korkus2000 - 12:04 am on Feb 5, 2003 (gmt 0)

Alan, how many sites have you had banned or penalized by Google or any other engine and the reason given was cloaking? It seems that people in this thread have been penalized and banned for cloaking by using "techniques" that you don't consider cloaking. I think if we are trying to come up with a basic definition that beginners can follow without confusion, then we need to add these "techniques" that you don't consider cloaking. If it is detrimental to their web site's health, then don't mislead them.

For most of us here, we are not beginners. I know several people in this thread who have a PR0 and/or banned sites to prove they are graduates from the school of hard knocks. With most issues, there is no easy answer.

I just get the feeling you have a hidden agenda here. Why are you and Jill taking on the world about a definition? We can either agree that the search engines make the definition by how they enforce their rules, notice I didn't say by what they publish on their site, or what is the common usage among the people who use the word. If we are doing something else we are trying to call a stick a rock again. ;)