Some forms of the book, as we have known it in the past, will transition into the hypermediated post-book book. This new type of book, discussed in a previous note, is beginning to look more and more like a computer application (see: Some Observations about the "Post-Book Book and Pathology Conferences). Also, as presented in this previous note, Google and other search engines are in the process of becoming virtual publishers of content. They will be able to not only provide a search engine retrieval page (SERP) but also have the capability of creating a patchwork quilt of data snippets from the web. In so doing, they will be creating a new, original, and useful meta-document (see: Google as an Enabler and Protector of Global Information Exchange).
Google maintains that it is neither the creator nor publisher of content. Clearly, it's in the best interests of the company to make such a claim. It provides protection from the content developers and helps to avoid copyright litigation. Fair enough. However, the Google search algorithms create the SERP ranking based on the relative popularity of each link in previous searches. Google brings some key intellectual property to the task. At some point, a mosaic of information extracts stitched together from the links in the SERP will be good enough to be called original content. We are about half-way there already because one of the Google search options, called I'm Feeling Lucky, offers the option of not even looking at the SERP but proceeding directly to the web page deemed most useful by Google.
At what point can we declare Google to be the virtual publisher or original content? I think that the answer to this question is rather obvious. This time will come when the value of the SERP is frequently superseded by the stitched together document returned to us by Google and composed of extracts from the resources discovered on the web. This is analogous to the situation today when we trust Google enough to be satisfied with the web page presented by the I'm Feeling Lucky button. When the Google search capability reaches this level of sophistication, I have another job for it. We will ask our internal hospital search engines to scan the previous electronic records of patients, particularly complicated ones, and summarize them in such a clear and coherent manner that the summary will satisfy even the most discerning physician who reads it.
Comments