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Another article on google adsense worries
mouser:
Very interesting article - the issues involving adsense (which we use on this site) are heating up.. Definitely worth a read.
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How Google Is Killing the Internet
By Seth Jayson (TMF Bent)
June 9, 2006
It's nothing, I'm sure. No really, I mean it. It's just that, well, I noticed that Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) insiders are continuing to drop shares on the public at a rate that boggles the mind. Here's just a brief peek at the latest tallies.
I bring it up only because I occasionally entertain the thought that Google has, in fact, destroyed the Internet. Well, not the physical Internet, mind you. Just the whole "looking for data" part of it that's key to Google's (alleged) information-based mission. The part that's held the key (so far) to its financial success.
Any of you try searching lately? Notice the astounding lack of quality across the board, even at revamped competitors like Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) and IAC/InterActiveCorp's (Nasdaq: IACI) Ask.com? I feel your pain. I, too, have spent hours stuck in the revolving door of link farms, splogs, and scraper sites. These sites look like they contain content, but when you see the results page, often it's not there (because of tricks like keyword stuffing and cloaking). If it is there, it's often recycled material from other providers, compiled by an automated process.
The jokers who create these sites have one goal: Trying to get you to click on a Google AdSense link.
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http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2006/commentary06060927.htm
from http://publishing2.com/
urlwolf:
very good article, I totally agree.
Carol Haynes:
It's all a bit sad really that the internet is rapidly becoming a place for people to make money for doing absolutely nothing!
urlwolf:
But my question is...
Where does this money come from?
I mean, what % of the population is clicking google ads and buying the typical products that the spammers use? Can we have such a huge numbers of non-internet-saavy people? How come? It takes <1second to see that a site is created with scraps of others. Although I have to admit that I have fallen for more 'sophisticated' versions of the same idea.
How many 'marketing' sites we need to see with yellow highlightings, pop ups, and long copy that is formatted at say 60 cols, before going crazy?
JavaJones:
Is this guy a Google lover or what? :D
Seriously though, how is any of this uniquely Google's fault? I mean basically isn't most of this inherent to success in this market, regardless of who it is? Sure it happens to be Google, but pointing that fact out is basically like accusing GM of ruining the Earth's environment. Sure they're a big contributor (huge car manufacturer), but is it their *fault*? And if they hadn't done it, wouldn't someone else have?
All this also ignores the state of the 'net before Google came along. Search was infinitely worse (I was there using the 'net, I remember it well), click-through ads still existed and massive fraud still plagued adverstisers. In fact if I recall correctly click-based ads died for a few years until Google brought them back. Advertisers just didn't trust them. Google was trustworthy and hence they brought trust back to the market. Apparently that may no longer be the case but previously the awareness of fraud was very widespread, so either it's just a lot more sophisticated and well hidden now, or it's not as bad as some are claiming. Because clearly the market is aware of the *potential* for such problems so they must be keeping an eye out for it. They abandoned click-through ads before because it just wasn't working so if it really isn't working now, what's to stop them doing it again?
Anyway whatever the reality is this article seems to me to be pretty well loaded with hyperbole and pretty light on real, insightful commentary or information.
- Oshyan
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