httpwebwitch - 8:57 pm on Feb 17, 2005 (gmt 0)

I agree that adding scum is evil. Let's look at the other side of the argument:

If Google made their own scummy browser and millions decided to use it, there is nothing we could do to stop them. The user decides what kind of browsing experience they want, and if that includes scum links applied to ISBN#s and e-commerce keywords, then that user has the right to view the web in that way.

If Google hacked my server and added links to my outgoing HTTP data, that would be criminal. But making a browsing tool that changes the experience of the media without altering the media itself - that's just a user preference.

I create pages and send them with good intentions to the user - what the user does with it when it arrives is beyond my control. That is the way it ought to be.

For instance, I might add lots of popups and plugins to my page. If the user blocks those, am I being unreasonable to complain about it? The user might choose to view my pages with CSS turned off. Should I be annoyed by their choice to do that?

Arguments like those are not valid.
Integrity of intellectual media is protected by copyright law. The protection of integrity includes changing the context of media to something unintended by the author.

By putting my written text into the context of a hyperlink, Google risks libel.

For instance, I used to webmaster a health and wellness site about pelvic health and incontinence, that ranked well for the word "#*$!" (filtered word = a part of the male anatomy). You can imagine the kind of requests we got from automated link requesters for that term. If Google started putting unsolicited hyperlinks around certain words on that site, lawyers would soon be knocking on doors in Mountain View, CA.

When the googlebar starts scumming websites with paid links, I can anticipate the first roar of dissent will come from WMs, publishers and e-commerce business. Will the public be offended enough to uninstall the Googlebar?

Scumware links present copyright and legal issues. I'm astounded that Google would try this, given the failure of MS to do the same thing not-too-many years ago. If G tries to get away with it, it is up to us web professionals to make as much noise as possible to fight it.

Let's see if my opinion changes when I actually see it in action

[edited by: httpwebwitch at 9:38 pm (utc) on Feb. 17, 2005]