Reading in Cyberspace ?!?

Google has recently unleashed its new project to the world; the Google Book Search. To be described basically, it is the scanning of books and placing its information on the Google website such as scans of pages, paragraphs, and even the whole book. Books that are scanned are usually out of print and not copyright. However, this has raised some conflict between Google and the book's publishers. Google responds to this rise in conflict by negotiating with the publishers and only displaying as much information on certain books that are allowed by the publisher and/or author. As mentioned previously, the amount of information the publishers allow will be in the form of a few cut-outs, paragraphs, publishing information, and short phrases from the books. Although this sounds like alot of work for Google, it provides the Internet easier access to the books they "Google-ize". All of this convenience for users and Google but how will companies such as Yahoo! deal with this level of competition? Although no official announcement has been addressed to the public, those rivaling companies definitely have something sinister in store for Google in the form of projects that rivals that of the Google Book Search. With the interenet's speed at your command, access of information on books can now be accessed through a single click. This unprecedented level of speed and access provides people with an effortless search for their required books. What ever happened to the days where people walk, drive, or bus to the library just to look for books on their project? Those days are now in the past and pales in comparison to today's book searches. All of this sounds too good to be true and almost seems as if there's nothing negative about it. Sorry to have to burst your bubble but the Google Book Search places librarians in a tough predicament. How? Well with the Google Book Search, people no longer need to ask the librarian for certain books of interest and might as well send them packing. My opinion on the matter is divided into two sides; the good and the bad. The positive side to this project is that research has never been made simpler, easier, and more efficient than ever. It provides people the extra time they need to work on the project instead of going over to the library. The negative side is that librarians would soon be placed in a much lower position than they are now. Meaning the job would recieve less interest because of the project. Also, just because its easier to have everything in the palm of your hands doesn't make it right that all of your sources for your projects are in your very room. It undermines the concept of "hard work", a virtue that everyone must be familiar with. We are in an era of change. Humans are beginning to move towards the future, and this is just one of the many changes we shall soon learn to adapt.

What makes you special? The Genographic Project

Just as a child grows into an adult, our technology grows by the years that go by, introducing our society with advanced gadgets that would pave the way for a brigther future. Improving technology usually revolves around media, especially the ipod. 30 or 20 years ago, radios and orchestras were usually the music intruments that people would listen to. Now we have music at the palm of our hands which would fascinate those who have never experienced such convenience 30 years ago.

As we move towards the future, we encounter scientific advances such as television, or medical break throughs. With television, we have grown accustomed to entertaining ourselves with shows and programs as well as being updated on the latest news from local stories to the weather itself. Medical breakthroughs such as cures for cancers are rare but slowly being uncovered. With the introduction of the Genographic project, we will be able to trace our earliest origins and unravel where we all began. This type of technology is similar to the concept of predicting the weather itself. Only instead of looking to the future, we look back and re-trace our DNA origins.

In order for this project to be succesful, scientists will require devices and machines that will process blood samples to extract the DNA and placed into a storage container for future examination. Once all the required DNA is gathered, scientists will observe certain patterns among these samples and place them according to the correct category. Once all samples have been placed correctly, they can begin the mapping process which involves analyzing data from the groups of DNA samples and trace their origins.

The timing of this project affects the results because our era is open to migration between all cultures which creates a diversity among us. Should this project have been done half a century ago or even 5 centuries ago, the results would not be as fascinating because back then, people were not as influenced on moving from continent to continent as we are today.

Indigenous groups of today become a large part of this experiment because they are the people who have prefered to stay in one region. Thus should the project fall upon them, their origins would not be as unexpected as those who like to move from place to place. As the native representatives of their origin, their imobility in the world would not become a part of the "Mosaic" image of countries such as Canada.

Advance technological improvements throughout history were always accompanied with opened doors and consequences. The Genographic Project is no different from every "Pandora's Box" that great minds are willing to open.