Sphinn - Murdoch Editor: Google is "Hugely Dangerous"

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Murdoch Editor: Google is "Hugely Dangerous"

Went Hot: November 7, 2007 - 6:18 am
Posted By: bhartzer 607 days ago
Topic Type: News Story (Jump to http://www.pressgazette.co.uk)
Category: Google

Google is “hugely dangerous” and is one of the major preoccupations of News Corp, according to the editor-in-chief of Times Online. Anne Spackman, speaking as part of a panel about the future of newspapers at the Society of Editors conference, said "the number one topic of conversation at News Corp is Google."

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from Eloi 607 days ago #

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Some working for Murdoch said Google was dangerous? Wow!
Don't throw rocks if you live in a glass house Mrs Spackman!

from baiduyou 607 days ago #

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Rupert Murdoch, speaking from his Barad-dur home deep in the heart of Mordor today proclaimed Google to be a worrying presence in the arena of information dissemination,

"When an organisation becomes such a powerful player in directing traffic that media giants such as News Corp. are no longer able to influence which political parties will win elections it can only be a bad thing."

Murdoch, 842 years old, continued, "It's simply a dangerous situation when the people are allowed to think for themselves. Without the trusted network of news sources, who will be left to set the political agenda? Politicians? The proletariat? That way lies madness."

"I'm all in favour of large corporations directing the course of mankind, but these upstarts don't even own any tabloid newspapers for Christ's sake. And what kind of a wussy motto is 'don't be evil?' anyway?"

from Lisaweb 606 days ago #

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^^^ LOL

from skinner 606 days ago #

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Yes that's funny baiduyou, and we all enjoy a good laugh, but seriously Google has the potential to be far more influential and therefore threatening than Murdoch ever has been. I'm thinking of removing my Google Toolbar and going with www.clusty.com, as I explained in my post the just yesterday. So far I really like this new search engine.

from baiduyou 606 days ago #

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I think the key word there is 'potential'.

AFAIK, Google aren't guilty of anything near the catalogue of blatant manipulation and unethical practice attributed to News Corp. Columbia Journalism Review summed it up:

"Murdoch uses his diverse holdings... to promote his own financial interests at the expense of real news gathering, legal and regulatory rules, and journalistic ethics. He wields his media as instruments of influence with politicians who can aid him, and savages his competitors in his news columns. If ever someone demonstrated the dangers of mass power being concentrated in few hands, it would be Murdoch."

Google may have the potential to be evil - everyone knows the phrase 'Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.' - but Rupert Murdoch has repeatedly shown through his anti-competitive, shamelessly self-serving actions that he's already there. If evil were a destination, Murdoch would have staked it out in colonial times and now be living there on a large ranch.

We all enjoy a good laugh, but for a spokesperson for his company to voice concerns over the dangers of Google becoming a 'big brother' is beyond laughable.