March 20, 2005
WILL IT HAVE A LINK TO BABELFISH?:
Chirac plans French anti-US "counter-offensive" on Internet culture (AFP, 3/20/05)
French President Jacques Chirac has vowed to launch a new "counter-offensive" against American cultural domination, enlisting the support of the British, German and Spanish governments in a multi-million euro bid to put the whole of European literature on-line.Posted by Orrin Judd at March 20, 2005 7:53 PMThe president was reacting last week to news that the American search-engine provider Google is to offer access to some 15 million books and documents currently housed in five of the most prestigious libraries in the English-speaking world.
The realisation that the "Anglo-Saxons" were on the verge of a major breakthrough towards the dream of a universal library seriously rattled the cultural establishment in Paris, raising again the fear that French language and ideas will one day be reduced to a quaint regional peculiarity.
So on Wednesday Chirac met with Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres and National Library president Jean-Noel Jeanneney and asked them "to analyse the conditions under which the collections of the great libraries in France and Europe could be put more widely and more rapidly on the Internet".
"In the weeks to come, the president will launch initiatives in the direction of his European partners in order to propose ways of coordinating and amplifying efforts in this field," a statement said.
The whole of European literature? It will be interesting to see what, and how much, is censored out -- given the pc nature of current French "culture."
Posted by: Steve at March 20, 2005 8:09 PMThe reason their culture is eclipsed on the Internet is that the Internet thrives because its nature is the polar opposite of the Statist "top-down" philosophy of making things happen. That he thinks he can rectify this by willing a Euro-wonk plan into action shows how out of touch he is. In the new age of the Internet, the culture that DESERVES to dominate dominates, regardless of what levers of power it possesses in "reality."
Indeed, their worst nightmare is becoming waking reality. And England and Spain are supposed to bemoan the twilight of the French language? Is he drunk?
Posted by: G in Taipei at March 20, 2005 8:16 PMI would guess that they are hoping no one remembers Minitel, and what a great success that was. (And why continuing to subsidize it long after it was doomed put the French in their current position in the first place.)
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at March 20, 2005 8:24 PMWhat is Minitel?
Posted by: mpdarcy2sam at March 20, 2005 8:41 PMAgree with G - the top down govt mandate approach probably won't work with an internet driven approach. By the time the EU committee figures out the table seating arrangements Google will have added 15 million more.
Given how close US and UK language is the Brits should jump in with the US and leave France to fend for itself.
Posted by: AWW at March 20, 2005 8:48 PMBetter get those monks on board.
Posted by: Genecis at March 20, 2005 8:49 PMNoah, the muslims will protect the sacred scrolls just like they did during Europe's last dark ages.
Posted by: Sandy P at March 20, 2005 9:08 PMWhat is Minitel?
Think of it as AOL run by the French government. Developed in the 1980s, it was to be a showcase of the superior European OSI network protcols and systems over the then-nascent American Internet/Arpanet TCP/IP system. It was an ISO V.23/X.25 videotext network operated by France Telecom. Every household in France was given a terminal. They were charged rates of up to €1 a minute on their phone bill.
The French touted their "superior" system, only to watch it get left behind by the cheaper and more open Internet. Today it is advertised as a "secure" way to access the Internet (because it runs on a dumb terminal and not a PC subject to viruses).
Posted by: Gideon at March 21, 2005 5:16 AMThe notion of French academics employed by the government to decide what is and isn't European culture worthy of wide dissemination is an idea that undoubtedly will really impress Germans, Spaniards, Dutch and Italians.
Posted by: bart at March 21, 2005 6:38 AMAh Gideon brings us back to the glorious days of Mintel. So whatever happened with French technology, Japanese economic management, and Soviet military supremacy?
Posted by: Moe from NC at March 21, 2005 7:19 AMI suggest Chirac start with a collection on the history of corruption. He could really cement his legacy. And the French try to do it artfully, at least.
Posted by: jim hamlen at March 21, 2005 9:08 AMSo the French government needs to respond to an American company, to save civilization. Nice to see they've given up on competing with other governments.
Just wait till they hear about my new startup, Subjugate Europe LLP. (Still waiting on the Post Office for a box number.)