A Man's Visition: World Library Online isn't about the US Library Of Congress & Google-backed World Digital Library program announced today but rather the Yahoo & Microsoft-backed Open Content Alliance. It covers the Internet Archive's Brewster Kahle's dream to create a "kindler, gentler" digital library that might not irk publishers in the way Google Library has.
One attendee of the launch party for the OCA talks about how it was "the un-Google meeting." Funny, but not. The OCA should try (and apparently is trying) to get Google on board, and attitudes of attendees like that aren't going to help. For its part, Google should strongly consider joining the OCA.
Everyone would benefit from more cooperation, rather than probably duplication of efforts and incompatible standards. The story has Google saying they are in talks with the OCA but that there is nothing to announce. Given that Google's backing the WDL now, I have a feeling we're just going to see more rivalry.
Want to comment or discuss? Visit our Search Engine Watch Forum thread, World Digital Library Project.
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