> "Spammy" domains is a a smokescreen. The issue is lack of transparency and accountability of Google when it comes to penalizing domains. We should simple be a

> "Spammy" domains is a a smokescreen. The issue is lack of transparency and accountability of Google when it comes to penalizing domains. We should simple be able to check this, just like with any RBL. Completely agree. We bought a domain from a long-time competitor (it was our registered brand name we've had 12 years, but for another TLD) and were unable to check beforehand whether there was a Google penalty associated with it and whether the competitor wanted to part with it because we offered so much money or he had suffered from a penalty and needed to get rid of it. We just had to risk it anyway, for obvious reasons. The way Google keeps its data and methods secret helps it get away with weak heuristics and from many (not all) people gaming them, but it also hurts a lot of people with legitimate concerns.