I was checking out a few of Google’s recent patent applications, and I inadvertently made a startling discovery: evil. That’s right…we’ve all heard the Google motto, “Don’t be evil,” but apparently that doesn’t stop them from incorporating evil into their technology or making it accessible to evil users, as is clearly depicted in the following document:
United States Patent Application 20090327855
Annotating Webpage Content
To be honest, I didn’t even read this patent thoroughly. I just skimmed through it…searching for SEO-related gems. It looked to me like a patent for Google Sidewiki, although it never actually mentioned that name. It did, however, mention the ability to annotate web pages and how to use the Google Toolbar to fetch any annotations that are stored remotely for that given web page. Since Sidewiki has no implications for SEO, I mostly just looked at the diagrams (which I cannot stress enough how helpful they are for understanding patents). Some of the diagrams represent users with a crude stick man (who apparently rides horses a lot), and all of the stick men look like pretty decent people:
But then when you get to Figure 9, you find a stick man who obviously has evil intentions, as is indicated by his black eyes:
So the question is…why did Google draw only this one user with solid black eyes? Does Google think all laptop users are evil? Is this user actually an alien, researching our solar system in preparation for enslaving mankind? Is Google trying to corner the intergalactic online ad-serving market? It’s too hard to say at this point. The only thing we know for sure…is that this post was totally useless.
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Heeeeeey Darren!
Indeed, it is totally useless, but fun anyway.
It’s been a while since I was entertained by your crass, crude, but totally correct and worringly addictive input on the SEOmoz website so I thought i’d check out what you’re up to these days.
Glad to see you’re alive and kicking somewhere out there. Still doing the SEO freelance work?
Yo Mintyman!
What do you mean it’s been awhile? I was over there being crass, crude, and totally correct just last week! Maybe you didn’t recognize me? :P
I’m still doing the freelance SEO thing. Just enough to pay the bills…then I spend the other 99% of my time working on this website and a few others (and bothering the SEO industry peeps, of course).
So how’s the semiconductor directory doing? I see you’re on page 1 for semiconductors…but only when I set my Google results to 100 per page. ;)
Just read your comment – well executed as usual. Even if your avatar wasn’t there, i’d know straight away it was your handiwork. I’m just used to seeing you under the guise of, errrr…yourself.
The directory is doing great. Traffic is up almost 500% since this time last year so i’m pretty pleased (but want more). I’m considering writing up a ‘Part 2′ to my old YOUmoz post to show people it wasn’t all a big fluke and hopefully teach the noobs some real world lessons.
As for my rankings…….being placed for plain old ‘semiconductors’ doesn’t interest me. Instead, check out semiconductor directory or semiconductor conference.
As soon as I can afford some SEO services, i’ll be headed your way.
Very nice. I’d have a hard time improving those rankings. :)
As I was leaving my previous comment, I tried to nofollow the first link, but not the second. I then realized that I don’t have that kind of control, due to a WP plugin I’m using. So…the rest of my afternoon will probably be spent trying to tweak the plugin code to get it to do what I want. *sigh…
Glad i’ve given you some real work to be getting on with! I look forward to being rid of your nofollow shackles :)
The one in black eyes represents the one that already has the [evil] Google toolbar/desktop application installed without his knowledge on his Dell laptop while the mobile phone is still spyware free [for now].
Hahaha, he the devil yo
That was a joke comment by the way.
Great post :-D
It made me smile.
lol…I can’t believe you just did that to me. Oh…great comment over at SEOmoz about the nofollow experiment. I must say though…dude, you have some serious rage :)
Okay here goes…
I know there’s a bit of a buzz at the moment with Jobs saying the “don’t be evil” mantra being shit but here’s some more.
I have a real beef with Google’s autosuggest when it comes to doing a search. I complained to Google (amazingly via phone) recently about some of the autosuggests in the “how to…” category. A search for “how to f…” for example looking for “how to find a postcode” immediately brought up how to “finger your girlfriend”. Not the answer a kid would want when doing his homework! As I said, I complained directly to the Google Press Office and true to their “don’t be evil” policy this disappeared within hours. They also removed an image search autosuggest when I was looking for an image of a bath which autosuggested “bathing girls without clothes”. 1-0 Google versus evil. Human interaction was great but I did approach their Public Relations Head and in the post China debacle I think they were keen to react.
HOWEVER when I said thanks for straying from the darkside and that they review all their “How to…” entries they were less forthcoming and sent me down the “official” route. “How to l (ick) someone out” and “How to b(e) anorexic” are still there and the “official” route does not work. Evil is appearing and the score is level at 1-1.
“How to…” has to be one of the biggest searches going on out there surely?
The official route is not responding, I’m beginning to think it may be 2-1 to evil unless Google get their act together.
Hi Darren,
Thanks for making me laugh every time with your humorous take on all things SEO.
If I link to your website is there anchor text you would like me to use?
Mike
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the comment. If you link to my site, feel free to use whatever anchor text makes sense. Most people use
World's Greatest SEOorSEO Mofofor the home page. It’s your call; I’m easy.Darren