2007 by the numbers
Google Inc. crossed $700, IAC/InterActiveCorp split itself into five pieces, and Apple sold more than one million iPhones. Here’s a look at some of the numbers behind the year’s tech happenings.
Read Ones and Zeros
Q&A with Boing Boing’s Cory Doctorow
In science-fiction author Cory Doctorow’s short story “Scroogled,” a woman shrugs when she sees “Immigration–Powered by Google” on an airport sign, but that’s just the beginning of the search giant’s presence in a not-too-distant future.
The story, published in Radar Magazine’s latest issue, envisions a world in which Google turns into Big Brother. Customs agents grill travelers about their search queries, public places are swept by Webcams and officials look for terrorist connections in social-networking sites. All of this is made possible by Google’s powerful search tools and the company’s willingness to share its trove of personal data with the government.
While a work of fiction, Mr. Doctorow, 36 years old, one of the editors of the popular blog Boing Boing, said his story builds on his real concerns about the amount of information that Google and others collect and store about Web users, including search histories, email and videos. Its publication has sparked online discussions about online privacy and the plausibility of Mr. Doctorow’s scenario.
Asked about the Orwellian story, a Google spokeswoman responded: “Google is proud to offer a range of innovative products that have proven to be both useful and trusted by our users. User trust is central to our business and that’s why we aggressively protect our users’ privacy.”
Mr. Doctorow spoke with me about “Scroogled,” why he’s fond of Google despite his dystopian tale and why it’s hard to get people worried about online privacy.
Discord Over Dewey
A New Library in Arizona Fans a Heated Debate Over What Some Call the ‘Googlization’ of Libraries
By all accounts, patrons of the Perry Branch Library in Gilbert, Ariz., are happy with the new digs.
Since the doors opened last month, visitors have checked out about 900 items a day, far more than the 100 to 150 that typically circulate daily in nearby branches, said Harry Courtright, director of the Maricopa County library district. Part of the branch’s appeal has come from the addition of bookstore-like features, including lower shelves, lounge furniture and displays of popular titles.
But it’s what’s missing from the library that has drawn the most attention: Perry abandoned the Dewey Decimal Classification System for its books, whose spines instead carry labels with plain-English subjects such as “history” and “weddings.” Instead of locating books by the traditional numerical system, patrons use a computerized catalog to find out which subject a book has been filed under, and then follow signs posted throughout the library. Many visitors skip the catalog altogether, and just head for the aisles that interest them.
The opening of a Dewey-free facility has sparked heated debate in the library world. “The day that the Maricopa news hit, I just had to steel myself,” said Karen Schneider, a moderator for PubLib, an online discussion list where comments blasting the move have been running about even with those praising the new library.
In defending Dewey, some have decried what they call the “Barnes & Nobling” and “Googlization” of libraries. On blogs and newsgroups, more than one commenter fumed “Have you ever tried finding something at a bookstore?” Some pointed out that Dewey is already essentially a list of subject headings, whose call numbers specify exactly where each book should be placed on the shelves. Many libraries print those subject headings on shelves under books.
Others, however, praised Perry’s decision, saying doing away with the inscrutable codes makes libraries easier to browse and more approachable.
Firms Tidy Up Clients’ Bad Online Reputations
Reputation-management services are trying to help clients downplay or remove negative Web information, in exchange for fees that can add up to hundreds of dollars.
(Also appeared in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Baltimore Sun, CareerJournal and St. Louis Post-Dispatch.)
Google Surges Past $500 But Nasdaq Is Left Behind
Google shares shot past $500 Tuesday, reaching a new high, but the Nasdaq Composite Index was little moved as investors weighed an increase in oil prices.
The search giant’s shares climbed $14.60, or 3%, to $509.65 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Investors have watched the company’s stock price closely since its $85 opening in August 2004, and several analysts raised their price targets into the $500 to $600 range after its earnings report in October.
In two years, Google’s market capitalization has grown from $30 billion to about $155 billion, making it four times bigger than the company’s closest competitor, Yahoo. Google also passed Chevron to become the 15th-largest company among the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 components.