Google prototypes Living Stories
There has been much media debate about the effect content aggregators such as Google have on the traditional print news industry. Google recently made some concessions to online news publishers as a show of good faith.
Google’s argument is that they actually drive a large portion of traffic to these sites, and the publishing websites can easily block Google if they feel it is detrimental to their business. Regardless, the search giant has implemented a system that will allow publishers to limit the number of articles people can access for free via Google search to five.
Despite the furor, Google continues to develop new services that take advantage of its search capabilities and the wealth of information available online. They are once again trying to shape the way we receive and consume news media.
In partnership with The New York Times and The Washington Post, Google has publically unveiled their latest experiment, dubbed the Living Stories prototype.
The experiment aims to deliver news in a way that is natural in the online environment. Stories will be collected under a main headline, and as new information, pictures, editorials, and analysis on the topic come through, they will be added to collection of information under that topic.
A Google Blog post by Neha Singh, software engineer, and Josh Cohen, senior business product manager, describes the function of the experimental content delivery service: “Living Stories try a different approach that plays to certain unique advantages of online publishing.”
“They unify coverage on a single, dynamic page with a consistent URL. They organize information by developments in the story. They call your attention to changes in the story since you last viewed it so you can easily find the new material.”
“Through a succinct summary of the whole story and regular updates, they offer a different online approach to balancing the overview with depth and context.”
Over the coming months Google will work to refine the service and user feedback is encouraged. Once satisfied, Google plans to offer the service to any publishers who wish to take advantage of it.
Google Living Stories – discussion
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