Comments on: Google! Clean Up Blogger! Now! http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/ The leading source of news covering social media and the blogosphere. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:30:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Blake Rogers http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-1118660 Blake Rogers Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:10:34 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-1118660 SEO marketing is always the best thing to do if you want to market products on the internet';- SEO marketing is always the best thing to do if you want to market products on the internet’;-

]]> By: Michael Clark http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-354080 Michael Clark Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:18:02 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-354080 Of the splogs that have scraped my sites, well over half have been (random letters).blogspot.com. That might be GoogleAlerts being biased towards google's sites, but I know the trust of blogspot blogs has been compromised. Of the splogs that have scraped my sites, well over half have been (random letters).blogspot.com. That might be GoogleAlerts being biased towards google’s sites, but I know the trust of blogspot blogs has been compromised.

]]> By: TourPro http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-353957 TourPro Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:19:42 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353957 I use the feed from Google blog search, be these days the results are mostly junk.  I continue to subscribe because of the necessity of monitoring my niche, you know, just in case it captures some nugget missed elsewhere. I had <a title="Skip Blogspot and Blogger" href="http://www.adirondackbasecamp.com/2007/05/blogspot-blogger/" rel="nofollow">my own theory</a> about their reluctance to 'do' something.  In revisiting some searches, I now see far less junk, but it still appears prominently.  I've lost a lot of faith in the blog search feature in terms of both quality or relevant results. I use the feed from Google blog search, be these days the results are mostly junk.  I continue to subscribe because of the necessity of monitoring my niche, you know, just in case it captures some nugget missed elsewhere.

I had my own theory about their reluctance to ‘do’ something.  In revisiting some searches, I now see far less junk, but it still appears prominently.  I’ve lost a lot of faith in the blog search feature in terms of both quality or relevant results.

]]> By: Anne Helmond http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-353956 Anne Helmond Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:19:41 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353956 "Next blog" has always been a great service from Blogger for both blog readers and blog researchers. It offers the possibility of selecting a fairly random selection of blogs but with the increasing amount of spam this 'method' has become impossible to work with. Except of course, if you are studying the phenomenon of splogs. Google is definitely hurting it's own index and value by letting sploggers penetrate it. “Next blog” has always been a great service from Blogger for both blog readers and blog researchers. It offers the possibility of selecting a fairly random selection of blogs but with the increasing amount of spam this ‘method’ has become impossible to work with. Except of course, if you are studying the phenomenon of splogs.

Google is definitely hurting it’s own index and value by letting sploggers penetrate it.

]]> By: Todd Jordan http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-353706 Todd Jordan Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:48:38 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353706 Good read. Thanks for the reminder about this problem. I used to browse from blog to blog via the bar at the top, but gave up to to the splogs. ARGH. Anyway, you've been Dugg. Good read. Thanks for the reminder about this problem. I used to browse from blog to blog via the bar at the top, but gave up to to the splogs. ARGH.

Anyway, you’ve been Dugg.

]]> By: Jeremy Steele http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-353681 Jeremy Steele Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:00:45 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353681 Ah yes, I forgot to mention the post about sony devices I wrote was only about 2 paragraphs long and had no incoming links. Ah yes, I forgot to mention the post about sony devices I wrote was only about 2 paragraphs long and had no incoming links.

]]> By: Jeremy Steele http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-353680 Jeremy Steele Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:59:43 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353680 Yeah blogger is a bit.... uhg. It gives me a headache thinking about it. As Jonathan said, google dug itself a nice hole with it. Plus we all know they give blogspot an advantage in the rankings. Many years ago I ran a tech blog on there and wrote a post about sony devices, within (I'm not joking!) 2 hours it was ranked #2 for "sony device" on Google and stayed there for weeks. You wouldn't believe how often the thought of "can't blame the spammers" went through my head when that occurred. This was back in the day when I knew nothing about SEO, marketing, etc. It just happened. Yeah blogger is a bit…. uhg. It gives me a headache thinking about it. As Jonathan said, google dug itself a nice hole with it.

Plus we all know they give blogspot an advantage in the rankings. Many years ago I ran a tech blog on there and wrote a post about sony devices, within (I’m not joking!) 2 hours it was ranked #2 for “sony device” on Google and stayed there for weeks. You wouldn’t believe how often the thought of “can’t blame the spammers” went through my head when that occurred. This was back in the day when I knew nothing about SEO, marketing, etc. It just happened.

]]> By: Lorelle VanFossen http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-353644 Lorelle VanFossen Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:35:12 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353644 @<a href="http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353605" rel="nofollow">barbara</a>: Wonderful! Thank you. You're a better resource than Google. :D @barbara:

Wonderful! Thank you. You’re a better resource than Google. :D

]]> By: barbara http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-353605 barbara Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:06:55 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353605 In case you never did find out about the Charlotte woman who blogged, <a href="http://obits.courierpress.com/CourierPress/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=103437275" rel="nofollow">here is a copy of her obituary</a>. In case you never did find out about the Charlotte woman who blogged, here is a copy of her obituary.

]]> By: Stamford Talk http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-353498 Stamford Talk Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:57:37 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353498 I'm also glad to see an influential blog put in print the feelings that many of us bloggers share. I've had the same problem when browsing blogger, and I've even gotten SPAM EMAILS that link me to fake blogger blogs. Blogger should use the same flagging system that craigslist uses. I’m also glad to see an influential blog put in print the feelings that many of us bloggers share. I’ve had the same problem when browsing blogger, and I’ve even gotten SPAM EMAILS that link me to fake blogger blogs.
Blogger should use the same flagging system that craigslist uses.

]]> By: Jonathan Bailey http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-353384 Jonathan Bailey Fri, 22 Feb 2008 03:10:25 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353384 I'm hitting a point where I think that Google's lack of action on Blogspot is less a lack of will but a lack of ability. Google dug themselves a nice hole here. They created Blogspot and built it up around the notion that it was a free, powerful blogging service with both external APIs and Adsense integration. Great for people dipping their toe into the blogging world. The problem is that the formula was ripe for spammers. They made the critical mistake of ignoring the issue in the beginning and, now, are overwhelmed. How do you filter the wheat from the chaff when there is more garbage than treasure (to mix my metaphors perfectly). I think your proposal is a good one, letting users help. I would appreciate an easier DMCA procedure, especially for Blogspot, but I think the problem is too out of control for even that. Google is going to have to make drastic changes at Blogspot. They are going to have to ban Adsense ads and limit the API, for starters. Then they'll have to get a real CAPTCHA system, one that isn't hopelessly broken, and reduce or delay indexing of Blogspot blogs in their own search engine. If they do that and then enlist the help of users, they might clean up the service in a reasonable time frame. However, that would also drive away many of the legitimate users and cripple much of the appeal of Blogspot. Humbly, I feel Blogspot was a bad idea from the ground up and no amount of cleaning is going to change that. Compare Blogspot to non-commercial services such as WordPress and LiveJournal. They aren't perfect, but they certainly have less of an issue. The hull has been breached, I just don't now if Google is willing/able to make the sacrifices necessary to fill the hole... Great article and thank you for drawing attention to this! I feel like I've been screaming in the darkness about this for years. I’m hitting a point where I think that Google’s lack of action on Blogspot is less a lack of will but a lack of ability.

Google dug themselves a nice hole here.

They created Blogspot and built it up around the notion that it was a free, powerful blogging service with both external APIs and Adsense integration. Great for people dipping their toe into the blogging world.

The problem is that the formula was ripe for spammers. They made the critical mistake of ignoring the issue in the beginning and, now, are overwhelmed. How do you filter the wheat from the chaff when there is more garbage than treasure (to mix my metaphors perfectly).

I think your proposal is a good one, letting users help. I would appreciate an easier DMCA procedure, especially for Blogspot, but I think the problem is too out of control for even that.

Google is going to have to make drastic changes at Blogspot. They are going to have to ban Adsense ads and limit the API, for starters. Then they’ll have to get a real CAPTCHA system, one that isn’t hopelessly broken, and reduce or delay indexing of Blogspot blogs in their own search engine.

If they do that and then enlist the help of users, they might clean up the service in a reasonable time frame. However, that would also drive away many of the legitimate users and cripple much of the appeal of Blogspot.

Humbly, I feel Blogspot was a bad idea from the ground up and no amount of cleaning is going to change that.

Compare Blogspot to non-commercial services such as WordPress and LiveJournal. They aren’t perfect, but they certainly have less of an issue.

The hull has been breached, I just don’t now if Google is willing/able to make the sacrifices necessary to fill the hole…

Great article and thank you for drawing attention to this! I feel like I’ve been screaming in the darkness about this for years.

]]> By: GoingLikeSixty http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/comment-page-1/#comment-353371 GoingLikeSixty Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:29:00 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/21/google-clean-up-blogger-now/#comment-353371 I used to surf blogger by using their random "next" feature: no more. After 4 or 5 blogs I would hit a porn site that removed the blogger bar. I used to surf blogger by using their random “next” feature: no more. After 4 or 5 blogs I would hit a porn site that removed the blogger bar.

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