Information statesmanship needed

Publishers to Google: back off | News.blog | CNET News.com:

Publishers cannot continue to allow search engines to make money off of their content, the head of the European Publishers Council said in a speech in Brussels this week.

Alex Barnett, John Dowdell, SmallTalk Tidbits and others have a lot to say about this statement by European publishers. Variously, the comments pick apart the inaccurate and uninformed aspects of the comments, as well as the publishers' decided interest in making money from content, but.... Folks, this isn't just ignorance, it's a real concern among publishers that, whether you think Google can do no wrong or not, is a real barrier to access to information through the Net. Instead of attacking these people, educate them and exercise some empathy for their situation—just feign it if you must—because that is the bridge to compromise that will change everything.

A little political tact and less technical hubris would go a long way.