More Thoughts on Google and "Trustworthiness"

Last week, I commented on the proposal by a Google team to introduce "trustworthiness" as a criterion in Web searches. See "In Determining Truthfulness, a Google Team Would Like to Do Your Thinking for You." I noted the potential for bias that this "fix" to existing algorithms would bring with it -- a worrisome prospect, perhaps, for Web source not in line with the politically progressive perspective favored by many Google employees.

How worrisome, exactly? For that we need to wade into some...