Remember when might-be president Barack Obama, assailed by rumors and fabrications from the blogosphere, set up an entire website devoted to dispelling myths and delivering his point of view on issues?

Well, apparently Google remembers too. Welcome to public relations in the 21st century: goodbye stacks of public statements and press releases, hello advocacy websites.

Faced with an ongoing parade of detracters lobbying to block its big deal with Yahoo, the company has put together its own 'facts' site. Not only does it give Google's take on the issue, but all sorts of quotes the company plucked from various sources the company considers experts on the matter.

Definitely an interesting tactic, and it will no doubt help Google in the court of public opinion, but will it do much to sway regulators? The deals detractors have gone straight to Congress and the Department of Justice with their cases. Will Google's blog and web offensive have the same effect?
 

27 Sep 2008