[Sigcr-l] Google indexing fiasco

[Arjun Sabharwal]

Dear Sangeeta and Al:

I am not quite sure what Google has exactly set out in out 
original plan to master the gamut of academic 
terminologies, but apparently, indexing proves to be a 
formidable challenge.  I can see why the academic community 
wasn't expecting to rely on this source alone (LOL).  I have 
been neutral using Google for academic projects, so if I may 
add two notes to this:

1) Academia is becoming increasingly transdisciplinary with 
an ever-increasing demand for thesauri that cut across 
traditional disciplinary lines.  The Association for 
Integrative Studies (sorry, I am not promoting anything 
here) has published on this issue: librarianship and the 
information world has yet to catch up with these 
developments in order to provide more effective research 
support for interdisciplinary research.  No doubt, it has 
done a great deal to do so.

2) With or without the indexing challenges, nonetheless, 
Google can still be a valuable resource to researchers 
working on competing theories.  There is content of credible 
scholarship out there, which has been marginalized and 
ostracized for political, religious, or other reasons.  As 
it has happened in some theocracies and political systems, 
they cannot be taught in schools or printed for public or 
commercial distribution) but are somehow accessible on the 
Internet free.  

Albeit, I trust that Google will not be the sole source for 
future knowledge.  If it destroys information that it cannot 
(or will not want to) handle then it will be further failing 
its own mission.  There will be others, so we may not need 
to worry about a Google-bubble after all...

Have a great weekend!

-- Arjun Sabharwal


*************************************************
The very aim of Internet and information sharing across the 
world is threatened. Google as a popular search engine, has 
no right to destroy information it cannot handle. We as 
custodians of information have to take some kind of action 
in this matter.
Arjun Sabharwal
Remote Services Librarian
Baker Center for Graduate & Online Studies
Phone:(810) 766-4210
1116 W. Bristol Road
Flint, MI 48507
Email: arjun.sabharwal at baker.edu
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