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I'm not impressed with the search engine though. I typed in my search term and the top 7 results where completly unrelavant.
Chris
i typed SEO in and go no results back
Looks like it is spam-free then ;)
Going out on a bit of a plank if they say that.
Volunteer editors are notoriously difficult to control.
A statement of content about the directory that is either very brave or very foolish!
Yes, continued to worry about that statement, as it is (virtually) impossible to guarantee.
I looked at their top level accommodations page - of 13 sites 2 are mirrors and (at least) one an affiliate
The top level hotels page (19 sites listed) has at least 3 affiliate sites.
That was on taking a brief look at GoGuides.
IMO they should consider changing the "spam free web search" to perhaps something that is easier to guarantee with volunteer editors at work!
The search engine is still a little bit hit and miss, but we are told that the people in the know are working on it.
Volunteer edited directories will aways have their problems I guess. I have brought it up that it isnt a 100% spam free directory before and I never heard anything back about it :(
Craig
Good marketing.
What an excellent job they've done of ripping off Google's design.
Can't believe they used exact same raised font, look at the lower case "g" & compare to Google.
Goguides ran a contest sometime back for designing its logo. The winner was promised free advertising.
very bottom of the page "Graphic design by Eden Creations", heck I could have done a better job copying the Google homepage for that free ad.
Guess goguides are aiming for Google's directory/DMOZ slot. Guess I would be too.
Must be the only one on the planet :)
There is value in listing on smaller directories such as this and as with any voluteer edited directory there will always be this and that to gripe about. Better to get in there and assist, I say :)
The point I was making was not about this or that bit of spam in GoGuides, but the fact that is they claim to be "Spam Free" as their main slogan, then it is a claim that they cannot possibly live up to :(
I went to a page at random (well a page that I knew would be a test of "spam free" or otherwise), and the directory failed the test.
I tried a second page that was likely to contain spam, and lo and behold it did.
It is not a rigorous statistical test, but the same pages on DMOZ do not have as much spam!
I think it would be almost impossible to be totally SPAM free as sites change and things slip in etc. I know with a small regional directory I help with it is very, very hard work to keep on top of, that is why shooting off an e-mail to the spam people is always a great idea. Helping to keep the Internet a better place is a community effort.
Anyone fancie making a robot that only fetches dodgy site and then sends it to Google :)
I think that same as all directories :)
Craig
Maybe dmoz definition of spam and goguides definition of spam are different in some degree? I know goguides considers porn as being spam where dmoz will list those kinds of sites.
>>the google look alike logo is in rather poor taste
So any site that uses raised font in their logo better watch out. pleazeeeeee :)
In referance to the logo - I always think being unique and as different as possible from anything that is well branded is the best way to go. (just my opinion really)
Adding: it is not the *same* font, but I just think it is a little too close in "look and feel" making it not *special*
[edited by: excell at 2:54 pm (utc) on May 11, 2003]
Same here, but look what you get if you click under "Webmaster Resources," complete with a "Good tips from Google" link. Guess original content and design is not a priority at goguides, surprised they don't have a Mother's Day logo.
GoG is staking out a marketing position nothing more. I think a forum full of "Internet Marketers" can cut them some slack on the _absolute_ truth in advertising claims. :) LOL, my laundry detergent has been "new and improved" every year since I was a kid. It ought to be able to eat the paint off a battleship just by holding up the bottle by now.
I'm sure they are trying very hard to keep spam out and that many searchers might notice that it does have less spam than some other search engines might.
