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Google Adds News Personalization

Posted by samzenpus on from the what-doesn't-it-do dept.

downbad writes "ZDNet is reporting that the Google News home page is now customizable, allowing you to add or delete main news categories (such as business, sports and so on), as well as increasing or decreasing the number of headlines within a section. They've also introduced a feature that lets you create your own section using keywords for a topic that interests you."

6 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. Google devotion by northcat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Would slashdot have reported this if it was Yahoo (or something else) which did this instead of Google?

    1. Re:Google devotion by Simon+(S2) · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Would slashdot have reported this if it was Yahoo (or something else) which did this instead of Google?


      No. Because if Yahoo! did it, it would be cluttered with ads and unusable, but if google does it, it is a new useful service that is interesting and makes intelligent use of new implementation of current technologies (like the drag&drop customization of the news items that interest you).
      --
      I just don't trust anything that bleeds for five days and doesn't die.
    2. Re:Google devotion by skraps · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Speaking of Yahoo, is anyone else afraid that Google will turn into Yahoo if they keep adding services?

      Every time they come out with something new, everyone says "oh cool, i'll use that!" But look at Yahoo's homepage after ten years of that business. I'm sure there are some good services in there, but it's hard to find them among all the ... other good services.

      --
      Karma: -2147483648 (Mostly affected by integer overflow)
    3. Re:Google devotion by Bobman1235 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This does not mean that their 'beta' email system is any better than anyone else's, that they are a benevolent company who love technology for it's own sake, that they are the future of the Internet, or indeed that they are trying to do anything other than maximise shareholder value by providing marketable web services.

      While I mostly agree with what your'e saying with regards to google's benevolence, you CAN'T argue that when they do things, they do them pretty well. They DO have the most useful and least obtrusive search engine. Their email system has the best interface I'VE ever used for a web client, and it's lightening fast compared to all the other biggies (yahoo, hotmail). Their new map system is really fast and easy to use - missing a few features, not ready for primetime, but still faster and easier than mapquest or yahoo! maps.

      The Slashdot community is acting like a bunch of little fan-boys--big surprise--but that doesn't mean that they're not at least in part correct. As long as google keeps doing things right, WHATEVER their motive (which is obviously to make money), peopel are gonna continue to love and praise them.

  2. Yahoo's been doing this for years... by orlinius · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What's exactly the news here?
    Yahoo's been doing this for years.

    Ah, I forgot, it's Google. Anything as much as a difference in the atmospheric pressure around the Google campus makes the front page on slashdot.

    --

    A hungry bear does not dance!
  3. personalized news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "They've also introduced a feature that lets you create your own section using keywords for a topic that interests you."

    Can you say "Targeted advertising"?