How Low Can You Go?

Yesterday, I was emailed a post from BushBlog with mentions how certain groups of people are getting together to conspire to Googlebomb certain phrases, in this case "miserable failure."

OK. If you think that Bush is a miserable failure, that's your perogative. I won't agree with you, but if that's what you believe, so be it. I have no problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is the deliberate manipulation of the search results provided by Google simply for political reasons. People use Google to research information, not to get a undesired dose of your political fantasies.

Where I really have a problem is that this is very similar to spam. You are using someone else's resources, in this case Google's algorithms and web traffic, to promote an idea that people are likely not looking for. In your quest to destroy the Bush Presidency you are also destroying the usefullness of Google. Why should Google deserve to have its reputation damaged (as it becomes even more widely known that it can be manipulated) and its potential base of users diminished as they become frustrated with politcal keyword grandstanding? Should Google be put in a position where it may lose advertising revenues due to lower traffic, all so that someone can get their kicks Googlebombing "miserable failure."

I think not.

Spammers may end up being the death of email as a useful tool. Will the political Googlebombers be the death of the Google in their quest? Is it worth destroying the usefullness of a popular internet tool for political gain? Was Machiavelli right? Do the ends justify the means?

I certainly hope not.