Wednesday, May 4, 2005

Google library ninjas launch "virulent attacks" on European culture:BBC News tells us that plans for 'a vast digital library to preserve Europe's cultural heritage' have taken another step, as various EU culture ministers responded favorably to Jacques Chirac's call. [...] Other (indirectly quoted) remarks are equally detached from reality, if not as bizarrely emotional: "EU officials and cultural commentators have voiced concern that Google's ambitious plans could result in important European literary works missing out and being lost to future generations."[...]Well, EU politicians are not individually insane, I know. But there is something collectively out of joint in European culture, if rhetoric like this really resonates with the public. (Via Language Log.) It's amusing and maybe culturally significant too that a "digital library gap" is is 21st century Europe's answer to the infamous Cold War "missile gap," although it's really weird to try to think of Brin and Page in the roles of Khrushtchev and Castro. And it remains to be seen if a big pot of euros will appear to fight the gap, let alone if there will be an European counterpart of J.C.R Licklider. 2:33:23 PM