Yesterday, Google rolled out its latest search innovation. Dubbed Google Social Search, the new feature integrates public content from your online social circle into search results. Check out this demo video from Google to see Social Search in action.
On its face, Social Search is another interesting step toward realizing Google’s goal of fully personalized search results. Many in the social media sphere, such as Ars Technica, have praised the feature for bringing more relevant and useful information to search. Still others, however, have reacted more negatively. In a recent column for Computerworld, David Coursey explained why Social Search gives him the “creeps,” saying,
“I am not accusing Google of doing anything illegal or even fattening. But, the company is gathering huge amounts of information about every user and has the ability, inclination, and economic incentives to turn it into minutely detailed profiles of what who we are, what we do, and how we think.
Google isn’t alone in this, just looking at my Facebook and Twitter posts would tell you a lot about me. Still, Google is in a class of its own and I am concerned that current law and practice doesn’t provide enough protection for either privacy or individual liberty.
By giving us “free stuff” like e-mail, voice mail, search results, applications, collaboration, analytics, etc., Google knows more about us than we may easily be able to remember about ourselves. And Google never forgets.
Today, that’s not a problem (that we know of). Tomorrow, we may come to wish we’d stopped Google in its tracks and placed limits on its ability to aggregate personal information.”
So, what should YOU think about Social Search?
Social Search may indicate Google is one step closer to world dominance, but that’s not the most important issue right now. The question you should be asking is, “What does this mean for my online reputation?” From a privacy perspective, Social Search doesn’t provide users with any information that isn’t already accessible online. Rather, Social Search just makes that information easier to find. Of course, you might not want your information to be easy to find and therein lies the problem.
If you think that that spontaneous blog post you wrote three years ago complaining about your job/spouse/neighbor won’t be seen by anyone, think again. As search tools continue to evolve, it’s becoming easier and easier for individuals to access deeply buried content. In other words, you should always think before you post anything to the Internet. The web is not a closed community. If you put something online, you should expect that people are going to see it. Google, Bing, and other search engines exist to make web content easier to find. Make sure they find web content that you’re proud of.
2 comments ↓
As someone who tries to always see the “bright side”, in many cases (esp. the small business owners and entrepreneurs that I work with), this is great news. One more way the playing field is becoming more level for the “small over the big.” Instead of finding only the information that has been clicked the most, or paid the highest price for, I can now look first to find someone that I know and trust.
That is valuable to me.
Of course you want the information that you put out there to BE valuable! That isn’t new however!
As ‘new’ as all of this may seem, in many respects I believe it simply takes us back to many age old principles:
Be yourself, and Be the best you can be
Think before you speak (read: post)
Sure, it would be great to have “the good without the bad”, but in this life, when you block out the bad, you also miss out on the good…(IMHO:)
Thanks for your comment Heather. I tend to agree with you that Social Search is a good thing as it brings more relevant and personalized content to my searches. I also agree that the same social principles we use in real life are also important online. Unfortunately, many web surfers use the perceived anonymity of the web as a launching pad for unwarranted and defamatory attacks.
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