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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/us-news-blog/2012/may/30/google-local-combines-zagat-reviews
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Google+ Local combines searches and Zagat reviews for new online venture | Google+ Local combines searches and Zagat reviews for new online venture |
| (5 months later) | |
| After using its online prowess to build its own social network, it looks like Google is once again putting its own spin on already-successful online ventures. Google+ Local, an online review feature that made its debut Wednesday, appears to be the search giant's in-house version of popular online review sites. | After using its online prowess to build its own social network, it looks like Google is once again putting its own spin on already-successful online ventures. Google+ Local, an online review feature that made its debut Wednesday, appears to be the search giant's in-house version of popular online review sites. |
| Like online review website Yelp, for which Google put up a reported $550m in an unsuccessful bid in 2009, Google+ Local users post reviews and photos which are made available to everyone on the web. | Like online review website Yelp, for which Google put up a reported $550m in an unsuccessful bid in 2009, Google+ Local users post reviews and photos which are made available to everyone on the web. |
| Unlike Yelp, Google+ Local uses old-guard expertise to augment its searches. Currently, about 35,000 place reviews feature a brief paragraph by the review and ratings service Zagat, featured prominently just before user comments. | Unlike Yelp, Google+ Local uses old-guard expertise to augment its searches. Currently, about 35,000 place reviews feature a brief paragraph by the review and ratings service Zagat, featured prominently just before user comments. |
| Google bought Zagat in September for $125m, and its integration means that all of its subscription-only information is now available to everyone registered for Google+ Local. | Google bought Zagat in September for $125m, and its integration means that all of its subscription-only information is now available to everyone registered for Google+ Local. |
| In a September statement regarding the acquisition of Zagat, Google said: "Their surveys may be one of the earliest forms of UGC [user-generated content] – gathering restaurant recommendations from friends, computing and distributing ratings before the internet as we know it today even existed." | In a September statement regarding the acquisition of Zagat, Google said: "Their surveys may be one of the earliest forms of UGC [user-generated content] – gathering restaurant recommendations from friends, computing and distributing ratings before the internet as we know it today even existed." |
| Zagat has been around since 1979 and collects community reviews, which it coalesces into a concise summary. "We're the first people to do user-generated content, and we have a consistent reputation for doing quality content," Zagat co-founder and publisher Tim Zagat told the Guardian. | Zagat has been around since 1979 and collects community reviews, which it coalesces into a concise summary. "We're the first people to do user-generated content, and we have a consistent reputation for doing quality content," Zagat co-founder and publisher Tim Zagat told the Guardian. |
| Shortly after Google acquired Zagat, it appeared before the Senate judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights to address whether it was using its search strength to unfairly promote its own entities like YouTube, Google Books and Google Travel. | Shortly after Google acquired Zagat, it appeared before the Senate judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights to address whether it was using its search strength to unfairly promote its own entities like YouTube, Google Books and Google Travel. |
| In his testimony, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt said he was "not aware of any unnecessary or strange boosts or biases" in search results. | In his testimony, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt said he was "not aware of any unnecessary or strange boosts or biases" in search results. |
| Google continues to be criticized by groups like Consumer Watchdog, which believe its search dominance thwarts competition. "Google has been expanding its empire in every direction possible and often while using unfair practices," Consumer Watchdog's privacy project director John M Simpson told the Guardian. | Google continues to be criticized by groups like Consumer Watchdog, which believe its search dominance thwarts competition. "Google has been expanding its empire in every direction possible and often while using unfair practices," Consumer Watchdog's privacy project director John M Simpson told the Guardian. |
| Avni Shah, director of product management at Google, denied the claims. "Our goal is still to help people find the best resources on the web. We do point to other sites and to other places on the web," told the Guardian. | Avni Shah, director of product management at Google, denied the claims. "Our goal is still to help people find the best resources on the web. We do point to other sites and to other places on the web," told the Guardian. |
| Now, when running a basic Google search for something like a restaurant, users receive the typical Google search results next to a window filled with the Google+ Local information. This information includes a map, Zagat rating and links to other review sites, including opentable.com, citysearch.com and yahoo.com. | Now, when running a basic Google search for something like a restaurant, users receive the typical Google search results next to a window filled with the Google+ Local information. This information includes a map, Zagat rating and links to other review sites, including opentable.com, citysearch.com and yahoo.com. |
| Throughout Wednesday, Google users can expect to see more integrations of the Google+ Local features on the site. | Throughout Wednesday, Google users can expect to see more integrations of the Google+ Local features on the site. |
| Comments | |
| 2 comments, displaying first | |
| 30 May 2012 11:02PM | |
| Was this article about a new product launch or just summary of Google anti trust issues, it seems to me that this article is aiming at the second option, then you should have mention that the US government has got the minor issue of getting around Google 1st amendments rights, granted to them under the US constitution, , and so far I have not heard of a puasive argument whiles the 1st amendment should not apply to Google search results, or how US government lawyers and the private lawyers they have hired plan to do it. | |
| An until they solve that little quagmire, Google will be pretty safe from anti trust lawsuits in the US . | |
| The consumer watchdog, is finance by Microsoft and a few other of Google enemies, it not an impartial source of information or criticisms of Google. | |
| Most of Google activities are aim at one thing, improving search or just doing another type of search, that includes Google Books, Google Finance. Even projects such as Google Translates, Google Goggles, Google drive less cars , are all just variations of Google search. Google does not have that many areas that are not about search, its advertising business and Docs and Gmail, Google Play and Youtube are the only real areas that Google has move into that you could are argue are not about developing and evolving its search engine. | |
| Link to this comment: | |
| 30 May 2012 11:05PM | |
| Here the first amendment report and a article about it; | |
| http://volokh.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/SearchEngineFirstAmendment.pdf | |
| http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404247,00.asp | |
| Link to this comment: | |
| Comments on this page are now closed. | |
| Google search changes are bad for the internet, says Twitter | |
| 11 Jan 2012 | |
| Google accused of warping its search results by boosting posts from its Google+ social network. By Charles Arthur | |
| 30 Nov 2010 | |
| Google search investigation sparked by complaint from British site | |
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| And lo, for Google did pass down its Zeitgeist of the most-searched terms of 2008 | |
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| Google stands up to White House in row over privacy on web | |
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| 11 May 2012 | |
| Updates to the perenially cash-bleeding search engine mean that it now includes data from your social networks - including the biggest two that Google can't reach. By Charles Arthur | |
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| Google's latest launch uses Zagat data to refine searches, posing a threat to online review organizations everywhere | |
| After using its online prowess to build its own social network, it looks like Google is once again putting its own spin on already-successful online ventures. Google+ Local, an online review feature that made its debut Wednesday, appears to be the search giant's in-house version of popular online review sites. | |
| Like online review website Yelp, for which Google put up a reported $550m in an unsuccessful bid in 2009, Google+ Local users post reviews and photos which are made available to everyone on the web. | |
| Unlike Yelp, Google+ Local uses old-guard expertise to augment its searches. Currently, about 35,000 place reviews feature a brief paragraph by the review and ratings service Zagat, featured prominently just before user comments. | |
| Google bought Zagat in September for $125m, and its integration means that all of its subscription-only information is now available to everyone registered for Google+ Local. | |
| In a September statement regarding the acquisition of Zagat, Google said: "Their surveys may be one of the earliest forms of UGC [user-generated content] – gathering restaurant recommendations from friends, computing and distributing ratings before the internet as we know it today even existed." | |
| Zagat has been around since 1979 and collects community reviews, which it coalesces into a concise summary. "We're the first people to do user-generated content, and we have a consistent reputation for doing quality content," Zagat co-founder and publisher Tim Zagat told the Guardian. | |
| Shortly after Google acquired Zagat, it appeared before the Senate judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights to address whether it was using its search strength to unfairly promote its own entities like YouTube, Google Books and Google Travel. | |
| In his testimony, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt said he was "not aware of any unnecessary or strange boosts or biases" in search results. | |
| Google continues to be criticized by groups like Consumer Watchdog, which believe its search dominance thwarts competition. "Google has been expanding its empire in every direction possible and often while using unfair practices," Consumer Watchdog's privacy project director John M Simpson told the Guardian. | |
| Avni Shah, director of product management at Google, denied the claims. "Our goal is still to help people find the best resources on the web. We do point to other sites and to other places on the web," told the Guardian. | |
| Now, when running a basic Google search for something like a restaurant, users receive the typical Google search results next to a window filled with the Google+ Local information. This information includes a map, Zagat rating and links to other review sites, including opentable.com, citysearch.com and yahoo.com. | |
| Throughout Wednesday, Google users can expect to see more integrations of the Google+ Local features on the site. |