Social Search from Google to Accommodate Nineteen Languages
June 3, 2011
We are confused. The statement probably does not surprise you if you follow the observations and musings of the Harrod’s Creek goslings. But we were flummoxed when we read “Google Social Search Takes Facebook Fight Global.”
On May 19, 2011, Google announced that its Social Search would soon be available in 19 languages, effectively extending the software’s reach around the globe, where it will continue to rival the efforts of Facebook. A global social war. We were really excited. Addled geese enjoy the antics of bipedal humanoid wizard types.
The article described Google Social Search in this way:
Launched in 2010, Google Social Search is the company’s bid to personalize search by surfacing results of blog posts and other information generated by friends in a user’s social circle. “Social circle builds a bridge between users’ Google accounts and their Google profiles to surface users’ content in its results page. This circle includes users of social services Google users have listed in their Google profile, including Gmail, Twitter, Quora, Google Buzz, Facebook and Picasa.
Developers hope this personalization will lead to more information sharing and network building. Now, that can happen across the globe.
Facebook has reacted to Google’s efforts with underhanded tactics. They should consider transferring that energy to product improvement in order to better compete with this adversary.
Now the about face. Ubergizmo’s “Google Gets Rid of APIs for Translate and Other Services.” The reported that anyone depending on Google Translate’s API were out of luck. Service withdrawn, thank you. The story said:
Well, yesterday Google announced that a large number of popular APIs they have written will be unsupported and most of them will be shut down; including one of their most popular APIs – Google Translate. The reason for shutting it down? ‘Due to the substantial economic burden caused by extensive abuse’.
When we mulled over the two announcements we came up with a simple pair of hypotheses:
- Google wants to use its Translate system to further its agenda in fighting the Google-like Facebook empire. So, cut off the API and start thinking about other ways to batten the hatches at the Googleplex
- Google is looking for ways to close some Fukushima type cash and technical leakage. Easiest way to address these issues is to flip the switch to off.
Open becomes closed. Cash saved. Technical headaches and support issues resolved. Abuse issue? Fixed.
Brutal but if you were Googley, you would have already found another solution and not taken a poke in the eye.
Cynthia Murrell, June 3, 2011
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, the resource for enterprise search information and current news about data fusion
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