Are Pandalized websites prohibited from using Google AdWords?

[Shatner]

[seobook.com...]

Summary... a webmaster who was Pandalized tried to purchase AdWords, was barred from doing so because he was told his content wasn't original. As evidence Adsense points him to scraper sites stealing his content.

Any other Pandalized webmasters experiencing something similar? This seems like utter madness.

[walkman]

This is his Google Support thread (previous links to this have been fine since it's official G. I hope it's OK now) [google.com...]

Not a word from Google in that forum. So many lives hurt or destroyed by a careless and arrogant Google.

[Shatner]

On a slightly related note... could this be a clue that having a heavily scraped site really could have something to do with being Pandalized? I know that Adsense and the search team don't work together, but it seems clear that their corporate culture is one of unawareness/indifference to content theft.

[koan]

Scraper sites ranking higher than the original pandalized site... it goes to show how Panda penalizes even more harshly decent sites with some quality problems than spam filters penalizes trash sites that just steal content.

[dstiles]

1. Prevent scraping of your site. This is, I would have thought, essential even without panda.

2. Do not use adsense. If you must use adverts, find a more responsible source.

3. Do not use google search except for research.

4. Turn off javascript and cookies for google wherever/whenever possible if you have to use them.

5. Tell all your friends to use a different search engine - almost any will do.

Apropos which, my default search engine startpage/ixquick is now using google: time to find a new engine.

[browsee]

There is a related article in WashingtonPost

[washingtontimes.com...]

Google Inc.’s “Don’t Be Evil” slogan is seductive but misleading. It is the lowest business ethics standard ever devised, excusing everything Google does short of evil. Google isn’t evil - but neither is it ethical.

[tangor]

This is the telling quote from the above article:

Google’s unprecedented centralization of power over the world’s information is corrupting the Internet. It is leading us to a future in which there is little competition, privacy and incentive for creativity and innovation. Allowing one company to organize the world’s information is a terrible idea that can only lead to a soft totalitarianism.

[tedster]

There is a related article in WashingtonPost

Note - that article is not in the Washington Post but in the Washington Times. That's a very different news source.

[walkman]

Yep, I have a feeling that the wheels can be greased to get an OPED on Wash Times. I have followed a certain international event and a certain paid lobbyist always manages to write what he wants and quite often.

[koan]

Note - that article is not in the Washington Post but in the Washington Times. That's a very different news source.

Yeah, the Washington Times does not equate the Washington Post at all in terms of quality and reputation. I though the article was on the ranting side myself, like throwing everything it can find on Google with little discernment. I'm as pissed with Google as the next pandalized webmaster, but this was too much.

[tangor]

the Washington Times does not equate the Washington Post

Depends on which side of the fence one is sitting. :)

What I found interesting in the list of Do No Evil Evils that has been done is how accurate it was.

[tedster]

This thread has a title "Are Pandalized websites prohibited from using Google Adwords?" However, except for the opening post there is no one talking about that question.

The Washington Times story only mentions Adwords once, and that metniont also does not address the question asked here:

Google urges everyone else to adopt open systems, but Google’s search engine and AdWords auction system are closed.

So I'm locking this thread for now. If anyone has input about the question, just drop me a message through our private "StickyMail" system and I'll open up the thread.