europeforvisitors - 3:46 pm on Aug 7, 2004 (gmt 0)

Google is the biggest scraper site of them all! Every keyword search on their site returns scraped content from other websites on the web and NO (ZERO, ZILCH) content, next to which they display adsense ads very prominently, should we report them too?

It's intellectually dishonest to equate Google with "scraper" sites. Google is a search engine that adds value to the Web for both users and publishers with its search results. In contrast, "scraper" sites are parasites that feed off the results of legitimate SEs while cluttering SERPs with pages of secondhand search results.

As far as AdSense is concerned, the argument that "scraper" sites are equivalent to Google is irrelevant, because the AdSense program policies explicitly forbid exclude "made for AdSense" sites. Publishers who place the AdSense code on such sites are in breach of contract, and Google would be justified in terminating their accounts even if "scraper" sites were inspired by God, blessed by the Pope, and sanctioned by the Sierra Club.

BTW contextual advertising means adverts that relate to the "context" of the page (as in theme). It does not neccessarily mean advertising next to "content" as some would have it.

It does in the case of AdSense, unless you're talking about the new "AdSense for search" spinoff. The main AdSense network is called "AdSense for content," and Google's descriptions and program policies make liberal use of the word "content." Before placing the AdSense code on questionable pages, you may want to review the Google AdSense FAQS, program policies, etc. at:

[google.com...]