A week or so ago I found out about Google’s +1 program, which allows anybody to uprate websites that participate, so that users can boost that site’s search rankings.
As has been found recently, Google has staff of people who actively downrate websites based on a number of factors, one of which is according to reports, to downgrade sites that don’t agree with the “consensus” about AGW, or which allow for a diversity of views on the topic.
Because of this, WUWT’s google search rankings have become so repressed that you simply can’t find us when searching on terms like “global warming” or “climate change”. See below how search traffic has dropped as Google made changes:
I am hoping that with active reader involvement in the +1 program, we can reverse this trend.
All you have to do is press the “+1” button at the bottom of any article you like (its down there with all the other ‘share’ buttons like twitter and facebook, etc.). Thanks for helping!
UDAPTE: 11/07/2011 345PM PST Some commenters suggest we aren’t being properly skeptical and have no basis for our concern. We do have a reference, this internal Google document:
http://www.chaddo.com/GoogleRatingGuidelines.pdf
and this analysis:
-Anthony
Google has put so much money in alternative energy technologies that they have to make it happen. They are certainly not net neutral as far as AGW is concern, even though they are promoting net neutrality for anything else. Obvious conflict of interest.
I switched to Bing a long time ago. For a while they were a little bit off in the results, but the algorithm is improving. I’m pretty sure microsoft is in it for the money as much as google is, but they are also less prone to such idiocy. A few months ago, Firefox recommended people stop using Google. Not as bad as Facebook, but real close.
By the way, I always get to WUWT through a search engine, rather than favourites.
JE
We switched accross to BING a couple of years ago as did not want to support Google. Seems to work well; I am studying Astronomy and do not have any issues with searches.
Sorry Anthony, would love to support you but I refuse to joine Google……
Do I have to use a username and password to get my +1 vote to count?
Please comment!
[snip – not a good idea to post your email address – Anthony]
Google uses a STAGGERING amount of energy. They like to put a pretty face in it with statements such as “One 60-watt bulb left running for three hours per user per month” or .18kWh per user. But that amounts to 2,260 megawatt-hours per year. That is more energy that some countries produce.
They are under great pressure to take advantage of “green” subsidy money and “carbon offset” incentives in order to obtain the power they need to operate their data centers. Most of their rhetoric is “greenwashing”.
mmmmmmmmm I just checked Bing and they are as bad as google – no sign of WUWT.
“…As has been found recently, Google has staff of people who actively downrate websites…”
And these people will certainly be counted among the new jobs created in the renewable energy sector.
OK, so I went thru the Home page, and opened all the current articles, and hit them. Be warned: it’s a “toggle”, so clicking twice reverses your vote.
So far, the articles have a range of +2 – 48.
Ok, did that. This ranking stuff is what it is. Something that resembles a game but that game can have real consequences. I run two blogs one dealing with science and one with photography. The Science one is not commercial at all. The photography one is commercial. I need to actively seek “likers” and +1ers. If anyone wants to help my rankings it would be appreciated just hit my name and all else is obvious. dennis
Google – as happens to many formerly effective organizations – has been taken over by activists.
This political manoeuvre by Google is a complete disgrace. To fight back against this fraud, I, my wife, my Mother, our son, daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, the cat, a goldfish and the cockroach in the kitchen have all voted to upgrade WUWT +1. This is just the begining. If these looney lefties want war, they will get it!
Thanks everybody, I personally try not to hate on people, especially companies that tend to do what their marketing consultants tell them to do. The way to change a company’s behavior is to let them know how you feel. The +1 program helps us do it, and with enough of us, we can overcome the left coast bias, and wake Google up to the fact that there are a lot of us who insist on scientific integrity and unbiased search engines.
I’m sure I remember reading in someones blog several months ago about Google setting up a group of 21or 28 people to stealthily promote the AGW agenda. Is this true? It was bad enough when William Connelly edited/censored 5000+ articles at Wikipedia to promote AGW but for Google to take sides in anything just totally destroys their credability.
When did you start having the Minnesota folks posting everything to Faceboodk?
This is a not so subtle form of censorship and Goggle has been doing it for a number of years. Not just in the area of AGW.
From time to time I try and get away from Google search but the Chrome+Google search combination is far superior to any other.
Time to try Bing again.
quick search test for “WUWT:
Bing: 136,000 results
Google: 34,200 results
Yahoo: 136,000 results
,,, whatever that means…
I’m sorry, I don’t like google. Years ago they seemed to be trying to take over my browser. I didn’t like that. I use Bing. I read somewhere recently that Bing is being taken over by google. Not good for the future of the net. 🙁
I am a huge fan of this site, a confirmed skeptic, and, as it turns out, a Google employee. And I’m just dumbfounded that the readership here believes that there is any nefarious actjvity going on. This is as ridiculous as any internet insanity that I’ve seen (anti-vaccine sites, homeopathy sites, etc.) Sorry guys, but this is just conspiracist nonsense. Nobody is rigging search results… Sheesh.
World Domination.
No wonder Steve was desperately trying to destroy Android…
“…As has been found recently, Google has staff of people who actively downrate websites…”
Can you provide a reference for this?
THanks
(I have an article thats been in draft here for quite a while about this, but we had decided it was best to not poke the animal. There are a number of mainstream media reports on this if you look for the info… – Mike Lorrey)
Done.
And on the wealth creation side please uprate http://resourceclips.com
I have a google account, but only for things like uploading books and articles for free marketing, and for adwords and site stats. I never have had a google+ account, no will I (I hope). It allowed me (publicly, of course) to do the +1 thing.
All of the major search engines appear to be suppressing the search engine results for the principal Websites most effective at fostering uncensored debate of the Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW), [Anthropogenic] Climate Change, et al conjecture.
http://www.yahoo.com
Wattsupwiththat currently appeared on page 26 of the search results for “Global Warming”.
ixquick.com
Wattsupwiththat currently appeared on page 24 of the search results for “Global Warming”.
Google is evil – don’t piss them off or there will be hell to pay. They are a whole ‘nuther meaning of too big to fail.
So google turns out to be as trustworthy as wikipedoa.
If anyone is keen to +1 lots of articles, use the archives
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/10/
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/09/
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/08/
etc
Go straight to comments to make it quicker to find the +1 button.