[open-science] Why are we leaving it to Google?

Mon Sep 10 14:52:10 UTC 2018

  Peter Kraker writes

> As you may have heard, Google is building a search engine for datasets
> (https://www.blog.google/products/search/making-it-easier-discover-datasets/).
> This means yet another proprietary index on top of our own data that
> nobody can reuse - and another inferior list-based interface that will
> be pushed onto scientists by Google's sheer market dominance.

  Inferior to what?

> At the same time, there is no funding for a community-driven open source
> alternative. We should not leave the field to Google, or science will be
> poorer for it!

  I agree but if there is the choice between building a second
  interface to search when there is already one funded by Google, and
  efforts to build actually open datasets, I think it's better to
  concentrate on the latter. I am convinced that are ways to build
  specific engines using aggregation of certain types of datasets that
  leave us with plenty of opportunities at a level of fine
  granualarity that Google will not reach.

> We finally need to invest in a true open science
> contender for research data discovery. This would bring meaningful
> competition to this space and drive innovation.
> 
> This is why we have launched the #DontLeaveItToGoogle campaign. I
> encourage you to add your own voice to the discussion using this
> hashtag.

  Why leave the campaign to Twitter? ;-)

  And why crosspost to opencon-discussion-list at googlegroups.com? It's
  a group I can't seem to be able to join without having a Google id.
  I refuse to get that. I emailed the moderator but got no reply.

  So I am no friend of Google's but I don't think trying to beat them
  at the search game is a good idea. There is more to life that
  search.

-- 

  Cheers,

  Thomas Krichel                  http://openlib.org/home/krichel
                                              skype:thomaskrichel