Google Base: All your base are, in fact, belong to us

[Dominus Atheos]

First Gmail, now gBay!

I couldn't help but make a joke with the title, because it's seemingly right on the money. You see, Google is getting ready to take the wraps off of a new service called Google Base. If it can be posted online, it would appear that they would, in fact, prefer it belong to them. At least, they'll store it for you and make it searchable.

"Yahoo: What you say?"

Rumors surrounding this service have been spreading over the past few days, and a handful of people have managed to catch the site when it's up (it's currently down). It is not known when Google will officially launch the service, although they are holding a special invitation-only event today. Here's the text off of the front page of the site:

Google Base is Google's database into which you can add all types of content. We'll host your content and make it searchable online for free.

Examples of items you can find in Google Base:

• Description of your party planning service
• Articles on current events from your website
• Listing of your used car for sale
• Database of protein structures

You can describe any item you post with attributes, which will help people find it when they search Google Base. In fact, based on the relevance of your items, they may also be included in the main Google search index and other Google products like Froogle and Google Local.

Just what does Google have in mind? The last sentence there really speaks to what they're after: eBay, Craigslist, and classified ads. Users will be able upload all kinds of items for sale, and you'll be able to geo-locate them, compare them, and search them via Google. Think about it. When using eBay or Craigslist, how often do you think "I wish I could search this with Google"? Recall, too, that Google has a payments service in the works.

If we grant that, then let's think about the next level: a Google Base API of sorts. If Google remains the middle man, it's great for Google. Ergo, an API that would allow other sites to use Google Base could really generate a great deal of traffic.

There's another level to this as well. By letting people post nearly anything, Google will get their hands on a massive database of items that have been given user-created attributes. Google then can use that data to try and generate a kind of universal tagging schema for information and items, which could then be used to classify information across the net. Far fetched? Google is already trying to do that with information layout via Google Site Maps.

Google has briefly commented on Google Base in a statement:

"This is an early-stage test of a product that enables content owners to easily send their content to Google. Like our web crawl and the recently released Google Sitemaps program, we are working to provide content owners an easy way to give us access to their content. We're continually exploring new opportunities to expand our offerings, but we don't have anything to announce at this time."

So the waiting, and the speculation, begins.

There's not much more to see right now, but Wouter Schutmanaged not only to see the service live (I saw the front page, but that's it), but he ventured in and took additional screenshots.

Thank god, a good alternative to eBay and Paypal

[Captain tycho]

So, how soon until the internet and google become one?

Even though I don't use many of the things listed, it does look pretty nifty.

[HemlockGrey]

Christ these people are going to rule the fucking Internet if this keeps up.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Google isn't that bad of a ruler, is it?

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Google isn't that bad of a ruler, is it?

A damn sight better than Microsoft!!

I get the feeling that if the Borg Scenario® from Exit Mundi plays out, we won't in fact, call ourselves the Borg. We'll call ourselves...

[Rogue 9]

Wait. So anybody can post anything, and it's searchable?

Does it allow remote linking? Because I'm thinking this will become the world's largest posting image repository if it does.

[Loner]

Google isn't that bad of a ruler, is it?

A damn sight better than Microsoft!!

Isn't their motto, "Don't be evil"?

[Crossroads Inc.]

Google isn't that bad of a ruler, is it?

A damn sight better than Microsoft!!

Isn't their motto, "Don't be evil"?

Yes, in fact that ios their exact Coporate Motto

And shoot, if they end up becoming world Dictators, I won't mind a bit!

[Stark]

I don't understand the positive image Google has. Sure, none of their products functionally suck, but they ARE a corporation and they ARE more interested in profit than anything else. The 'don't be evil' thing is so lame, made even lamer since people seem to think just because it says that, it must be true.

[WyrdNyrd]

I read The Register daily, and they're a lot less enamoured of Google than some. They enjoy pointing out the arrogance, hypocracy and privacy-violations that company is guilty of.

Just have a look at Google - the new Microsoft?, as well as the long list of links at the end of the second page.

[The Grim Squeaker]

In Google's defense they have'nt abused uniformly the information they have in their hands, and their targeted ad's are forewarned and the search history is optional.
Personally however, I love Gmail, Google desktop, Picasa, Search history and the customisable feed reading google homepage is my home page .
Yup, I'm part of the cult of the google

[PrinceofLowLight]

I don't understand the positive image Google has. Sure, none of their products functionally suck, but they ARE a corporation and they ARE more interested in profit than anything else. The 'don't be evil' thing is so lame, made even lamer since people seem to think just because it says that, it must be true.

Exactly. They're the model of a good corporation, proving that you can be more successful in the long run without using evil tactics. Look at the ages of Microsoft and Google, and look at how hard Microsoft needs to compete for market share in any area where there's a Google alternative.

Desire for money is not the same thing as the utter cut-throat avarice. They're just providing services and making money off of it, that's not evil in and of itself.

[Zed Snardbody]

I for one, salute our new Google overlords.

I'm just waiting for the G browser.

[The Silence and I]

Hell yeah! If anyone can make something better than Firefox I'll be impressed. But I trust Google has a much better chance of meeting this than, say, Microsoft.

And I have to say I am becoming part of the Google. I welcome the new overlords!

[WyrdNyrd]

I distrust, on principle, anything that inspires almost religious devotion in its followers. That includes Wikipedia and Apple computers! (Linux is the exception for me, for now. Linus is just too genial to hate )

[Dahak]

I don't understand the positive image Google has. Sure, none of their products functionally suck, but they ARE a corporation and they ARE more interested in profit than anything else. The 'don't be evil' thing is so lame, made even lamer since people seem to think just because it says that, it must be true.

Exactly. They're the model of a good corporation, proving that you can be more successful in the long run without using evil tactics. Look at the ages of Microsoft and Google, and look at how hard Microsoft needs to compete for market share in any area where there's a Google alternative.

Desire for money is not the same thing as the utter cut-throat avarice. They're just providing services and making money off of it, that's not evil in and of itself.

There is no good or evil company. Just companies with good or bad PR. Google uses its image to their advantage. But I am not trusting Google any more or less than Microsoft. Especially regarding personal data security and protection. I know this isn't such a strong point for most Americans (it seems), but it gives me the creeps to know how many data Google can collect, and what they could do with it.

[Vertigo1]

Hell yeah! If anyone can make something better than Firefox I'll be impressed. But I trust Google has a much better chance of meeting this than, say, Microsoft.

And I have to say I am becoming part of the Google. I welcome the new overlords!

I'm still waiting for Google OS.

[Jalinth]

Exactly. They're the model of a good corporation, proving that you can be more successful in the long run without using evil tactics. Look at the ages of Microsoft and Google, and look at how hard Microsoft needs to compete for market share in any area where there's a Google alternative.

Desire for money is not the same thing as the utter cut-throat avarice. They're just providing services and making money off of it, that's not evil in and of itself.

You are comparing two very different corporations - age, size, you name it - so you can't genuinely compare them. Did Microsoft look that evil 5 or 6 years after its birth?

Another fundamental difference is that Google is an advertising company when you look at its revenue model - Microsoft is not. Your selling tactics by advertising companies is completely different from a company that is selling goods/services to the final consumers.

[YT300000]

That reminds me: http://content.ytmnd.com//185000/185192/image.jpg

Just the image, don't worry about loud music.