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Google Goes After Content Farms

Posted by Soulskill on from the cleaning-up-the-e-streets dept.

RedEaredSlider writes "Aimed at stripping search results of pages from 'low-quality' sites, a new Google Chrome extension allows users to block specified websites from appearing in search results. The names of these sites are then sent to Google, which will study the collected results and use them to determine future page ranking systems. Google principal engineer Matt Cutts wrote in a post on the Google blog that the company hopes the extension will improve the quality of search results. The company has been the target of criticism in recent months, much of which centered around the effect that content farms were having on searches."

7 of 345 comments (clear)

  1. Firefox Extension Needed! by dch24 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Dear Google,

    Please port this to Firefox.

    Sincerely,
    The rest of the browser market

    1. Re:Firefox Extension Needed! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      perhaps the description for that script is lacking...BUT it doesn't report the sites you block back to google--which is the best frickin point of this extension!!!

    2. Re:Firefox Extension Needed! by Shadow+of+Eternity · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Dear Google,

      Please stop fucking with my search results. When I type something in the search box I want you to search for exactly that and suggest possible typos. I don't want you to search for what I DIDN'T type, I don't want you to combine it with my previous results, I don't want you to assume I must have meant something else and search for some other word entirely because you THINK it's the same thing.

      Sincerely,
      Everyone who's sick of searching for one thing and having something totally different returned.

      --
      A bullet may have your name on it but splash damage is addressed "To whom it may concern."
  2. Here's to hoping Expert's Exchange is among them by Zilvreen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I can't begin to express how aggravating it is to google a programming issue, and have the top five results all link to the same page with the same paywalled answers.

  3. Paywall sites are going to be hit pretty hard by ZackSchil · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Users who run into paywalls are going to pretty quickly add these sites to the filters, since the results are technically useless even if the content locked away is high-quality. This does not bode well for sites like Experts-Exchange or America's Test Kitchen.

    1. Re:Paywall sites are going to be hit pretty hard by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 5, Insightful

      if a site serves different content to people than to spiders

      If a site does that, why should it be listed at all? That's straight down the line spammery, as far as I can see.

  4. No plugin, just extend what you have already. by clintp · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Dear Google,

    Screw the plugin.

        1. Give me a "search preference" where I can say "never this site in my results." You track my "safe search" and other preferences, just add this one.
        2. Along with the star, preview, cached, etc... buttons in the results, give me a "this site's results are shit" button. A turd icon would do nicely.
        3. Extend your search keywords to add "nosite". i.e. nosite:experts-exchange.com

    All of these you could track and adjust your algorithms based on trends of "real life" searchers who utilize these features.

    Sincerely,
    Me

    --
    Get off my lawn.