OK, so this is my 2 cents worth, take it or leave it...
I am a website owner; I develop websites and I try my utmost to provide a useful and productive service to people with the websites that I develop.
Obviously, many people are in these same shoes. I spend most of my time making a living this way. Sometimes I do a lot of the leg work myself sometimes I pay people (who are generally better at it than me) to do it for me.
Google however is the bane of my life.
Now, there is no doubt that Google is a good company - "do no evil" - and at least they try to engage with the community as a whole, Matt Cutts is the obvious example. But to be honest I am pretty fed up with the influence that Google has on the internet community as a whole.
Matt is a "Quality Engineer" - or whatever the title is - he is engaged with the duty of ensuring that their SERPs are the best possible.
I understand that this is an important role and that through participating with the developer community as a whole he has become an integral part of the "Search Industry".
However, for a long time, I have had concern about the amount of influence that Google holds over what the internet is, and what it is not.
The [ref="nofollow"] is a prime example of Google influencing what is a "Good" and what is a "Bad".
Recently I have seen Matt use the line; "website owners can do what they like, but Google similarly will decide what is good for it and what is not for their SERPs".
He is suggesting that website owners may sell links, or content, or black hat their sites but Google will always exercise their right to ban you or impose penalties.
So my question is this; If Google exercise this right to treat every website as they wish, why do they need to suggest (or impose) ref="nofollow"? Indeed why does Matt need to make Google policy public at all?
Why is it that they respect your right to make as you wish with your site - while "suggesting" that you use this technique or another?
I read and participate in the v7n forum regularly, I read Digital Point regularly also. Often I find myself turning to the Google forum, and the monotonous July/ August/ September/ October update threads. "When is the next PR update?", "When is the next backlink update?", "Does Google do this?", "Does Google punish this?" - Why? Well the truth is that they hold undue and overly large share of the, market.
Overall, Google Sites ranked as the No. 1 core search engine with 55.2 percent share of searches in July
I would love the Google forums to be full of useful, insightful, intelligent and meaningful posts - but there not. Never.
It can't realistically be denied that everyone reading this will have an interest in the antics and going ons at Google; else why have you arrived at this post? If Google shut down tomorrow (and I don't mean replaced - I mean shut down - literally turned off), I suspect (rather reasonably) that most people here would loose 50% of their traffic.
It's not good and it's not healthy to sustainable business.
In this context I find Matt's general ramblings and non-insights (which - let be honest - rarely reveal anything) into the "inner workings" baseless and somewhat arrogant.
Imagine for a moment that a single company controls the 50% of the earth's oxygen supply; imagine that they decide to "announce" that you have the right do whatever you like - but likewise they do also. Therefore, unless you agree that 2+2=5 they won't supply you with the normal amount of oxygen...
It’s not really a fair choice is it? But this is the way that Matt seems to portray it…
My fundamental issue is that Google (mostly through Matt) doesn’t take or appreciate their Monopoly - and therefore the control that they have over the internet has a whole - seriously.
MATT: I (and everyone else) understand that we are free to do as we please with our websites - You do not need to point this out to us! We also understand that Google is free to organize their SERPs as they please - You do not need to point this out either.
Please communicate with us, be "part of the community", integrate with those of us that wish to provide good quality and beneficial resources, but for the love of God: Please stop dictating the rules to us!
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