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Google could fix that if they wanted to. I remember when Google used to push content developers to be better: no paywalls, no overlays, faster response times,

Google could fix that if they wanted to. I remember when Google used to push content developers to be better: no paywalls, no overlays, faster response times, no scammy ads, no content farms. Those days seem to be over. Google is constantly sending me to content behind paywalls and under pop up content.

ajross 7y ago
So you blame Google for paywalls and full screen ads on the pages... you demand they send you to in lieu of just hosting some content themselves? Seems like Google just can't win in that scenario. FWIW: I agree that for a long time, the need to rank highly in Google's searches pushed content sites to be a better experience. And the equilibrium we've reached isn't as nice as it was 10 years ago. I just don't think "because Google" really captures the complexity here.
- nostromo 7y ago
  Google's whole value proposition is sending me to the best place on the web for a given query -- so yes, when they don't do that it's frustrating. No, I don't blame them for hosting the content themselves for some queries. I never said that. Just as Amazon holds some responsibility when I purchase a counterfeit item on their platform, it behooves both companies to have higher quality standards -- and both have the market strength to do it.
skybrian 7y ago
I agree that paywalls seem more common. But the early web had plenty of popups and scummy ads. Popup blockers were added to browsers quite a long time ago. Content farms were huge before Google started kicking them out in 2011. Have they made a comeback? Google's latest attempt to keep the crap under control (AMP) is very unpopular on Hacker News, but I guess it shows they are trying to do something?
- TeMPOraL 7y ago
  > Content farms were huge before Google started kicking them out in 2011. Have they made a comeback? Have they not? Content marketing seems as alive as ever, if not more. > Google's latest attempt to keep the crap under control (AMP) is very unpopular on Hacker News, but I guess it shows they are trying to do something? Because we - myself and many of those other HNers disliking it - believe that with AMP, making web more performant and less crappy is only an excuse, and one that doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
  - skybrian 7y ago
    It's hard to tell since there is little in the news about them, but it seems like once, content farms were fast-growing businesses, and now they are bottom feeders? Or maybe they're just boring compared to all the other threats nowadays?

ajross 7y ago

So you blame Google for paywalls and full screen ads on the pages... you demand they send you to in lieu of just hosting some content themselves? Seems like Google just can't win in that scenario. FWIW: I agree that for a long time, the need to rank highly in Google's searches pushed content sites to be a better experience. And the equilibrium we've reached isn't as nice as it was 10 years ago. I just don't think "because Google" really captures the complexity here.

nostromo 7y ago
Google's whole value proposition is sending me to the best place on the web for a given query -- so yes, when they don't do that it's frustrating. No, I don't blame them for hosting the content themselves for some queries. I never said that. Just as Amazon holds some responsibility when I purchase a counterfeit item on their platform, it behooves both companies to have higher quality standards -- and both have the market strength to do it.

skybrian 7y ago

I agree that paywalls seem more common. But the early web had plenty of popups and scummy ads. Popup blockers were added to browsers quite a long time ago. Content farms were huge before Google started kicking them out in 2011. Have they made a comeback? Google's latest attempt to keep the crap under control (AMP) is very unpopular on Hacker News, but I guess it shows they are trying to do something?

TeMPOraL 7y ago
> Content farms were huge before Google started kicking them out in 2011. Have they made a comeback? Have they not? Content marketing seems as alive as ever, if not more. > Google's latest attempt to keep the crap under control (AMP) is very unpopular on Hacker News, but I guess it shows they are trying to do something? Because we - myself and many of those other HNers disliking it - believe that with AMP, making web more performant and less crappy is only an excuse, and one that doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
- skybrian 7y ago
  It's hard to tell since there is little in the news about them, but it seems like once, content farms were fast-growing businesses, and now they are bottom feeders? Or maybe they're just boring compared to all the other threats nowadays?