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Relevant links: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/93713?hl=en https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/93713?hl=en https://www.google.com/webma

Relevant links: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/93713?hl=en https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/93713?hl=en https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/spamreport https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/spamreport Obviously a top post on HN gets you more attention, and shames Google but for others, Googles does have a process in place. Note: I have never used the process, an cannot vouch for it's legitimacy.

luckylion 7y ago
I've used it multiple times, never got a reply or saw a change. I believe it's mostly like the thumbs-down for comments on YouTube: the user feels like they did something but it has no actual meaning.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- josefresco 7y ago
  My theory? You can't automate the analysis of these reports (if they could, why didn't they catch it in the first place) so it basically goes into a "black hole" never to be addressed. I only base this wacky, baseless theory on Google's overall obsession with automation, which of course keeps staff low and profits high.
  - luckylion 7y ago
    Yeah, it certainly seems that way. It feels like you'll have a better chance "reporting" to Google by going viral on Twitter, HN etc, than by actually reporting it to Google.
- jacurtis 7y ago
  Ironically, giving a thumbs down on a YouTube video actually helps its' organic rating within the site. As far as I am aware, they basically add both upvotes and downvotes together to show total votes and rank it on engagement based on the total number. I know this from my own videos. Some of my best ranking organic videos are videos that have the most downvotes.
  - luckylion 7y ago
    I was talking about the thumbs down for comments, not videos. I believe you're right that they rank videos for engagement, which can be both positive or negative.
- brianpgordon 7y ago
  I think of it like sending a Windows app crash report to Microsoft. There's almost no possibility that anyone looks at any given problem, but if a million other people submit the exact same crash then maybe it'll show up at the top of some list and get some attention.
threeseed 7y ago
Google's process goes nowhere and I can vouch having submitted dozens of links. Classic example is that websites can set the rating and number of reviews themselves even if it is completely fraudulent e.g. "melbourne cheap movers". Does Google care ? Nope.
netsharc 7y ago
> Obviously a top post on HN gets you more attention Yeah, it seems this is what tech people do nowadays (the other day there was a HN post from a company who got banned from PayPal after 12 years...). It's a bit like publicly tweeting a complaint and mentioning the offending company's Twitter handle, so it seems "social media shaming" has reached HN too.
- bluetidepro 7y ago
  > reached Sorry to tell you this, but it's been on HN for awhile now. I remember seeing it back when I signed up in 2012. It's always been a good site to get more exposure to certain tech problems.

luckylion 7y ago

I've used it multiple times, never got a reply or saw a change. I believe it's mostly like the thumbs-down for comments on YouTube: the user feels like they did something but it has no actual meaning.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
josefresco 7y ago
My theory? You can't automate the analysis of these reports (if they could, why didn't they catch it in the first place) so it basically goes into a "black hole" never to be addressed. I only base this wacky, baseless theory on Google's overall obsession with automation, which of course keeps staff low and profits high.
- luckylion 7y ago
  Yeah, it certainly seems that way. It feels like you'll have a better chance "reporting" to Google by going viral on Twitter, HN etc, than by actually reporting it to Google.
jacurtis 7y ago
Ironically, giving a thumbs down on a YouTube video actually helps its' organic rating within the site. As far as I am aware, they basically add both upvotes and downvotes together to show total votes and rank it on engagement based on the total number. I know this from my own videos. Some of my best ranking organic videos are videos that have the most downvotes.
- luckylion 7y ago
  I was talking about the thumbs down for comments, not videos. I believe you're right that they rank videos for engagement, which can be both positive or negative.
brianpgordon 7y ago
I think of it like sending a Windows app crash report to Microsoft. There's almost no possibility that anyone looks at any given problem, but if a million other people submit the exact same crash then maybe it'll show up at the top of some list and get some attention.

threeseed 7y ago

Google's process goes nowhere and I can vouch having submitted dozens of links. Classic example is that websites can set the rating and number of reviews themselves even if it is completely fraudulent e.g. "melbourne cheap movers". Does Google care ? Nope.

netsharc 7y ago

> Obviously a top post on HN gets you more attention Yeah, it seems this is what tech people do nowadays (the other day there was a HN post from a company who got banned from PayPal after 12 years...). It's a bit like publicly tweeting a complaint and mentioning the offending company's Twitter handle, so it seems "social media shaming" has reached HN too.

bluetidepro 7y ago
> reached Sorry to tell you this, but it's been on HN for awhile now. I remember seeing it back when I signed up in 2012. It's always been a good site to get more exposure to certain tech problems.