I can’t stress enough the importance of how Google has been for the development of the web, I am not a Google fanatic, and I will not go into the rivalry between Microsoft and Google, but suffice it to say, we are in a time of constant, massive, and rapid change when it comes to communication, news, and how information is brought to us.

The Breaking news earlier from Mashable, the social media blog, brings us closer to the realization that the news we seek is no longer hidden but can be found by the click of a mouse. Google has instituted, finally, the inclusion of real live search results, news that we had to wait a whole day for back in the old newspaper days, can be had within minutes, if not seconds.

I am also a big fan of twitter, with the boost that it had this year, with more and more influential individuals joining in the social media fray, communicating with the influential personalities of the day is within the grasp of the everyday citizen. And the fact that we can get information from Iran even during a news blackout is proof positive of the great advantages that social media and live stream of news can do for a greater perspective of news on the ground. It’s far from perfect, I must admit, but it is better than being in the dark.

Still, we should be cautious about heralding the entrance of live search results into our daily online activities, although information is coming at us at a more fast paced, easier mode of delivery, I can’t stress enough the need for consumers to be discerning in their consumption of the news in such a way to keep a healthy skepticism alive, and to always question and discern for themselves, and not take all information at face value. We have a responsibility, an individual responsibility to understand that skepticism is also healthy as a reader of news and information.

Why, I choose to highlight this news is the fact that it relates very much to what is happening right now in The Philippines, with Maguindanao in a state of Martial Law, sometimes the only method of information to be transmitted is online these days, through text messages, and oftentimes urgency dictates the need for a live stream of news coming from sources such as twitter, and in turn from people on the ground. It may be the saving grace that ultimately provides the weapon against tyranny. Only time will tell.

But, in the end, Google has made a step forward, as it keeps on focusing on the end consumer, and the ease by which information is available today, we can only be grateful that we live in an age of information. What we do with that information is up to us however. And I’ll have to test drive this new live search results, and in the coming months form a more informed opinion as to whether or not this will have a big impact, negative impact, or a slight incremental impact.

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