Liberals try out a new campaign tactic: Google Bombing

**Apophis** · 10-26-2006, 03:53 PM

Interesting article:

Quote:

If things go as planned for liberal bloggers in the next few weeks, searching Google for “Jon Kyl,” the Republican senator from Arizona now running for re-election, will produce high among the returns a link to an April 13 article from The Phoenix New Times, an alternative weekly.

Fifty or so other Republican candidates have also been made targets in a sophisticated “Google bombing” campaign intended to game the search engine’s ranking algorithms. By flooding the Web with references to the candidates and repeatedly cross-linking to specific articles and sites on the Web, it is possible to take advantage of Google’s formula and force those articles to the top of the list of search results.

You can read the full article here:
New York Times: A New Campaign Tactic: Manipulating Google Data

icky · 10-26-2006, 03:58 PM

This can't be good.

**Wyzcrak** · 10-26-2006, 04:07 PM

Google bombing is old news. Politicians manipulating us is old news. I guess the marriage of the two just isn't that noteworthy.

Steeler · 10-26-2006, 04:47 PM

You can tell the NY Times is liberal because they're only 3 years behind the tech curve. Most other outlets are 5 out.

thebleakaffinity · 10-26-2006, 05:03 PM

Don't really see how it's any different from any other brand of political advertisement.

Private Book · 10-26-2006, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apophis

Interesting article:
You can read the full article here:
New York Times: A New Campaign Tactic: Manipulating Google Data

About time the liberal opposition grew spines. Kind of a weak choice of article though. It's all facts and then suddenly its opinions like "he carries himself as a waspy such and such" Still, its only fifth on the rankings. I'm not sure the links appear the same on other machines, but the top sponsored link on a jon kyl serarch is:
Kyl Earns An "F"
View Senator Jon Kyl's
middle-class voting record here
www.drummajorinstitute.org

**TheFeniX** · 10-27-2006, 10:13 PM

IT'S A CONSPIRACY!

**Vulcan** · 10-27-2006, 10:22 PM

lol fenix nice bomb.

**Apophis** · 10-28-2006, 07:36 AM

That is a good example of a Google bomb.

I'm curious if this tactic was used against Democrats and liberal independant candidates if you would all have the same opinion. I think trying to manipulate search engine results in this manner is deplorable no matter WHO the candidate.

I would fully expect those who are anti-Republican to think this tactic is perfectly fine when used against Republicans, but I honestly don't think the opinion would be the same should the roles be reversed.

As for the effectiveness of this, it takes a bit of time to move a result up the SERPs.

Kerostasis · 10-28-2006, 12:53 PM

Well, they've been pushing the google bombing on President Bush for a long time now. I can't quite remember when I first heard about this, but I'm pretty sure its been more than a year.

Although I think at some point a counter-bombing campaign pushed Michael Moore up to the number 2 spot.

(edit--does some research. All the way back in 2003, google bombing attached "miserable failure" to Bush. A counter-bombing put Michael Moore at slot 2, although he has since fallen down to about slot 6.)

Oh yes, and theres always the google bomb for Waffles!

**Wyzcrak** · 10-28-2006, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apophis

I'm curious if this tactic was used against Democrats and liberal independant candidates if you would all have the same opinion. I think trying to manipulate search engine results in this manner is deplorable no matter WHO the candidate.

I'm certain we wouldn't all have the same opinion. Beyond that, we have to start focusing on individuals opinions among us.

freekyE · 10-28-2006, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kerostasis

Oh yes, and theres always the google bomb for Waffles!

LOL! Makes me wonder how many people voted for Kerry simply because of their love for crispy, golden brown, syrupy good breakfast food.

I know I did!

Beatnik · 10-28-2006, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apophis

I would fully expect those who are anti-Republican to think this tactic is perfectly fine when used against Republicans, but I honestly don't think the opinion would be the same should the roles be reversed.

That's a pretty broad generalization there. I'm about as anti-republican as it gets and agree with you that in a political context it is not an acceptable tactic. I'd say the only thing that all people who are anti-republican have in common is that they're anti-republican.

**El_Gringo_Grande** · 10-28-2006, 04:32 PM

It would require more than a handful of people to make this effective, right?

This an individual decision to do this. So there are more individuals linking failure to bush than their are linking failure to democrats.

This seems to me to be a democratic process where the people make a differance.

Rick_the_new_guy · 10-28-2006, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheFeniX

IT'S A CONSPIRACY!

What sorcery is this?

Very interested thread. I am learning more and more about the internet super highway here at TG.

10-26-2006, 03:58 PM	#2 (permalink)
icky Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ottawa Valley Posts: 6,154	Re: Liberals try out a new campaign tactic: Google Bombing This can't be good. __________________ Peace through fear... since 1947!

10-26-2006, 04:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
Wyzcrak Join Date: May 2003 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 14,139	Re: Liberals try out a new campaign tactic: Google Bombing Google bombing is old news. Politicians manipulating us is old news. I guess the marriage of the two just isn't that noteworthy. __________________ Steam Community? Add me. \| Join #tacticalgamer \| Search Results Legend \| New Posts Forum Filter \| Postbox Toggle \| Live Thread Review \| One Line Results \| Free Remote, Encrypted Backup Darkilla: In short, NS is pretty much really fast chess. With guns. Apophis: I haven't seen anyone say that SM's are better than non-SMs. Nordbomber: This is THE first server I've seen where either side can comeback from out of seemingly nowhere with the right teamwork. en4rcment: I have NEVER experienced the type of gameplay that I have found here. Nightly I am amazed at the personalities and gaming talent. Root: Welcome to TG. Feel free to punctuate your sentences correctly. Monkerz: Its gonna take all my skills to beat those boys off in the future.

10-26-2006, 04:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
Steeler Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Taxachusetts Age: 30 Posts: 2,952	Re: Liberals try out a new campaign tactic: Google Bombing You can tell the NY Times is liberal because they're only 3 years behind the tech curve. Most other outlets are 5 out. __________________

10-26-2006, 05:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
thebleakaffinity Banned Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Boulder, Colorado Age: 20 Posts: 1,133	Re: Liberals try out a new campaign tactic: Google Bombing Don't really see how it's any different from any other brand of political advertisement.

10-27-2006, 10:13 PM	#7 (permalink)
TheFeniX Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Houston, TX Age: 26 Posts: 4,473	Re: Liberals try out a new campaign tactic: Google Bombing IT'S A CONSPIRACY! __________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TheFeniX's Steam Profile TG's Team Fortress 2 Steam Group

10-27-2006, 10:22 PM	#8 (permalink)
Vulcan Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Montreal Age: 30 Posts: 7,320	Re: Liberals try out a new campaign tactic: Google Bombing lol fenix nice bomb. __________________ TG Primer - CSS SOP's - INS SOP's

10-28-2006, 07:36 AM	#9 (permalink)
Apophis Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Rhode Island, USA Age: 36 Posts: 8,917	Re: Liberals try out a new campaign tactic: Google Bombing That is a good example of a Google bomb. I'm curious if this tactic was used against Democrats and liberal independant candidates if you would all have the same opinion. I think trying to manipulate search engine results in this manner is deplorable no matter WHO the candidate. I would fully expect those who are anti-Republican to think this tactic is perfectly fine when used against Republicans, but I honestly don't think the opinion would be the same should the roles be reversed. As for the effectiveness of this, it takes a bit of time to move a result up the SERPs. __________________ Diplomacy is the art of saying "good doggie" while looking for a bigger stick.

10-28-2006, 04:32 PM	#14 (permalink)
El_Gringo_Grande Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: OKIE HOMY Age: 39 Posts: 2,516	Re: Liberals try out a new campaign tactic: Google Bombing It would require more than a handful of people to make this effective, right? This an individual decision to do this. So there are more individuals linking failure to bush than their are linking failure to democrats. This seems to me to be a democratic process where the people make a differance. __________________ Sen. Barack Obama (IL) For President '08 --- I’m not racists, I have republican friends. Radio show host. - "The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity". -Jacob Burkhardt - "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson - "People should not be afraid of it's government, government should be afraid of it's People." - Line from V for Vendetta - If software were as unreliable as economic theory, there wouldn't be a plane made of anything other than paper that could get off the ground. Jim Fawcette

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