‘Information revolution’ or war of the search engines?

In recent weeks the London underground train billboards have been plastered with adverts inviting commuters to join an ‘information revolution’. The campaign grabbed my attention because it implicitly attacked Google’s domination of the online information business.

Like many others, I was intrigued to find out about their alternative vision, and visited the ‘information revolution’ website. At first glance the site is designed and branded as though it’s campaigning for an alternative search engine:

“You need several sources of information in order to get a balanced view of the world… And this is the spirit of the internet - choice.”

It even has ‘famous’ UK personalities endorsing the ‘campaign’. But it soon becomes clear that this is merely a convoluted publicity vehicle for the search engine ask.com.

It’s all very misleading, and – judging from some of the comments on its message board – has left many of its ‘rebels’ feeling betrayed. As one blogger puts it, the campaign demonstrates the “fatuity of hijacking the counterculture”.

I’m sure the company will pay for its sorely misjudged PR disaster.

Comments

[Rina Mukherji]

One cannot deny that multiple sources of information can do a world of good to professionals in the information business. But then, how many search engines offer us that little bit extra? Looking up one is equal to going through all.... If ask.com is serious about ushering in a revolution, has it bothered to put in that extra effort? From the looks of it, not really!!