The Future of Google and Knol

Google and Knol are increasingly making the news, as evident by this article on the front page of the business section in the New York Times on Aug. 11, 2008. (Prime layout spot after a weekend!)

It's titled "Is Google a Media Company?" and the gist is: "While Knol is only three weeks old and still relatively obscure, it has already rekindled fears among some media companies that Google is increasingly becoming a competitor. They foresee Google’s becoming a powerful rival that not only owns a growing number of content properties, ... but also holds the keys to directing users around the Web."

Risky business, these days, to predict the future, but the article states: "While Google helps drive the success of other content providers, it is clear that the company will not shy away from entering what it considers 'high-value' content areas, said David B. Yoffie, a professor at the Harvard Business School.

“ 'If I am a content provider and I depend upon Google as a mechanism to drive traffic to me, should I fear that they may compete with me in the future?' Professor Yoffie asked. 'The answer is absolutely, positively yes.' ”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/technology/11google.html?pagewanted=1&ref=business