A blogger asks why Seth isn't talking about Squidoo's massive SEO and porn problems. They also speculate that I might be attacking Squidoo because they are competition for Mahalo.
For the record, everyone knows I attacking anything that has to do with deceiving users or the pollution of the "infovironment." My feeling is we have to expose anything bad on the internet including malware, spyware, bad SEO, PayPerPost, FederatedMedia's high-class version of PayPerPost, Squidoo, VibrantMedia, etc. If Squidoo were spam, porn, and SEO free--heck if it were SEO, porn, spam-light--I wouldn't even bring this up!
When I had SEOs on the last CalacanisCast they raved about Squidoo and it's ability to game the system, and if SEOs love your platform you have a HUGE problem.
Also, Squidoo is a publishing platform like Blogger or Facebook. It's not a search engine or even a directory. That's just not how it works. You can compare this by doing an iPhone, cancer, or Paris Hotels search on Google, Yahoo, Ask, or Mahalo and comparing it to Squidoo.
Frankly, I think Seth has fallen to the dark side and has become a Sith Lord of SEO, deceptive affiliate links, and page view gaming. I've known Seth for over 10 years and I respect some of the stuff he's done, but frankly Squidoo is so horrible it makes me wonder. Also, the fact that he won't address the problems is just, well, sad. Does he not care or does he not want to stop the SEO/affiliate gravy train?
I know I've got a couple of friends upset at me because they think I'm being too harsh on Squidoo, but the way I feel is I've been bringing up the Squidoo issue for a year now and Seth won't address it. Seth is polluting the internet just like spammers and sploggers, and he should answer for his actions (or inaction). Please, if I ever pollute the web call me out on it.
More squidoo stories.
Why is Seth Godin not talking about the Squidoo problem?
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Reader Comments
(Page 1 of 1)3. Here's an update from Squidoo on spam.
An update on spam (including iframes)
http://www.squidoo.com/blog/?p=155
Posted at 3:07PM on Jul 6th 2007 by Veken Gueyikian
5. The ads that pop up on Google when searching Squidoo are not a good sign.
Posted at 3:59PM on Jul 6th 2007 by Greg
6. I have never liked Squidoo, I always found it a little too limiting. If you take a look at the comments over at CostPerNews you will discover exactly why Squidoo can't really take a massive stance against SEOs and Marketers
http://www.costpernews.com/2007/07/06/squidoo-cracks-down-on-seo-and-affiliate-spam/
Those people you are encouraging Seth to get rid of (other than the porn) are basically the same people who helped create Squidoo.
Ot wouldn't have got to where it is today without them, and many create reasonable quality lenses
Posted at 7:14AM on Jul 7th 2007 by Andy Beard
7. When you said "Please, if I ever pollute the web call me out on it.", you were kidding, right?
Posted at 2:04PM on Jul 7th 2007 by john andrews
8. I recently (26th June) wrote a post on my blog about Squidoo with a rather provocative title and to my surprise Seth Godin actually took the time to respond. I find Squidoo strange and incomprehensible but I have recently decided to give it another go (still without much success) . If you want to see my post and Seth Godin's response you will need to go here - http://www.netmonetization.com/2007/06/squidoo-bucks-or-squidoo-sucks.html
I will be writing an update in a week or two to see if there has been any change.
The Old Vic
Posted at 3:58PM on Jul 7th 2007 by The Old Vic
9. So why is this discussion only about Seth? Why are you focusing only on Squidoo? Isn't the SEO problem more of Google's doing than Squidoo?
The porn problem goes way beyond Squidoo - the whole internet is filled with trick sites and redirections.
I suppose I could spend all day searching your blog but then I find your motives to be suspect just from reading your bio.
If you want to clean-up the Internet start by getting something that has a real impact, SPAM. Lobby to have every email labeled and tracked or disposed of. That will address a real problem. SEO "blackhats" are just wasting their time not mine. Spammers waste my time.
Posted at 4:43PM on Jul 7th 2007 by Roger Anderson
10. Roger,
Mahalo for th feedback.
For background: Squidoo is a publishing platform AND a revenue system. They collect revenue for folks AND give them the ability to publish. This means they have to watch the shop BIG TIME.
Google search is not a publishing platform (of course Google's Blogger is, and they had a similar problem which we all called them out on years ago!).
So, it's not just about squidoo. We talk about all levels of deceptive advertising and spam here at Calacanis.com, be it PayPerPost, Squidoo, or Blogger.com's problems.
We are talking about Squidoo right now because they have become a massive plaform for spammers and pornographers. If we were not being spammed with Squidoo "lenses" daily it would not be an issue.
best j
1. I've avoided banning squidoo from Netscape.com because I felt, like blogspot, 'there has to be some good in there somewhere'. It's gotten much worse though and I think it's time to cut them loose.
Posted at 1:22PM on Jul 6th 2007 by Eliot