04 September 2002

Google branded 'undemocratic'

The webmaster of www.namebase.org - a warts and all database of quotations and citations of the 'great and good' - has whipped up a storm in the SEO community by declaring Googles PageRank algorithm "uniquely tyrannical".

Daniel Brandt, the self-styled 'Mr. Anti-Google' has good pedigree with his previous campaigns about online rights; earlier this year he persuaded the CIA to change its policy on cookies.

His latest campaign is to persuade Google to drop its PageRank technology and its policy using cookies to maintain a 'profile' of the search terms users have used previously.

While many agree that his concerns about the influence Google has on the web have some merit, most believe his arguments are somewhat undermined by a personal axe to grind - Google just so happens to give his own site www.namebase.org a poor PageRank.

Others simply think he misunderstands how PageRank works. Certainly, the irony of the ultimate anti-authoriatarian start-up (legend has it the Grateful Deads chef now works in Googles kitchens) being critisised for being 'discriminating' and 'favoring the establishment' has not been lost on many observers.



For a more in depth examination of this story, please see:

http://www.salon.com / tech / feature / 2002 / 08 / 29 / google_watch / index.html

and for more comments on the issues raised, see:

http://www.webmasterworld.com / forum3 / 5120.htm

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