Hmmmm..... They spend a bit of time discussing how Google's PR is unreliable (which may be true), but then they use Alexa's ranking as a better alternative?
I thought this message would have fired up a few of the "Google Haters" out there. It's kind of funny how the images that it says are not on Google, in fact are there. They may not appear in Google's news, but it is customary in all news in America not to show extremely graphic pictures. However they do has a link to http://www.scroogle.org and their interesting screen scraper. I would love to do something with this...
IIRC, Daniel Brant owns both google-watch.org and scroogle.org. He posts as Kackle on some SEO forums.
That's because we already have another thread going on the topic here in the Google forum. There's also a very lengthy one I've been participating in here at WebProWorld. Daniel Brandt actually showed up in that thread. ThinkBling, before you try that scraper, see my post here -- despite Brandt's claims, you are exposing your IP if you use it.
There was a time when they had the scraper that I used do discover my search rankings within the top 100 of Google. The fact that it was via proxy always made me feel better as well. It is an interesting read that site, but I think it is nothing more than a scorned ex-Google employee with a little more knowledge than they should have.
You know what struck me as odd about the whole cookie thing, what if Google was storing a duplicate copy of the cookie on their end.... I think I just blew Brandt's mind....
No matter how good of a job you do at something, there will always be some soulless weasel to come along and complain.
The more you attack DB, the more his message gets exposed, so you play into the marketing by getting upset about it. DB is no dummy, it does not matter if you agree with him or not, he does have great insight and provides intelligence that some agree with and some don't because of undying love for Google. Fact is that Google is a data mining company that competes with companies like ChoicePoint and there are privacy concerns to be addressed with any company that data mines consumer and business records and resells that information. DB is not the only one writing about data privacy, see this ABC news story. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story?id=424002&page=1 They just did a show on this issue tonight.
Brandt does not have great insight. What he has is great paranoia and narcissistic grandiosity. He's a petulant spoiled child who couldn't bully Google into ranking his site #1. And in retaliation, after endless misguided and misinformed rants against Google, he is now resorting to theft: theft of services (Googles SERPs) and theft of potential advertising revenue (blocking Google ads with his scraper). As for his supposed intelligence, he couldn't even get his Google hack right. He claims But Chris Ridings points out that Brandt is He's no better than a self-centered self-serving kiddie virus writer. Don't glorify pond scum. He may try to portray himself as a freedom fighter or something but he's merely a common vandal having a prolonged temper tantrum.
Does Google own the content they pull from your website or is that all fair use of copyrighted material Minstrel? This could make a great court case, but will Google file suit, I don't think so Minstrel, do you? The resulting publicity would in fact "Glorify your old friend DB" would it not Minstrel?
I'm not going to get into that "copyright" argument and search engines, AC -- I've stated my opinion more than once: I think the argument is ludicrous. As for Denial Brandt, I don't know if Google will sue him but they may well put a stop to his distribution of the scraper code. My guess is that what's stopping them is that it's only for Linux and there aren't enough people running that OS to worry Google. Brandt can think and do whatever he wishes. I only get incensed when he or someone else tries to portray him as some sort of crusader or humanitarian. He's neither.
So Google should have no critics and should operate with impunity No company does and business is not a fair world, there are many organizations engaged in all kinds of FUD in this industry traditionally as you well know, it will not come to an end anytime soon Minstrel. The thing that is amazing is how you support Microsoft and Google at the same time when they are arch enemies.
Please don't put words in my mouth and then refute them, Anthony. That's Mel's style and it's annoying. I've never said that anyone should be immune to criticism or scrutiny. Brandt is a narcisistic self-serving fraud who poses as a humanitarian protector of the abused and downtrodden and who manufactures issues to alarm people. That's my objection to him. What's surprising about that? I support what works. I also support Quicken over Money and my sites are hosted on a Linux/Apache server because I like the way it works.
How is it possible to do this Minstrel, on one hand you support an OS that is aiming to exclude Google from the search business by incorporating MSN search into a browserless search. Would you call this a monopoly (I do not put words in your mouth, you say I do)?