Yesterday I learned about a new “service” that Google’s about to offer…Google Base. From what I’ve seen, it’s a free database in the sky (in the same way that Google mail is a free mailbox out there somewhere). Of course, if you’re given to a bit of paranoia, it could be seen as yet another Google honeypot. Here’s what a Google spokesperson had to say about it:
“We’ll host your content and make it searchable online for free”
Back in 2002 Paul Ford wrote a piece called “How Google beat Amazon and EBay to the Semantic Web.” If you can spend a minute or two reading that article—and then think about what Google can do once it’s added the private databases of millions of people to its ever-growing knowledge base—you might join me in starting to worry about embracing Googlization..