Comments on: Every bad idea

By: jm

jm — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 18:24:09 +0000

Roger, by adding a link to a page that potentially conflicts with my views, Google robs me of the possibility to comment on it, regardless if you had to "make the link visible", by clicking a button. Even if you know that it wasn't my decision to link to that page, Google would control what you see next.

On the question if you can be held accountable for content accessed by your site... if the Google toolbar repeatedly creates a link on my blog to my companies biggest competitor, don't you think that my employer might want me to take the page offline? Granted, being dragged to court over this, is very unlikely. Your analogy fits quite well.

It's still bad news for the employees of Barnes & Noble...

By: Brian Carnell

Brian Carnell — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 23:53:12 +0000

Ohmigod, what if I write notes in the margin of a book, or skip commercials on a TIVO, or god forbid create a CD with say an Eminem track next to a Christina Aguilera track — from now on I’ll remember to write and get permission from the content creator before I do such foul things.

By: Roger Benningfield

Roger Benningfield — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 21:34:09 +0000

“Here’s the point that needs to be made: suppose Google uses search results for popular phrases to link to.”

Then I will decide if that is a useful behavior. If it isn’t, I’ll quit clicking the AutoLink button. Whatever the case, the button is mine to click.

“how do I distance myself from links that don’t reflect my views?”

You don’t need to distance yourself from links that I add to the page. I added them, after all, by pressing the button. You had nothing to do with it.

“Not to mention the fact that, in Germany, you can be dragged to court for the content of pages that you link to from your page…”

Unless the courts in Germany hold that an author is accountable for the notes I scribble in the margins of his book, then this has nothing to do with the AutoLink situation.