All your base are belong to Google

Google is testing a new service that would allow consumers to post and make searchable any type of content, the company confirmed this week.

Screenshots of the "Google Base" service surfaced this week, immediately prompting speculation that the search giant was getting ready to take one...someone.

Was the new offering the precursor to a new e-commerce site that could wipe eBay and Craigslist off the map? Or maybe Google was developing a massive information storage service?

For its part, a Google spokeswoman stated that the site was merely experimenting with a way to "provide content owners an easy way to give us access to their content."

But as bloggers and analysts have had more time to think about it, one theme emerged--by combining search, commerce, community and other features, the new offering had the potential to be something far bigger than a simple online store.

Blog community response:

"Rather than scrape existing databases, Google is going to encourage people, businesses, and organizations to submit their listings directly to Google. This avoids any potential 'cease and desist' orders like the one that Oodle.com recently received from Craigslist.org for scrapping its listings. By actually owning a structured database that's clean from the start...Google can focus on what it does best--getting loads of consumers and businesses to use its services."
--Charlene Li's Blog

"I think if Google is simply aggregating user listings, like it aggregates text CPC ads, then Craigslist has less to fear from Google Base. If Google Base is going to build a community, like Tribe or MySpace, then everyone has a lot to fear."
--A VC

"Rather than create a bunch of distinct services, Google could potentially provide a platform, into which any number of files could be placed, accessed/shared, and saved. Picasa, GMail, Blogger, Google Maps, etc, etc, etc simply become inputs to your own database."
--Gary Stein

Posted by Margaret Kane