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It seems that not all of us were busy cheerleading Google for the launch of Chrome (see our entire coverage of Google Chrome here). Rae Hoffman meanwhile was busy writing about how Google has become for the web what Microsoft used to be for the desktop, a huge monster.
Apparently Google has forced Twitter into using no follow on all links on twitter profile pages, just because Google is unable to identify spam profiles from genuine ones. Another interesting thing that Miss Hoffman points is that while all of us are deprived of our Google link juice just because Google can not figure out spam and Twitter can not prevent spam. The same argument has not stopped Twitter from using that link juice to promote itself on Google search pages. So technically if on some grounds we cant be given a credit, why on earth could twitter have that credit, if at all.
Some of Hoffman’s arguments are really powerful and worth repeating here:
If Google is the one who wants that web link no followed because some twitter profile pages may be automated bots or spammers, then it is time they realize that THEY are responsible for determining which of those individual pages is authoritative, trusted and legitimate enough to pass link popularity, by a method other than demanding that other web sites and social networks change the ways they do business to help Google stop links being used as a form of currency and to manipulate their algorithm - an issue Google and Google alone created and profited from.
If Evan Williams (twitter founder) truly feels he can’t trust his users, then why is he taking the link popularity I’ve built to my profile at Twitter and using it to help the core Twitter site in the search engines. Why aren’t all the links to Evan’s site (Twitter) no followed as well. He can trust my link popularity enough to use it for himself, but not enough to let me benefit from having developed it? That seems a little hypocritical to me.
Indeed it seems a little hypocritical to us too and a lot bossy on Google’s part to dictate everyone about what to do and what not to do. This has clearly transformed from a mere web guidelines by Google in to Web Policing.
[Image credit Cartoon Web]
Very bad news.
Yes indeed. I cant emphasize it more.
I’m glad they’ve done it actually, Twitter has been getting overrun with spam accounts set up by people looking to try and use Twitter to improve their SEO rankings.
Twitter wasn’t built to be a component of a link farm so I welcome this move, if you want to use Twitter as a marketing tool then use it to write some interesting comments, not just as somewhere to post some links. I’m actually surprised Twitter wasn’t set up to use nofollow in the first place!
I have to agree with Rick on appreciating the net effect of the “policing,” but they’ve gone about it the wrong way. Seems to me like they would work with Twitter on developing an amicable solution rather than dictating a change with their self-asserted authority.
I appreciate the net effect of the “policing,” but they’ve gone about it the wrong way. Seems to me like they would work with Twitter on developing an amicable solution rather than dictating a change with their self-asserted authority.