Jim Turner (a fellow BBC-er) posed an interesting idea to me today, is Google complicit in the whole splog problem? This question turned into a great blog post. Jim isn’t pointing fingers per se, but let’s lay out the premise here. Google owns both Blogger and AdSense. A splog can put AdSense on their blog pretty easily and quickly. Then the splogger scrapes content from legit folks like us, then people visit the splog and click an AdSense ad. Google makes money.
Hmm. Personally I don’t think Google is complicit in all this. Granted they are probably reaping some significant monetary benefits from ads on splogs, but I think Google is just as pissed as we are at this. Google is trying to be a big, yet cool, company and being labeled a purveyor of online vermin doesn’t help one’s bottom in the long run.
As Jim points out, splogs are a big problem. Hopefully the recent changes to Blogger will make it harder for sploggers to get their work done. Now if we could only smite the trackback spammers.
Orginally published on the Qumana Blog.
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I’m with you–I think that Google would be (and from what little I hear) is pissed.
Yes, they make money from AdSense clicks from Splogs just as easily as from real sites, but this is the company that monetized blogging and hobby sites in what might turn out to be a sustainable fashion. They didn’t have to do that–there are other profit channels from them in the world of search. And their programs are remarkably open, and for free services they give away as much or more than anybody working in the same spaces…
No, I believe Google when they say their corporate mission is to “Do No Evil.” I think if there’s any complicity, it’s in not cracking down quickly or harshly, but again that can be interpretted in their favor–many potential solutions would hurt Google/Blogger/AdSense consumers who are legitimate and have a lot to lose if new hoops are erected for the jumping-through.
Comment by Max Leibman — October 24, 2005 @ 7:51 pm