Some interesting announcements by Google, coupled with a foray I’ve been having with a Dmoz editor, has brought a number of privacy questions to light regarding the internet giant. For example, Feedburner is now offering all sorts of free tools that used to be paid. This comes after the purchase of Feedburner by Google. Google also provides tons of free Webmaster tools including Analytics and Webmasters. (At the end of this article I give some tips (useful I swear) on How to Get on as a Dmoz Editor.
The question I have is this: how far or to what extent are these items connected to heighten competitive advantage of Google? Certainly their data mining opportunities are in full-swing, so to what extent is Analytics information connected with Feedburner information and at what point does this information factor into ranking placements.
Even Dmoz Has Extensive Lookup Powers?
Don’t believe me Google can see FAR more than what they let on. Take for instance Dmoz, the world’s largest and most inefficient human edited/controlled directory. I was having a go with one of the editors because I was denied for the second time to help out a category that badly needed help. One of the issue was my refusal to make declarations of web site affiliates (I really didn’t want to list this one, plus it was completely off-topic (but perhaps rules are rules, yet another reason why Dmoz sucks)).
What absolutely shocked me (apart from the condescending editor) was this statement (unedited for your viewing pleasure):
We appear to be at an impasse, then. *We* know that you have affiliations. If you refuse to admit that and declare them, then there’s not a whole lot else to say, is there.
What’s that?! Let’s check it out one more time in slow mo:
We appear to be at an impasse, then. *We* know that you have affiliations. …
Wow, you do, how so? You tracking IPs? Do the puny human editors over at Dmoz have this much power? Or maybe I’m just missing some obvious thing. A bit shocking, brings up questions, and certainly shows that Google is not Google but big brother whether you like it or not.
I’m interested in your thoughts, we all know that Google will/does use all their data sources, but to what extent does their grasp go?
EditAfter some thought and chats with other Dmoz editors I have a couple of things to add. Firstly, I HAVE made declarations in the past (which appears to be the major hurdle in editing another category.) However, when I made declarations I was denied editor status. Dmoz must still have that information from the second time I submitted to a unrelated category (I think it’s a different login name). That would explain the ‘WE* know’ comment.
Conclusion: How to Get Listed as a Dmoz Editor
- Simply waste your time in a dead directory that really serves no useful purpose online (especially with great SERP results).
- Make web site affiliation declarations.
- Do lots of work in your category to get ‘edit points’.
- Be nice to the kingpin in your main category.
[tags]dmoz, google big brother, google search, dmoz editors, google tools, google privacy[/tags]