the.world.is.flat-第35部分

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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　only　those　products　in　which　you　might　be　interested。　
But　just　as　Google　can　track　what　you　are　searching　for；　so　too　can　TiVo；　which　knows　
which　shows　and　which　ads　you　are　freezing；　storing；　and　rewinding　on　your　own　TV。　
So　here's　a　news　quiz：　Guess　what　was　the　most　rewound　moment　in　TV　history？　Answer：　
Janet's　Jackson　breast　exposure；　or；　as　it　was　euphemistically　called；　her　〃wardrobe　
malfunction；〃　at　the　2004　Super　Bowl。　Just　ask　TiVo。　In　a　press　release　it　issued　
on　February　2；2004；　TiVo　said；　〃Justin　Timberlake　and　Janet　Jackson　stole　the　show　
during　Sunday's　Super　Bowl；　attracting　almost　twice　as　many　viewers　as　the　most　
thrilling　moments　on　the　field；　according　to　an　annual　measurement　of　
second…by…second　viewership　in　TiVo　households。　The　Jackson…Timberlake　moment　drew　
the　biggest　spike　in　audience　reaction　TiVo　has　ever　measured。　TiVo　said　viewership　
spiked　up　to　180　percent　as　hundreds　of　thousands　of　households　used　TiVo's　unique　
capabilities　to　pause　and　replay　live　television　to　view　the　incident　again　and　
again。〃　
So　if　everyone　can　increasingly　watch　what　he　wants　however　many　times　he　wants　when　
he　wants；　the　whole　notion　of　broadcast　TV…which　is　that　we　throw　shows　out　there　
one　time；　along　with　their　commercials；　and　then　try　to　survey　who　is　watching…will　
increasingly　make　less　and　less　sense。　The　companies　you　want　to　bet　on　are　those　
that；　like　Google　or　Yahoo！　or　TiVo；　learn　to　collaborate　with　their　users　and　offer　
them　shows　and　advertisements　tailored　just　for　them。　I　can　imagine　a　day　soon　when　
advertisers　won't　pay　for　anything　other　than　that。　
Companies　like　Google；　Yahoo！；　Amazon。com；　and　TiVo　have　learned　to　thrive　not　by　
pushing　products　and　services　on　their　customers　as　much　as　by　building　collaborative　
systems　that　enable　customers　to　pull　on　their　own；　and　then　responding　with　lightning　
quickness　to　what　they　pull。　It　is　so　much　more　efficient。　
〃Search　is　so　highly　personal　that　searching　is　empowering　for　hu…　
157　
mans　like　nothing　else；〃　said　Google　CEO　Eric　Schmidt。　〃It　is　the　antithesis　of　being　
told　or　taught。　It　is　about　self…empowerment；　it　is　empowering　individuals　to　do　what　
they　think　best　with　the　information　they　want。　It　is　very　different　from　anything　
else　that　preceded　it。　Radio　was　one…to…many。　TV　was　one…to…many。　The　telephone　was　
one…to…one。　Search　is　the　ultimate　expression　of　the　power　of　the　individual；　using　
a　computer；　looking　at　the　world；　and　finding　exactly　what　they　want…　and　everyone　
is　different　when　it　comes　to　that。〃　
Of　course　what　made　Google　not　just　a　search　engine　but　a　hugely　profitable　business　
was　its　founders'　realization　that　they　could　build　a　targeted　advertising　model　that　
would　show　you　ads　that　are　relevant　to　you　when　you　searched　for　a　specific　topic　
and　then　could　charge　advertisers　for　the　number　of　times　Google　users　clicked　on　


their　ads。　Whereas　CBS　broadcasts　a　movie　and　has　a　less　exact　idea　who　is　watching　
it　or　the　advertisements；　Google　knows　exactly　what　you　are　interested　in…　after　all；　
you　are　searching　for　it…and　can　link　you　up　with　advertisers　directly　or　indirectly　
connected　to　your　searches。　In　late　2004；　Google　began　a　service　whereby　if　you　are　
walking　around　Bethesda；　Maryland；　and　are　in　the　mood　for　sushi；　you　just　send　Google　
an　SMS　message　on　your　cell　phone　that　says　〃Sushi　20817〃…the　Bethesda　zip　code…and　
it　will　send　you　back　a　text　message　of　choices。　Lord　only　knows　where　this　will　go。　
In…forming；　though；　also　involves　searching　for　friends；　allies；　and　collaborators。　
It　is　empowering　the　formation　of　global　communities；　across　all　international　and　
cultural　boundaries；　which　is　another　critically　important　flattening　function。　
People　can　now　search　out　fellow　collaborators　on　any　subject；　project；　or　
theme…particularly　through　portals　like　Yahoo！　Groups。　Yahoo！　has　about　300　million　
users　and　4　million　active　groups。　Those　groups　have　13　million　unique　individuals　
accessing　them　each　month　from　all　over　the　world。　
〃The　Internet　is　growing　in　the　self…services　area；　and　Yahoo！　Groups　exemplifies　
this　trend；〃　said　Jerry　Yang。　〃It　provides　a　forum；　a　platform；　a　set　of　tools　for　
people　to　have　private；　semiprivate；　or　public　gatherings　on　the　Internet　regardless　
of　geography　or　time。　It　enables　consumers　to　gather　around　topics　that　are　meaningful　
to　them　in　ways　that　are　either　

impractical　or　impossible　offline。　Groups　can　serve　as　support　groups　for　complete　
strangers　who　are　galvanized　by　a　common　issue　（coping　with　rare　diseases；　first…time　
parents；　spouses　of　active…duty　personnel）　or　who　seek　others　who　share　similar　
interests　（hobbies　as　esoteric　as　dogsled…ding；　blackjack；　and　indoor　tanning　have　
large　memberships）。　Existing　communities　can　migrate　online　and　flourish　in　an　
interactive　environment　（local　kids'　soccer　league；　church　youth　group；　alumni　
organizations）；　providing　a　virtual　home　for　groups　interested　in　sharing；　organizing；　
and　communicating　information　valuable　to　cultivating　vibrant　communities。　Some　
groups　exist　only　online　and　could　never　be　as　successful　offline；　while　others　mirror　
strong　real…world　communities。　Groups　can　be　created　instantaneously　and　dissolved；　
topics　can　change　or　stay　constant。　This　trend　will　only　grow　as　consumers　
increasingly　become　publishers；　and　they　can　seek　the　affinity　and　community　they　
choose…when；　where；　and　how　they　choose　it。〃　
There　is　another　side　to　in…forming　that　people　are　going　to　have　to　get　used　to；　
and　that　is　other　people's　ability　to　in…form　themselves　about　you　from　a　very　early　
age。　Search　engines　flatten　the　world　by　eliminating　all　the　valleys　and　peaks；　all　
the　walls　and　rocks；　that　people　used　to　hide　inside　of；　atop；　behind；　or　under　in　
order　to　mask　their　reputations　or　parts　of　their　past。　In　a　flat　world；　you　can't　
run；　you　can't　hide；　and　smaller　and　smaller　rocks　are　turned　over。　Live　your　life　
honestly；　because　whatever　you　do；　whatever　mistakes　you　make；　will　be　searchable　
one　day。　The　flatter　the　world　becomes；　the　more　ordinary　people　become　
transparent…and　available。　Before　my　daughter　Orly　went　off　to　college　in　the　fall　
of　2003；　she　was　telling　me　about　some　of　her　roommates。　When　I　asked　her　how　she　
knew　some　of　the　things　she　knew…　had　she　spoken　to　them　or　received　an　e…mail　from　


them？…she　told　me　she　had　done　neither。　She　just　Googled　them。　She　came　up　with　stuff　
from　high　school　newspapers；　local　papers；　etc。；　and　fortunately　no　police　records。　
These　are　high　school　kids！　
〃In　this　world　you　better　do　it　right…you　don't　get　to　pick　up　and　move　to　the　next　
town　so　easily；〃　said　Dov　Seidman；　who　runs　a　legal　compliance　and　business　ethics　
consulting　firm；　LRN。　〃In　the　world　of　Google；　your　reputation　will　follow　you　and　
precede　you　on　your　next　
159　
stop。　It　gets　there　before　you　do　。。。　Reputation　starts　early　now。　You　don't　get　to　
spend　four　years　getting　drunk。　Your　reputation　is　getting　set　much　earlier　in　life。　
'Always　tell　the　truth；'　said　Mark　Twain；　'that　way　you　won't　have　to　remember　what　
y