone, but this is getting really old.
This joke seems to come mostly from people from the USA, a country that is blessed in that it has never suffered a direct attack by a foreign nation on their major population centers. The closest thing is perhaps what happened on 9/11. Now imagine that some nation broke through your defenses and did that to your entire east coast and there was very little you could do to stop them from doing it again. You don't think that could possibly move Bush to sign an armistice?
Seriously folks. I know it's a joke and I do heartily laugh at it when it's brought well, but jeez, you hear this one so often that one gets the impression that some people believe it could never ever happen to their country. Please, let's all just make fun of some other aspect of the French for a while. It's not like there's not plenty of choice there.