Yet “old media” can’t blame Google alone for the digital devastation, Auletta reminds us. Craig Newmark, for one, didn’t set out to swamp newspapers when he started craigslist.org, a site where people post job openings, apartments for rent, goods for sale and more. Only later was it clear how this ate into newspapers’ classified sections, which generated about a third of their advertising revenue, Auletta says.
The author works hard — sometimes too hard — to tell both sides of the story, making a vital contribution to the debate as Google continues to expand into other media, from books to telephones. There’s Google News, Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Videos, Google Docs — the list goes on and on.
Auletta also offers a tip to anyone eager to protect his or her privacy: You can “opt out” of allowing Google advertising cookies to track you by clicking on the word “Privacy” at the bottom of the engine’s home page and following the instructions.
I did so immediately. There will be no Google Me.
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