Google is certainly
the most powerful search engine today. That should be clear
to most of us by now. But Google being this powerful isn't
really an entirely good thing. There are definitely a few
drawbacks about this for some of us in my opinion. Here's
why:
You see, Google is in the business
of giving their customers a quality product. Good for
them. This is the part that they have right. They seem to
believe, however, that their customers are only
the people using the internet to find information,
products, services... answers and
solutions. This is partially true, but they seem to
be missing a big part of this equation: the sources
of these answers and solutions. Where would they be without
those sources of information?
I feel strongly that Google spends so much of its energy
and resources on meeting the needs of the individuals seeking
information, but they severly neglect the needs of those of
us who offer this information. I have often felt like Google's
attitude toward me and people like me, individuals who supply
quality information and products on the internet, has been
one of dismissal and neglect. Google has made it clear to
brokers of online information that they owe us absolutely
nothing. Really? Is that so? In fact, Google seems to perceive
our relationship with them as a purely one-sided one. They
seem to see is as one of purely doing us a gigantic favor
by including our content in their search index. Is that right?
It's almost as though they see us as one
step above a parasite. This is especially
true if you are trying to sell
something on your web pages. This variable might actually
put you a step below
a parasite in Google's view. This does not bode well with
me at all.
I think most of us who put quality information and products
on the internet realize it is a lot of work to do this. WE
are the ones doing Google a favor, not the other way around.
I think it is perfectly natural to want to do everything we
can to get our information and products in front of as many
eyes as possible after we do all of that hard work of creating
our information and products. Isn't that a reasonable hope?
Isn't that what a free market and capitalism are all about?
I think so too. If that is indeed the case, then why is it
that if you try to get your pages to turn up prominently on
Google's index that you are automatically a slimeball? Why
is it that trying to draw traffic to your web site and the
information or products you offer on your web site... why
is that such an unethical goal? Why does Google even punish
people for taking such steps to do draw traffic to their site?
They don't seem to share our capitalistic outlook on the internet...
even though they built their "empire" on it. They
seem to have lost site of that.
Who made Google "God" of the internet anyway? Not
me. How did they get to determine what is and isn't "moral"
when it comes to putting information on the internet? They
claim that their standards evolved from working to separate
good information from bad information, but how come I still
find crap information in Google's search results everyday?
Not only that, but this, coming from the company who is NOT
willing to turn over anonymous information about searches
for child porn to the federal government so we can protect
our children from child predators, but who is perfectly willing
to censor information deemed distasteful to the Chinese governent
(it's called the truth, but unfortunately it seems to subvert
the Chinese government's agenda) in order to get Chinese yuan.
We want this company dictating morals? Not me.
Here is the reason why I feel this way: Without people like
me who put quality information and products on the internet,
Google would have nothing to point their searchers to. Pretty
simple. Google actually supplies almost no information on
the internet themselves. WE do. I personally think Google
should start to realize this and start treating us like partners,
not parasites. The arrogance needs to stop, lest the day a
newer and improved "NOT-Google" steps to the plate,
and we all jump ship. I don't think Google thinks this is
realistic possibility, but it is. It could happen tomorrow.
Some web designers/search engine optimizers amazingly seem
to have just accepted this dynamic. What zombies. They seem
to be OK with Google's arrogant attitude toward us. I have
even seen holier-than-thou seo's actually SCOLD other seos
and web designers for not accepting this Google imposed submissive
role, chiding them with statements like, "You need to
remember that Google doesn't own you a darn thing." In
my opinion, this is pretty unbelieveable. Really? They don't
owe me a darn thing? Where are they getting the quality content
that they need to send their searchers to? Isn't coming from
individuals just like me? God forbid we displease the mighty
Google!
Google is a ticking time bomb, in my opinion. I could be
wrong, but I think they are setting themselves up to sabotage
themselves. It's their arrogance that is the problem. They
are the mighty search engine as of right now, but their attitude
is their problem. I don't necessarily wish this for them,
but if their attitude doesn't change...
|
