Thursday, August 11, 2005

ZDNet UK Apologizes Just In Case

For those not familiar with the story, Google is refusing to speak to News.com (run by ZDNet) for one year. The "I'm not talking to you" punishment is in retaliation for News.com publishing a story which included "private" information about the CEO of Google. That information was all found by googling the CEO.

Now, ZDNet UK has appologized profusely just incase they fall under the same punishment due to corporate association. Here's the money quote:
"Acting under the mistaken impression that Google's search engine was intended to help research public data, we have in the past enthusiastically abused the system to conduct exactly the kind of journalism that Google finds so objectionable.

Clearly, there is no place in modern reporting for this kind of unregulated, unprotected access to readily available facts, let alone in capriciously using them to illustrate areas of concern. We apologise unreservedly, and will cooperate fully in helping Google change people's perceptions of its role just as soon as it feels capable of communicating to us how it wishes that role to be seen. "

Snap.

1 comment:

TimDido said...

That's a pretty sweet apology. I really like Google's capability, but I dislike a lot about the company. LGF has chronicled Google News' constant linking to anti-Semitic and pro-terror news sources - of course all from Arab countries. I think once they even linked to a story from a neo-Nazi group.