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There is already a place for totally free-form user-defined data: web sites. This team is free to buy a domain, do SEO on it and put whatever they want there. I
by bootlooped 6y ago
There is already a place for totally free-form user-defined data: web sites. This team is free to buy a domain, do SEO on it and put whatever they want there. It certainly is Google's issue when it's their database of business listings and related info.
- gumby 6y agoI think this case demonstrates that it’s foolish for G to try to decide how businesses should represent themselves if their objective is to maintain a useful database. It’s like having an address database and requiring that each address has a number and street. We have a post on that on HN every six months or so, and I’m glad for it. Software is supposed to be designed for humans; humans shouldn’t have to contort themselves for the sake of software.
- bootlooped 6y agoWhy does that demonstrate it's foolish? I think the only thing it demonstrates objectively is that Google's business listings restrictions don't satisfy 100% of people, but there is no configuration of this service that would please 100% of people, including the configuration where there are no restrictions at all. This is a useful service because it organizes data, and enforces some data quality restrictions (no duplicates, no keyword-stuffing), not in spite of it. This doesn't prove that people are having to contort themselves for software any more than that would be proved by Amazon not letting me list a ceiling fan in the video games category.