If I understand their argument correctly, when Google+ allowed you to specify who you Follow, and then Google Search started showing you results informed by the

If I understand their argument correctly, when Google+ allowed you to specify who you Follow, and then Google Search started showing you results informed by the things those people had +1'd, that's an example of Google "cheating their algorithm." So, instead, Google shouldn't let you search based on the recommendations from your friends and other people you trust...? I'm sorry, but this movement is wrong-headed. I like to see reviews based on my friends. The restaurants, movies, apps, products that they like and recommend. If there were an open and federated way for all users to express their recommendations, sure, we could yell at Google for not using THAT instead. But yelling at them they can't INVENT a system of recommendations, or use it in their search results, is a bad argument for me.