Learning from the Lessons of Google Books?

[Shapiro, Fred]

For those like myself, who are dismayed by the shortcomings of Google Books, some hope may be in sight.  A second coalition of great libraries (Yale, Cornell, University of California, British Library, New York Public Library, University of Toronto) is working with Microsoft to assemble a second very large collection of digitized books.  Perhaps the Microsoft coalition will learn from the mistakes of the Google coalition.

Fred Shapiro



________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Barry Popik [bapopik at GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 9:39 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Another Google Books screwup & Texas Bilingual Lawyer Joke

Google Books is bad. Here's another example.
...
I was researching a "Texas Bilingual Lawyer Joke" that's popular on
the internet (see below). I looked for three search terms: "Texas,"
"lawyer," and "dare shoot."
...
Four results came back, including one from "The Comprehensive Diabetic
Cookbook" by Dorothy J. Kaplan. The book's cover plainly is for a
different book entirely: "Bits of Silver: Vignettes of the Old West"
edited by Don Ward.
...
How could this happen? Google, I can confuse a Texas history book with
a diabetic cookbook all by myself, thank you!
...
...
...
(GOOGLE BOOKS)
The Comprehensive Diabetic Cookbook - Page 262
by Dorothy J. Kaplan - 1972 - 125 pages
"That's how it went down in Texas," the southern cowhands said. ... but did not
quite dare shoot a county judge at the bench before witnesses. ...
...
...
...
<a href="http://funnybone.blogsome.com/2006/07/15/mexican-bandit-and-texas-ranger/">Funny
Bone</a>
July 15, 2006
mexican bandit and texas ranger
Filed under: Lawyer
A Mexican bandit made a specialty of crossing the Rio Grande from time
to time and robbing banks in Texas. Finally, a reward was offered for
his capture, and an enterprising Texas ranger decided to track him
down.

After a lengthy search, he traced the bandit to his favorite cantina,
snuck up behind him, put his trusty six-shooter to the bandit's head,
and said, "You're under arrest. Tell me where you hid the loot or I'll
blow your brains out."

But the bandit didn't speak English, and the Ranger didn't speak
Spanish. Fortunately, a bilingual lawyer was in the saloon and
translated the Ranger's message. The terrified bandit blurted out, in
Spanish, that the loot was buried under the oak tree in back of the
cantina.

"What did he say?" asked the Ranger.

The lawyer answered, "He said 'Get lost, you turkey. You wouldn't dare
shoot me.'"

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org