Google Books' Biggest Screw-Up Danger??

[Jonathan Lighter]

As I try to invent new English swear-words, I wonder what the chances are that Google will go back and re-scan every one of those misdated or undated periodicals....

  JL

Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Benjamin Zimmer
Subject: Re: Google Books' Biggest Screw-Up Danger??
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On 9/10/07, David A. Daniel wrote:
>
> I have a brother-in-law (who is nonetheless a very good guy) who is pretty
> well placed at Google in Mountain View. Though I have not used the book
> search utility much myself, I have told him about ADS being in general
> uproar and dismay over its failings and discussed possible courses of
> action. He thinks he can perhaps start things rolling to get it
> fixed/improved. If y'all would be interested in my following up on this I
> will be happy to do so. What I need to do is put together a case, or
> argument, that is very specific and convincing with examples and suggestions
> and so forth from all you folks about exactly what is wrong with it and what
> needs fixing/how to fix it. I will send this to my B-I-L and he will see
> that it gets to the right people in Google. Idea would then be to start a
> continuing dialog with them as they go forward with the Books project.

This piece by historian Robert Townsend sums up the objections succinctly:

http://blog.historians.org/articles/204/google-books-whats-not-to-like


--Ben Zimmer

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