I wrote a few articles emphasizing a fact some still debate: Google does have semantic functionality although they deny their interest in semantic search. Particularly the heads of the so called semantic search engines debate this, happily wearing the hat of an ignorant “we are alone” – translated “we are the only ones able to create a semantic search engine.” What many still don’t understand – and this is probably my fault for not being eloquent enough – is that I never called Google a “semantic search engine.” What I said is that, among other algorithms, Google does employ semantic technology. To those search engine gurus of you who emailed us, I hope this is clear now. And I am addressing this article especially to you, maybe this time you stop and listen.

I offered in these pages enough free advice to help you build an empire. I know for a fact you took this advice, but like most things “borrowed” ideas detached from the origin often lose strength in the translation. A simple given credit, if you think about it, would have produced even more idea refinements and new ideas.

No need to mention, I presume, the amount of work and passion my partner Phil Butler invested in supporting you guys. Has he ever received at least for the sake of the courtesy a “thank you” note? The things you take for granted are often the easiest things to lose. Losing the respect of your greatest supporters does cost – in the long term. Too bad you are too blinded by your own reflections to see what the world around you actually has to offer. It seems to me that you, like Narcissus once, are followed by the curse of the nymphs: “So may he himself love, and not gain the thing he loves.”

Yes, I am disappointed: your lack of courtesy and respect is what keeps you from becoming sovereigns. You want to beat Google and yet you fail understanding a basic principle of leadership…

You cannot become a leader in your industry if you don’t have what it takes.

What kind of a leader are you going to be – the kind who thinks he is the best?
Or will you be one of the very few greats
Who attributes success to the rest? (The Image of Leadership – John Schoolland)

Enough now, for I fear I waste my time again. Goethe once said: “If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that.” Yet I think you are not able to accept my help. You “borrow” it instead.

Once again, I have to prove a point, and once again I have to lead the horse to the water: “Google added sophisticated voice recognition technology to the company’s search software for the Apple iPhone.” You tell me what is more semantic than natural language. I quote more from the article published on “The New Your Times” online: users

“can place the phone to their ear and ask virtually any question, like “Where’s the nearest Starbucks?” or “How tall is Mount Everest?” The sound is converted to a digital file and sent to Google’s servers, which try to determine the words spoken and pass them along to the Google search engine.”

If you cannot understand what this means, you probably should re-evaluate your own concept of “semantics.”


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