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Google Discussion Part Deux
June 24, 2006
It has been four weeks since I wrote Google about their inappropriate limiting of all but 50-some HAIL DUBYUS! cartoons to adults-only searches. I received no answer, other than the acknowledgment emails 4 weeks ago. I don't think it comes as much of a surprise to note that our downgrading by Google came only a few months before Google launched its new Government Portal Site. Hail Dubyus! may not be specifically targeted, but I believe Google's AI has been tuned to downgrade all administration-critical sites.
But limiting this site to adults-only image searches is simply wrong, since this is not a pornographic website and the greater bulk of its images contain nothing that would appeal to prurient interests. So, I have written Google again, not by email, but by real mail, explaining the problem. I will be loading the document onto my Google issue page later today.
Here is the text of my latest letter to Google:
SafeSearch Team
Google, Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
About six weeks ago, it came to my attention that the bulk of my political cartoon website, Hail Dubyus! (< HYPERLINK "http://blogs.salon.com/0002786" http://blogs.salon.com/0002786> and < HYPERLINK "http://www.haildubyus.com/" http://www.haildubyus.com>) was being scrubbed from Google image searches by the SafeSearch engines. Although there are some risqué images on my site, the bulk of it -- over 95 percent -- is G-rated, and none of it depicts any explicit or X-rated material. Nevertheless, of the 478 images that show up without SafeSearch filtering, only 53 appear when strict SafeSearch filtering is applied and only three additional (56 total) images appear under moderate SafeSearch filtering.
I understand the moderate setting is the default setting for Google. The bulk of my traffic comes through image searches. Recently I saw a sharp downturn in my traffic, which can only have come about because of the inappropriate filtering of my site. I called Google and was given a password so I could email the SafeSearch team. My communication was delayed by a week because I'd been given the wrong password. Once that problem was rectified (about four weeks ago) I emailed the enclosed message. While I received an acknowledgment that my email had been forwarded to the team, I have not received a response -- or any other communication from Google or the team.
I am very concerned. While I am by no means the most important political web site on the net, it does seem to me that four weeks is an inordinately long time to wait for a reply to a request for aid. As you can see from the attached, my original letter was in no way rude or accusatory. Has it fallen through the cracks? Or is there some more serious reason?
Please respond at your earliest possible opportunity.
Aye, I'll condemn anything that leaves the task of protecting American freedom to scofflaws like me.
And to those of you who aren't on the main page, CLICK HERE to see the LATEST HAIL DUBYUS! toons...
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Last update: 6/24/06; 2:46:51 AM.
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