Educational Media Reviews Online

A timely documentary, as Google is seemingly always putting out a new product or making news in the library world, The World According to Google provides a broad overview of the company, interviews relevant parties both inside and outside of Google, and tackles important issues surrounding the company. Founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two graduate students who sought to create the best search engine, the company has now become much more than this. With a 60% world search engine market share—much higher in the European market—nearly a decade after its founding the company now provides a news service, book searching, photo sharing, and e-mail, among other offerings.

The narrator starts by interviewing key Google management, such as Vint Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, and Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Products and User Experience. Not surprisingly Google management supports the company, with Mayer describing “Don’t Be Evil” as their motto, and citing “improving end-user quality” as the main company motivator. When questioned more than once about why Google must keep user search histories for so long, Ms. Mayer explains how their spell-checker product took a long time to develop, and would not have been possible if user searches were only kept for 30 days. It is up to viewers to decide the truthfulness of statements like this, since outsiders cannot easily verify it.

From this DVD and a look at Google’s web site, it is clear that the company puts a premium on creativity. Mayer explains that employees are given 20% of their workday one day a week to pursue their passions, and that many company successes come from this creative time.

Aside from the Google management interviews, selected Google products are touched on in depth. Book Search, which lets users search for books and possibly preview or view the entire item; Google Earth, which combines satellite imagery and maps, and GMail are explained. Ian Brown of the UK-based Open Rights Group and Internet Archive co-founder Brewster Kahle are featured throughout the documentary as Google foils, questioning the big issues like the company’s ability to remain unbiased; the roll of public versus private sphere involvement in some of their products; and how long Google stores personal search information. Even with the assorted successful products Google has developed, it is clear that many feel that the company goes too far, and this documentary covers all sides.

The World According to Google is a good starting point for information on the company, providing a thorough overview of their philosophy together with some of the controversial issues publicly surrounding this well-known company. The fact that both Google and non-Google points of view are incorporated lends it an aura of neutrality. At certain points the technical quality varies, as sound was briefly garbled. Recommended for both public and academic libraries.