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Twitter is going to redirect users to a "logged out" page if they click on a tweet in search results and are not already logged in. How's that not cloaking and

by nubbee 12y ago

Twitter is going to redirect users to a "logged out" page if they click on a tweet in search results and are not already logged in. How's that not cloaking and against google' own guidelines?[1] Google wants to index tweets and Twitter wants to nip their growth stagnation in the butt. Two, otherwise fine companies, came to this half-arsed compromise that's solely based on fear of missing out rather than creating something that serves users. Or am I being too harsh here? [1] https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2604723?hl=en https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2604723?hl=en

blfr 12y ago
The logged-out page will presumably include the tweet shown in the search results in addition to ads and the sign-up nudge/nag.
will_brown 12y ago
This was actually my first thought...Google users clicking a result and not seeing the tweet? Twitter wanting to capture users, but making a users first impression of the service as a bait(content) and switch(create account) right from Google results? Maybe the way its executed it won't be a big deal. Maybe the entire tweet is available in the Google results, or the log in screen will not obscure the tweet. As to the cloaking issue, Google is entering a "partnership" so Twitter is not subject to the standard rules.
bobbles 12y ago
Well if 100% of the content of the tweet is listed as a search result, are you losing anything without having a twitter account?
- firebones 12y ago
  You'd lose the thread of @replies and conversation, and perhaps any embedded media in the tweet. You still wouldn't need an account, but you'd have to visit the site.
Pxtl 12y ago
I've found twitter is a terrible company for this - I get booted to a twitter login screen for way too many Twitter links online on my phone. Ironically I actually use the twitter app, I'm just not logged in in the web browser.
plorg 12y ago
I do not have a Twitter account, and even had I one my browser clears cookies every session. The current setup presents a page takeover login/register prompt on pretty much every inbound link (e.g. if one clicks on a link to an individual tweet from a news story or Facebook ). Contrary to the company's apparent strategy, this actually makes joining the service less desirous for me.
aragot 12y ago
I think the earthshaking point of the agreement is: Reputation. With Twitter info, Google will be able to determine who are the leaders in the world. As the founder of a small, bootstrapped product, I know that my competitors are able to leverage way more followers because they're large service companies with small products. I've benefited from good rankings on Google due to several factors that didn't depend on the size of my audience, such as doing my Q&A in public (on Atlassian Answers). If Google leverages Twitter's social graph, it will probably give a preference to the pages of the bigger company with more followers. Which is "a good thing" in the grand scheme of economics: People trust more the software of big companies than small ones, whether I like that or not.

by nubbee 12y ago

blfr 12y ago

The logged-out page will presumably include the tweet shown in the search results in addition to ads and the sign-up nudge/nag.

will_brown 12y ago

This was actually my first thought...Google users clicking a result and not seeing the tweet? Twitter wanting to capture users, but making a users first impression of the service as a bait(content) and switch(create account) right from Google results? Maybe the way its executed it won't be a big deal. Maybe the entire tweet is available in the Google results, or the log in screen will not obscure the tweet. As to the cloaking issue, Google is entering a "partnership" so Twitter is not subject to the standard rules.

bobbles 12y ago

Well if 100% of the content of the tweet is listed as a search result, are you losing anything without having a twitter account?

firebones 12y ago
You'd lose the thread of @replies and conversation, and perhaps any embedded media in the tweet. You still wouldn't need an account, but you'd have to visit the site.

Pxtl 12y ago

I've found twitter is a terrible company for this - I get booted to a twitter login screen for way too many Twitter links online on my phone. Ironically I actually use the twitter app, I'm just not logged in in the web browser.

plorg 12y ago

I do not have a Twitter account, and even had I one my browser clears cookies every session. The current setup presents a page takeover login/register prompt on pretty much every inbound link (e.g. if one clicks on a link to an individual tweet from a news story or Facebook ). Contrary to the company's apparent strategy, this actually makes joining the service less desirous for me.

aragot 12y ago

I think the earthshaking point of the agreement is: Reputation. With Twitter info, Google will be able to determine who are the leaders in the world. As the founder of a small, bootstrapped product, I know that my competitors are able to leverage way more followers because they're large service companies with small products. I've benefited from good rankings on Google due to several factors that didn't depend on the size of my audience, such as doing my Q&A in public (on Atlassian Answers). If Google leverages Twitter's social graph, it will probably give a preference to the pages of the bigger company with more followers. Which is "a good thing" in the grand scheme of economics: People trust more the software of big companies than small ones, whether I like that or not.