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The bigger issue for me here is that Google even has an Adsense For Domains program. This program essentially legitimizes domain-squatting by making it extremel
by seldo 17y ago
The bigger issue for me here is that Google even has an Adsense For Domains program. This program essentially legitimizes domain-squatting by making it extremely profitable. If Google were to withdraw support for domain-squatting (as it does on regular adsense) this parasitic industry would collapse overnight, leading to a measurable increase in the quality of search results for everyone.
Sadly, Google took the evil pill a few years ago.
- blhack 17y agoDomain squatting has been around for a lot longer than google for domains has.
- davidw 17y agoSo have many other unsavory industries; that doesn't mean that any one company needs to get into them. (Edit: I'm not arguing the OP's point that Google legitimizes the industry, simply that being in it is in some ways dubious. In case it wasn't clear.)
- joezydeco 17y agoYeah, I'm not convinced that Google departing this market would lead to it's demise. The void would just fill up with other advertisers chomping at the bit for that cash. That's probably why Google it still doing it.
- seldo 17y agoSaying "somebody else would sucker these chumps if I didn't" is not a moral defense for doing it. I'm not saying they're not within their rights to do so, I'm just saying it's not something a non-evil company would do.
- seldo 17y agoBut Google is by far the most profitable way of monetizing websites, because Google is placing ads from legitimate, reputable businesses on websites that are essentially fraudulent. If Google got out of the business, then squatters would have to use some smaller and less-scrupulous network to monetize the ads. That company would probably give them less money, both because it had fewer advertisers and because it would know they had few other options, so it could charge them higher rates. As a result, a whole bunch of these domains, which are only very marginally profitable right now (their owners rely on volume) would become unprofitable, and the industry would shrink, leading to a net decrease in domain squatting and a net increase in the density of useful information on the web. If Google cares about information instead of money -- and they claim they do -- then getting out of domain squatting is an obvious choice.
- axod 17y agoAs an advertiser, you're free to opt out of having your adverts displayed on parked domains.