2007年VOA标准英语-Information Becoming More Available Online

By Sean Maroney
Washington
21 February 2007
 
watch OnLine Information report

 
Online Information
An elite¹ few -- newspapers, television networks, major corporations -- used to control the bulk of information. But with the spread of the Internet, more and more people are gaining direct access to unfiltered information of all kinds.  As VOA's Sean Maroney reports, businesses are recognizing this trend, and they are trying to take advantage of it.

There are more than 100 million people on the online social networking site MySpace-dot-com.  Users cross borders and span continents to meet and swap² information about just about anything.

The Internet's top search engine, Google, averages more than 100 million searches per day.  People around the globe are literally³ asking billions of questions each month.

Information has always been a commodity in the business world.  Now, more consumers have access to it as more of them log online.

 
Eric Schmidt
But Google CEO Eric Schmidt warns that because there is so much information, and so many people sharing it, some businesses are shouting to be heard.

"Every piece of information on the Internet can be thought of as a move in a game.  You don't like some information -- spread some misinformation."

Earlier this year, computer software giant Microsoft landed in hot water when it took steps to polish its image.  Critics complained that the company planned to pay for entries about itself on the free content encyclopedia⁴ Wikipedia-dot-org, well-known for its volunteer staff.

Microsoft says that is not true. A company representative told VOA that Microsoft simply offered to pay an outside expert to correct entries about the company on Wikipedia.

Google CEO Schmidt says the criticism surrounding Microsoft is a product of the new business information world. "There might be some businesses who want to affect some outcome, who might spread some misinformation -- let's call it 'bizinformation.'  All of a sudden, information takes on power and partially⁵ false or completely false information is hard to distinguish in this new world."

Governments recognize this, too, and some are cracking down on what they do not like.

The media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders says in a recent report that 52 people are currently imprisoned⁶ in China for criticizing online government policy.  Ten others are held in other countries for the same offense⁷. 

Google, among others, are often criticized for censoring⁸ their services to operate in countries such as communist China.

But as Internet access spreads to more remote areas, Schmidt says information will empower more people. "They're going to discover that their governments are not treating them very well.  They're going to discover that the other town has better resources, better healthcare, better education, so forth⁹.  They're going to be annoyed."

And this empowering will dramatically change how companies approach both individual consumers and their governments.

1 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

2 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

3 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

4 encyclopedia   

n.百科全书

参考例句：

• The encyclopedia fell to the floor with a thud.那本百科全书砰的一声掉到地上。
• Geoff is a walking encyclopedia.He knows about everything.杰夫是个活百科全书，他什么都懂。

5 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

6 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

7 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

8 censoring   

删剪（书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容）( censor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Therefore, exhibitors shall not make use of these materials before censoring. 展商在审查前不可使用这些资料。
• The company then said it would end self-censoring search results, putting it at odds with Beijing. 随后该公司表示，将停止自我审查搜索结果，从而与中国政府发生对抗。

9 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。