Google's Control Over Identity Is Nearly Absolute

Google’s control over identity really is astonishing. I received an email with this opening line, which I just assumed was some weird type of spam:

Eagerly waiting for Insomnia Media Group\’s web site to launch as Variety story caught my attention.

I’ve never heard of Insomnia Media Group, and as far as I know, I’ve never crossed paths with Variety. Just to be sure, I did a Google search for “Scott Karp Variety” and found this story:

Insomnia Media Group has expanded into talent management and tapped veteran manager Scott Karp to head its operation.

Karp broke into showbiz at WMA, followed by stints at Overbrook and Immortal before starting his independent firm.

So apparently there is a Scott Karp who does talent management in Hollywood. And the person who sent me this message, who makes reference to Publishing 2.0 and who I won’t embarrass by naming, must have done a Google search for “Scott Karp,” found Publishing 2.0, and just assumed I was the Scott Karp she was looking for. Perhaps she should have read the About page, but the trust in Google to provide the right answer is nearly absolute.

What’s striking is that, as far as Google is concerned, the other Scott Karp doesn’t exist. Nearly every result in the first Google 100 search results for Scott Karp is a reference to me, a reflection of the many high PageRank sites that link to me or mention me. Someone searching for the other Scott Karp would be hard pressed to find him — even with specific keywords like “Scott Karp Hollywood talent management,” other than that recent Variety article, the other Scott Karp can’t easily be found.

At least in the White Pages we were all on a level playing field.