Paging Dr. Google

Googling your symptoms online is already common practice among wired hypochondriacs. Now comes word the search engine may make that even easier, by launching a special health site.

Google's vice president of search, Marissa Mayer, hinted to USAToday that the search engine may show off a health site next week at its annual press day.

Mayer also told the paper that Google is working on integrating video into Google News and other search results, explaining that "if you search for how to cut up a chicken or how to change a flat tire, video is the right answer."

Blog community response:

"Those whom I've spoken to are at once fearful and confident. Some have said they were in a race to establish themselves with consumers before Google got there. But, simultaneously, they don't believe that the depth and structure of what they're doing can be easily recreated through aggregation, although Google has done specific content partnerships in building certain verticals (e.g., Google Finance)."
--Screenwerk

"At the moment, Google doesn't have their own web video crawler...but I'm sure it's on their list."
--Google Blogoscoped

"Unless there is an emerging relationship with WebMd. What I mean is: Is Google Linking to this info, or creating its own version of Web MD. Even Web MD doesn't the funds to match the hyper production of Google. If they are creating their own portal for users to exchange thoughts and remedies, I expect all Internet based health Information company stocks to take a dive tomorrow or as soon as the details become obvious."
--GeekSpeaker