Filed under: Internet, Blogging, Google, Search
NSFW? No SEO for you!
My first thought is, "splog." Followed, as a close second, by, "threats of violence." In any event, it gives every indication that previous readers thought the site was problematic and flagged it.
Some readers of this blog have contacted Google because they believe this blog's content is objectionable. In general, Google does not review nor do we endorse the content of this or any blog. For more information about our content policies, please visit the Blogger Terms of Service
Well, that might be the case.
That is, in fact, the warning message that comes up after a user flags a blog via the little "Flag Blog" link in the top left part of the page.
But a few months ago, after being acquired by Google, Blogger introduced a feature whereby bloggers can designate their blogs as having adult content. All well and good, right? Not quite. Bloggers who dutifully complied with the new feature found that their visitors were being presented with the warning above.
I don't understand it. Come on, Google, if you insist on having a warning (to protect the children, clearly) what's so difficult about writing a custom message letting visitors know that the blogger marked the blog as adults-only, instead of recycling the "flagged" message?
And what's really baffling is that apparently, some tech-savvy folks don't think this is a problem at all. Digital Inspiration described the adult content feature as:
So by trying to be responsible and mark their blogs as adults-only, suddenly sex bloggers found themselves being tossed into the same bin as spammers and stalkers. It didn't just cost them potential visitors who may be confused or upset by the warning page; it also cost them potential visitors who suddenly couldn't find their blogs at all.
If you do a Google search for something in the actual content of an adult blog, the blog doesn't show up in the results. Whenever the blog shows up at all, the description is always, "Blogger Content Warning - Some readers of this blog have contacted Google ..." The only way I could actually find, via Google, some of the blogs that have the warning was to search for those words, rather than the actual content of the blog.
Unsurprisingly, many bloggers who write about sexuality are a bit peeved about being cast into the Google leper colony, and thus have removed Blogger's adult content designation in favor of posting their own custom notice at the top of their blog.
While Google definitely took a step in the right direction by not forbidding adult content altogether, they canceled out that step when they effectively ghettoized blogs that deal with sexuality. Those of us who have Blogspot blogs should put pressure on Google to complete that step in the right direction.
But a few months ago, after being acquired by Google, Blogger introduced a feature whereby bloggers can designate their blogs as having adult content. All well and good, right? Not quite. Bloggers who dutifully complied with the new feature found that their visitors were being presented with the warning above.
I don't understand it. Come on, Google, if you insist on having a warning (to protect the children, clearly) what's so difficult about writing a custom message letting visitors know that the blogger marked the blog as adults-only, instead of recycling the "flagged" message?
And what's really baffling is that apparently, some tech-savvy folks don't think this is a problem at all. Digital Inspiration described the adult content feature as:
Uh, yeah. That warning that Google already provides about harmful web sites? It's the same warning.
Good move that could save some embarrassing moments especially when you are browsing at a public place. Google already provides warnings about harmful websites that may appear in Google search results.
So by trying to be responsible and mark their blogs as adults-only, suddenly sex bloggers found themselves being tossed into the same bin as spammers and stalkers. It didn't just cost them potential visitors who may be confused or upset by the warning page; it also cost them potential visitors who suddenly couldn't find their blogs at all.
If you do a Google search for something in the actual content of an adult blog, the blog doesn't show up in the results. Whenever the blog shows up at all, the description is always, "Blogger Content Warning - Some readers of this blog have contacted Google ..." The only way I could actually find, via Google, some of the blogs that have the warning was to search for those words, rather than the actual content of the blog.
Unsurprisingly, many bloggers who write about sexuality are a bit peeved about being cast into the Google leper colony, and thus have removed Blogger's adult content designation in favor of posting their own custom notice at the top of their blog.
While Google definitely took a step in the right direction by not forbidding adult content altogether, they canceled out that step when they effectively ghettoized blogs that deal with sexuality. Those of us who have Blogspot blogs should put pressure on Google to complete that step in the right direction.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Todd said 12:57PM on 2-18-2008
I find the torrent of "Windows is the best operating system there is" comments made on the disproportionately high number of pro-Microsoft DLS posts, to be "NSFW". Can you guys start throwing a warning like Google's?
"WARNING: This post contains gratuitous zealotry written to talk up Microsoft's products..." :P
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Hylic said 11:15PM on 2-18-2008
/Sarcasm
Really If there's a bias at DLS i don't think it's towards Microsoft
scottix said 6:59PM on 2-18-2008
This happened to my sister's blog and it is about family stuff.
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Garrett Vonk said 10:12AM on 2-19-2008
It sounds to me like they're just too lazy to create a new warning message. Boo lazy Blogger admins!
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JayMonster said 12:51PM on 2-22-2008
I have found it curious (and it eventually caused me to give up on Blogger), that virtually every step Blogger has made since the acquisition by Google, has had some questionable piece to it that either had people up in arms, or required some sort of fix. Recently it was the whole switch over with OpenID, where you could only leave a link to your blog in comments if you had a Blogger account. They always (semi) quickly fix these "issues" but yet time and again, whether it be short-sighted planning, or a constant test to see what they can get away with, Blogger has continuously seemed to come up with things to annoy their users.
(BTW, what is with that confusing statement "a few month ago, after being acquired by Google" I mean Google acquired Blogger in 2002 (perhaps 2003 by the time it was completed) so I don't understand why that comment is there as it makes it seem like the two are related, which is clearly not the case)
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Amber Rhea said 12:55PM on 2-22-2008
Jay,
Well, you seem to suggest the two are related in the first graf of your comment.
Honestly I don't know if they're related or not. I just put that in there so people wouldn't get confused if they didn't know about the acquisition, when I seemingly used "Google" and "Blogger" interchangeably.
And the fact that Google acquired Blogger back in 2003 just goes to show how effed-up my sense of time is. I could've looked it up before writing the post, but frankly I didn't care/was lazy/didn't think it *was* more than a few months ago. I must be getting old, years are running together!
JayMonster said 2:28PM on 2-22-2008
Amber,
Sorry I wasn't clear. Yes, in a sense you are right, that the acquisition of Blogger by Google is (probably) part of the fiasco, since as I suggested, there has been a long line of bizarre moves since the acquisition took place.
And hey, no problem on getting passed by in "Internet Time" I sure know how that goes as well. That may have come off more snarky than originally intended, but I was just curious as to why it found a place in this story since it was (especially in Internet Time), "ancient" history.
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