Are You Google's Whore?

I will try to keep this PG but this post does have some references that make me feel uncomfortable.

Is Google Your Pimp?

Are you just a prostitute doing what Google tells you to do?

One of the things that attracted me to making money online was freedom.

Freedom to find something I enjoyed and make money doing it. Seems simple enough. I just had to do something and find someone willing to pay someway for doing it. Freedom. I think this dream is dead. If not dead, it needs some serious help fast.

The recent Google-slap reeks of racketeering.

Google is specifically threatening sites that are using ads that compete against them. Not much better than a gang threatening a local shop. "You will deal with us, or we will drive your customers away." I no lawyer, but that sure seems like what is going on. It seems like racketeering to me.

Reader benefit, my foot.

An AdSense linkbar looks just like a column of Text Link Ads. The linkbar provides no more benefit to the reader. The difference is Google makes the money. You make less.

There have been many bloggers who have stated rumors that the recent pagerank slap was targeted at sites selling links.

In fact, many sites whored themselves and got rid of the links and were given back their PR (at a loss of income to the site). I think it shows how Google owns them.

Just like the relationship between a pimp and a prostitute.

The pimp tells the whore what to do. She has no choice. She disobeys – SLAP! When she does what he tells her, she gives him the money.

Mike at 20 Steps used a term "nofollow condom" in a comment on Courtney Tuttle's blog.

Mike also mentioned in the comment:

"that if you’re running a link campaign in the New Year without wearing your Big G prophylactic (ribbed for their pleasure, incidentally)"

I think this is a very good description of the situation and the analogy fits the theme of this post so I am including it.

Notice how all the big blogs did what Google told them and now they are happy?

SLAP!

"Please don't hit me again, I do whatever you want."

Owned.

Yeah, after all those posts on how PageRank doesn't really matter. They put the condom on for whoever Google says to put it on.

The trouble is, the rest of us are going to have to bend over and take it from Google also.

We have found ourselves suddenly without anyone to help us get off the street. No one to turn to. Stuck living the life of a prostitute. If the blogs and sites that have a large readership built already cannot stand up to Google, we the smaller siblings that are with them will just be prostituted along with them. Just realize the smaller ones get abused worse. We have no choice.

I really would like to work with Google.

It would be nice to be treated like a partner. To be respected. To have my freedom to find sponsors that will pay me and decide if I want to work with them. It looks like I will be forced to follow the herd into slavery instead.

But.

Google, I resent the fact that you are telling me who to work with and who to link to and how to link. Google, your treatment of both advertisers and publishers has often gotten the term "slap" and for good reason. While it is great to say you are concerned about reader experience, you need to consider the experience of those who deal directly with you also.

Google, I am not your whore.

Don't treat me like one.