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Google Auto Links Thought Control  

:: Saturday, March 05, 2005 ::

A comment was made at the Search Engine Strategies Conference in NYC last week that there was surprisingly little bashing of Google's new Autolink toolbar (BETA), especially when compared to Microsoft's Smart Tags.

Yes, you have to turn it on to work. Yes, the end-user can opt-out. No, Google doesn't think Autolink and Gator scumware have anything in common. But, The People are still just getting started. Word is getting out. Link control is fast becoming thought control and webmasters are miffed.

A hilarious 12 minute video (even a few minutes of it sends the message) is rushing into forums and blogs as I speak. It's called Google Pollutes Links Stream With Evil Precedent For Market Censorship

What's Good For The Goose...

While it appears as though Google has no trouble linking content you didn't hyperlink on your site, they apparently aren't pleased when someone messes with their links. Case in point, take the fun old toy from years back called The Dialectizer, which ran web site pages through all kinds of variations, just for laughs.

But, if you enter a link from Google's search results, such as Search Cre8pc, into the Dialectizer, this is the message you'll see:

"We regret to inform you that the owner of the web page you are trying to dialectize has requested that it not be translated by The Dialectizer."

The Dialectizer lets the web site owner (Google) opt out because it's a search related URL, which then brings up this message. (Note: Google doesn't stop them from messing with the Google URL itself.)

Is not allowing someone to search for directions and books from your site when you didn't provide a link a similar idea? It's okay for Google to control the search function on your site, because end-users want that control? They insist they're just giving their toolbar users what they want, which is a way to get to information you didn't provide (or in the case of some sites I've tested, the information is provided for, but Google puts up an alternate anyway.)

There's a petition to Google to ask for the same right, they themselves have chosen the right to have.


Cre8asite Discusses Autolink.

:: posted by Kim Krause Berg on 3/05/2005 08:37:00 PM

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