Google Experiments With Web 2.0 Features On Google News

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Google is experimenting with a feature to allow users to add comments to news stories on their popular Google News feature. Currently, the feature is only available to certain users.

We’ll be trying out a mechanism for publishing comments from a special subset of readers: those people or organizations who were actual participants in the story in question. Our long-term vision is that any participant will be able to send in their comments, and we’ll show them next to the articles about the story. Comments will be published in full, without any edits, but marked as “comments” so readers know it’s the individual’s perspective, rather than part of a journalist’s report.

As always, Google News will direct readers to the professionally-written articles and news sources our algorithms have determined are relevant for a topic. From bloggers to mainstream journalists, the journalists who help create the news we read every day occupy a critical place in the information age. But we’re hoping that by adding this feature, we can help enhance the news experience for readers, testing the hypothesis that — whether they’re penguin researchers or presidential candidates– a personal view can sometimes add a whole new dimension to the story.

I can see a few issues with this. Namely it “picks off” users who might go directly to the linked-to story. Right now it’s a small beta, so it’s too early to judge what it will end up being like.

Do you like the idea?

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