Google has announced a new service called GoogleBase. The "base" part of the word is from "database," which Google appears to be trying to co-opt. They probably hope to create a new verb, as in, "Let's look in GoogleBase," or "Let's GoogleBase it."
The intro page on the new service sounds nice, but it is not really any different than setting up a Web site. GoogleBase, in effect, is a free Web site service that is document oriented rather than page oriented. Google claims it is different because you can attach attributes to your content, but you can already do that on any Web page, although it takes some extra effort.
What Google is really promising is that any material you give to Google will get indexed more quickly than a standalone Web site. And by making the attribute, or keyword tagging easier for content owners, Google is able to more precisely target and attach ads to the displayed pages.
It is quite clever, in that it offers an easy to use service that accrues huge benefits to Google at the same time. What I found disturbing is that on the two pages that describe the service and its rules, nowhere did it say what Google would or would not do with the information. Publishing on your own Web site guarantees that you retain control of your information. It is not at all apparent what control you have, if any, once you place it on GoogleBase.
Here are some questions I would want answered:
Make no mistake about it; Google is out to own all of the information in the world, and they are becoming less shy about saying so, although they cleverly use the words "searchable" and "indexed" to hide their intentions.