Opinion: Should Google be allowed to scan newspaper archives?
Posted by Lauren Drablier on September 15, 2008 at 4:08 PM
"News Archive Search," a new service created by Google allows users bypass the archaic microfiche system by allowing them to search newspapers' historic archive via the Internet.
Google plans to seek permission from newspaper publishers before scanning their archives and will cover the cost of digitizing.
There have been many critics of the new system. Andrew Smith of the Dallas Morning News wrote, "It's nice to know that the company that's putting us newspapers out of business will at least preserve our memory."
Google plans to seek permission from newspaper publishers before scanning their archives and will cover the cost of digitizing.
There have been many critics of the new system. Andrew Smith of the Dallas Morning News wrote, "It's nice to know that the company that's putting us newspapers out of business will at least preserve our memory."
Forum4editors outlined several advantages and threats that the "News Archive Search" will have for newspapers:
Advantages are that digitization is expensive therefore many publishers would never choose to digitize, Google is covering the costs, thus allowing public access a plethora of information. It could open up new revenue sources ("a vast majority of the ad revenue will go to the publisher"). It could also help publishers recognize that a new web-based model of advertising is better than one based on subscriptions.
Threats are that the value of archived content will decline and will destroy the business of newspapers trying to monetize their archives. By allowing Google to digitize archives, publishers are essentially allowing Google to control most of their sources of online revenue.
Source: Forum4Editors
Advantages are that digitization is expensive therefore many publishers would never choose to digitize, Google is covering the costs, thus allowing public access a plethora of information. It could open up new revenue sources ("a vast majority of the ad revenue will go to the publisher"). It could also help publishers recognize that a new web-based model of advertising is better than one based on subscriptions.
Threats are that the value of archived content will decline and will destroy the business of newspapers trying to monetize their archives. By allowing Google to digitize archives, publishers are essentially allowing Google to control most of their sources of online revenue.
Source: Forum4Editors
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Newspaper I work for is starting to use newspaperarchive.com. Their's is a subscription based idea per month or year but they are much more willing to work with us it seems on monetizing our archive than I would imagine google would be, altho I don't know that for sure.
And I don't get the vibe from them that they are out to take over the world like I do from Google.