There is a popular science fiction book (I forget the name) that talked about a celestial Usenet, with billions of people across the universe chiming in on news stories and the most valuable voices becoming the loudest.

Someone at Google must have read that sci-fi book, because today the blogosphere is abuzz with news that Google News is adding comments to new stories.

Rubel is right, it moves Google into the editorial world. My point? Google pushes bits very well but where is the editorial know-how?
The problem is that the solution is half-baked, as Google products often are, and doesn’t contain any reasonable authentication scheme. Email hacking is so 1999, can’t the great Google come up with something better than checking someone’s email address and Googling them? Is your blog’s PageRank going to be part of the criteria?

Arrington explains the comment feature well and tells everyone to chill-out. This is early August, the doldrums of  business world, so everyone needed to jump in today, including me, but I have a different take on the situation.

Since we don’t have the  Interplanetary Internet yet, Google would be smart to look at a reputation and comment management system like SezWho. You may have read about them on Read/WriteWeb. I’ve been running their comment system here for a while after talking in depth with the founder  and its a good first line of defense for Google News to avoid the spam/backlash that will most certainly plague the service. Disclaimer, SezWho sent me a $15 Starbucks card for providing them feedback about their service.

I’ll  bypass the problem of a roomfull of people approving commenters issue, because there are much better ways to manage who gets to post what on Google News. My only comment is that Google news without a authentication system = spam-filled failure.

I would like to see a reputation management system like Rapleaf tied into this. The next step is to authenticate online personas, something like the TypeKey account used on this blog with an eye towards a solution that offers more robust authentication tools. Using an email address as verification means the Google News comment feed will be as unruly as Yahoo Groups.

Why would a PR person want to follow up on a story that shows up in Google News? Either the reporter misquoted a source (it happens), or the reporter talked about a client in an unflattering way.

What is the threshold that makes a PR person want to comment? What triggers their brain to find it necessary to add to the conversation?

I am an expert in the identity, social networking and online dating industries. I’ve been on television, radio and print around the world. What makes me an expert in Google’s eyes? What is the criteria to be an expert?

PR Newswire has an Experts database, hopefully Google will learn from their system. It’s not perfect, but I get calls all the time from people who found me on PR Newswire.

PR agencies should be focusing on establishing a format for social media releases and learning how to talk to bloggers. But here we have Google News coming in and giving them a voicebox to say whatever they want about their clients.  I hope the that industry experts voices are heard as well. Then again, most industry voices are out to get new clients, so they will spew whatever it takes to make themselves and potential clients look good.

$1 to the first person that gets hired by a company because they said the right thing on Google News. Can you imagine the comments people are going to leave  once they realize this?

Google should add a survey for commenters: What are your intentions: represent client in the news, trying to get a job with client or PR firm, competitor who wants to slam company, trolls ejected from Digg, etc.

This is going to be interesting to watch. I predict a few acquisitions, investments in the news and authentication space and of course the competition will catch on in a few months once they see how Google handles all the difficult issues.

Rememer, sometimes second place is where you want to be, let the lead dog exhaust itself breaking new ground and come in well rested with a solid plan in place ready for execution.

I’m going to try to sign up as an expert. I’ll let you know how it goes.