Google vs. Michael Moore's "Sicko"?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: July 1, 2007 12:38:26 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com
Subject: Google vs. Michael Moore's "Sicko"?



                    Google vs.  Michael Moore's "Sicko"?

                http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000258.html


Greetings.  In a posting on the Google Health Advertising Blog
( http://google-health-ads.blogspot.com ), that can only be described
as bizarre, a Google "Account Planner" has eviscerated Michael
Moore's new, widely acclaimed film Sicko (see "Does negative press
make you Sicko?" - http://tinyurl.com/yrc7vs ).

The "cure" suggested by this Google employee for Moore's negative
but generally viewed as accurate portrayal of the U.S. Health Care
Industry? Spend more money on placing Google ads!

Seriously, you have to read the posting yourself to appreciate it.

I for one am willing to give Google the "Don't Be Evil" benefit of
the doubt on this one.  I'm assuming that this episode is the result
of a single, uh, "overenthusiastic" employee and not a statement of
broader corporate policy.

But I do believe that it would be quite useful for Google to issue a
formal clarification regarding this rather sicko situation ASAP --
or ideally even sooner!

Bulletin!  A few seconds ago while I was preparing the text above, a
new posting by the author of the original anti-"Sicko" Google blog
entry has appeared ( http://tinyurl.com/2ba6jq ).  Personally, I
don't think that it goes far enough toward clarifying this matter
appropriately.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
   - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Founder, CIFIP
   - California Initiative For Internet Privacy - http://www.cifip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com



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