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of it； available to anyone and everyone； anytime； anywhere。
〃We do discriminate only to the degree that if you can't use a computer or don't have
access to one； you can't use Google； but other than that； if you can type； you can
use Google；〃 said Google CEO Eric Schmidt。 And surely if the flattening of the world
means anything； he added； it means that 〃there is no discrimination in accessing
knowledge。 Google is now searchable in one hundred languages； and every time we find
another we increase it。 Let's imagine a group with a Google iPod one day and you can
tell it to search by voice…that would take care of people who can't use a computer…and
then ＇Google access＇ just becomes about the rate at which we can get cheap devices
into people's hands。〃
How does searching fit into the concept of collaboration？ I call it 〃in…forming。〃
In…forming is the individual's personal analog to open…sourcing； outsourcing；
insourcing； supply…chaining； and offshoring。 Informing is the ability to build and
deploy your own personal supply chain…a supply chain of information； knowledge； and
entertainment。 In…forming is about self…collaboration…becoming your own
self…directed and self…empowered researcher； editor； and selector of entertainment；
without having togo to the library or the movie theater or through network television。
In…forming is searching for knowledge。 It is about seeking like…minded people and
communities。 Google's phenomenal global popularity； which has spurred Yahoo！ and
Microsoft （through its new MSN Search） also to make power searching and in…forming
prominent features of their Web sites； shows how hungry people are for this form of
collaboration。 Google is now processing roughly one billion searches per day； up from
150 million just three years ago。
The easier and more accurate searching becomes； added Larry Page； Google's other
cofounder； the more global Google's user base becomes； and the more powerful a
flattener it becomes。 Every day more and more people are able to in…form themselves
in their own language。 Today； said
Page； 〃only a third of our searches are U。S。…based； and less than half are in English。〃
Moreover； he added； 〃as people are searching for more obscure things； people are
publishing more obscure things；〃 which drives the flattening effect of in…forming
even more。 All the major search engines have also recently added the capability for
users to search not only the Web for information but also their own computer's hard
drive for words or data or e…mail they know is in there somewhere but have forgotten
where。 When you can search your own memory more efficiently； that is really in…forming。
In late2004； Google announced plans toscan the entire contents of both the University
of Michigan and Stanford University Libraries； making tens of thousands of books
available and searchable online。
In the earliest days of search engines； people were amazed and delighted to stumble
across the information they sought； eureka moments were unexpected surprises； said
Yahool's cofounder Jerry Yang。 〃Today their attitudes are much more presumptive。 They
presume that the information they're looking for is certainly available and that it's
just a matter of technologists making it easier to get to； and in fewer keystrokes；〃
he said。 〃The democratization of information is having a profound impact on society。
Today's consumers are much more efficient…they can find information； products；
services； faster ＇through search engines＇ than through traditional means。 They are
better informed about issues related to work； health； leisure； etc。 Small towns are
no longer disadvantaged relative to those with better access to information。 And
people have the ability to bebetter connected to things that interest them； toquickly
and easily become experts in given subjects and to connect with others who share their
interests。〃
Google's founders understood that by the late 1990s hundreds of thousands of Web pages
were being added to the Internet each day； and that existing search engines； which
tended to search for keywords； could not keep pace。 Brin and Page； who met as Stanford
University graduate students in computer science in 1995； developed a mathematical
formula that ranked a Web page by how many other Web pages were linked to it； on the
assumption that the more people linked to a certain page； the more important the page。
The key breakthrough that enabled
Google to become first among search engines was its ability to combine its PageRank
technology with an analysis of page content； which determines which pages are most
relevant tothe specific search being conducted。 Even though Google entered the market
after other major search players； its answers were seen by people as more accurate
and relevant to what they were looking for。 The fact that one search engine was just
a little better than the others led a tidal wave of people to switch to it。 （Google
now employs scores of mathematicians working on its search algorithms； in an effort
to always keep them one step more relevant than the competition。）
For some reason； said Brin； 〃people underestimated the importance of finding
information； as opposed to other things you would do online。 If you are searching
for something like a health issue； you really want to know； in some cases it is a
life…and…death matter。 We have people who search Google for heart…attack symptoms
and then call nine…one…one。〃 But sometimes you really want to in…form yourself about
something much simpler。
When I was in Beijing in June 2004； I was riding the elevator down one morning with
my wife； Ann； and sixteen…year…old daughter； Natalie； who was carrying a fistful of
postcards written to her friends。 Ann said to her； 〃Did you bring their addresses
along？〃 Natalie looked at her as if she were positively nineteenth…century。 〃No；〃
she said； with that you…are…so…out…of…it…Mom tone of voice。 〃I just Googled their
phone numbers； and their home addresses came up。〃
Address book？ You dummy； Mom。
All that Natalie was doing was in…forming； using Google in a way that I had no idea
was even possible。 Meanwhile； though； she also had her iPod with her； which empowered
her to in…form herself in another way… with entertainment instead of knowledge。 She
had become her own music editor and downloaded all her favorite songs into her iPod
and was carrying them all over China。 Think about it： For decades the broadcast
industry was built around the idea that you shoot out ads on network television or
radio and hope that someone is watching or listening。 But thanks to the flattening
technologies in entertainment； that world is quickly fading away。 Now with TiVo you
can become your own TV edi156
tor。 TiVo allows viewers to digitally record their favorite programs and skip the
ads； except those they want to see。 You watch what you want when you want。 You don't
have to make an appointment with a TV channel at the time and place someone else sets
and watch the commercials foisted on you。 With TiVo you can watch only your own shows
and the commercials you want for o