The wheels in the sky keep on turning.

Chapter 8 discussed the all too familiar topic of privacy—a topic that continually resurfaces in today’s digital age. Battelle addressed the issues of public and private boundaries. More specifically, the impact the internet and technological innovation (i.e. Google and the power of search) has had in blurring these lines. One way Battelle illustrates this concept was using the government’s inception of the U.S. Patriot Act. According to Battelle, the Bush administration capitalized on national tragedy by quickly passing controversial legislation that extended federal officials surveillance rights. The Patriot Act was ultimately the government’s response to the September 11^th 2001 terrorist attacks. Because the Patriot Act broadened government authority to new areas, particularly the Internet, Google suffered a major PR blow. The rage wasn’t that the public realized Google had the power to provide the government with an individual’s web history should they request it. Rather, Google –by law– could and would do so without you knowing it! The chapter also focuses on the business of international growth and the challenges Google faced when trying to expand its reach to China. Trying to serve its customers while respecting cross-cultural regulations, and avoid compromising company standards (think the “Don’t Be Evil” motto) proved to be one of the biggest obstacles the young founders at Google were faced with. 

The main ideas of Chapter 9 can be summed up using its opening title: “Google goes Public.” The topics discussed by Battelle chronicle the company’s tumultuous road to IPO, outlining the highs and lows that combined to tempt fate and succeed in doing so.  The chapter dutifully details the choices Google made during their transition from private to public.

Chapter 10 returns to – what I believe to be – the mission behind Battelle’s book on search. Like a seasoned vet he has centered his “literature review” on a mix of careful research, in-depth analysis, cultural observation and personal interviews, in order to set the stage for his “suggestions for future research” category (if we’re following proper scholarly format). On the whole, Chapter 10 reveals Battelle’s suggestions, or rather predictions, predictions, for ‘how Google and its rivals will continue to write the rules of business and transform our culture.’

For me, the focus of Chapter 8 is all about trust and what citizens are willing to risk in order to gain or lose depending on your perspective…privacy or security?? Chapter 9 echoes the private public domain as it refers to Google’s IPO.

Lord I was born a ramblin’ man..

John Battelle’s “The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture” attempts to unveil the secrets behind search technology and how it affects every aspect of modern life. Chapter 1 explains the “database of intentions” surrounding search and how the industry is changing as a result of such technological innovation. Battelle also discusses the possible real-world implications these transformations could bring. In Chapter 2 Battelle tackles the “who”, “what”, “where”, “why”, “when”, and “how” questions regarding search, while laying out the basic framework for understanding the concept. Chapter 3 highlights the key players (including all their successes and failures) of the formative years in internet and the worldwide web. In short, this chapter gives credit where credit’s due—even if it is debatable at times. Chapter 3 acknowledges the pioneers of the computer-age and serves as a remembrance of search pre-Google. Thus, Chapter 4 discusses the dawn of Google and its long, winding road to the top.

Despite the occasional technological jargon that surfaces during Battelle’s sporadic hi-tech industrial tangents, the first four chapters of “The Search” proved to be a rather engaging read. Battelle’s sophisticated, yet relaxed style of writing, kept my interest while showcasing his passion for the subject matter. Also, the extensive references and citations combined with entertaining insider background stories, confirms he’s definitely done his homework when it comes to researching the history of “search”. For example, in Chapter 2, Battelle reveals the process of “googlewhacking”—a game enjoyed by Google’s early taskforce in which unique searches, defined as a query that had exactly one result, were isolated (p 28). Although this fun-fact may seem like just another useless piece of knowledge that could be filed under interesting conversational starters, I found the revelation to be quite motivating. In fact, it has fueled my creativity. Now when I’m conducting searches (through Google) I secretly find myself trying to come up with bizarre entries in the hopes I might be the lone ranger of single-search queries for the day. On a more serious note, I’ll just have to keep reading to see if the subsequent chapters deliver or drag on like a bad movie with no end in sight.

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Chapter 5, “A billion dollars, one nickel at a time,” rewinds to the pre-Google era to reveal some of the revolutionary ideas that were being developed during this time—ideas that Google founders, Brin and Page, would later expand upon. As Battelle explains in this chapter better results were viewed in a negative light during the early stages of search. The most obvious reason for this belief is that portals did not want to direct consumers to other sites for fear of losing business. Consequently, there was no need to improve search results. Chapter 5 also discusses major changes occurring online and how these developments affected culture, specifically the spread and retrieval of information. One of the masterminds Battelle discusses is the entrepreneur Bill Gross. Gross was a pivotal player in technological transformation whose groundbreaking ideas from his Magellan application to his IdeaLab company, helped significantly shape web media.

Chapter 6 of Battelle’s “Search” exposes the administrative decisions that influenced Google’s first baby steps. The chapter chronicles Google’s development from its inception, when the meager start-up had only 39 employees, to the time the young founders were so overwhelmed with the growing business they sought outside help. Part of this help came from the seasoned business veteran Eric Schmidt. Schmidt stepped on to advise and direct Google’s immature creators. The changing company also called for a new business model. Taking a blind gamble Google decided to use its wholesome “organic” image to its advantage. Instead of investing major dollars to implement marketing strategies, the founders opted for a more cost-efficient public relations approach. In other words, Google relied on generating good press and word of mouth, to get its name out there. In the end, the plan paid off…figuratively and literally. In fact, the success of the business can be summarized by a headline that ran at the time. Simply stated, people were “Gaga over Google.”

Chapter 7 “The Search Economy” gives an overview of Google’s grasp on business and culture. Battelle reveals how the changes within the company affected small businesses that relied on Google to turn a profit. This chapter also describes some of the company’s early obstacles and how they responded (i.e. the trademark problem and “click fraud”).

To summarize, Chapters 5-7 continue to expand on Battelle’s central argument that Google has revolutionized society. Google impacts individuals from the way people retrieve information online to the way companies, big and small, do business. Google has even inspired new industries to help organizations stay afloat in the treacherous wake of technological advancement brought forth from search. Battle reveals how “search engine optimization” (SEO) grew out of the reality that being listed in Google’s top results translated directly into cash. Ultimately, the innovative philosophy behind Google has helped transformed culture and will continue to do so for years to come.