Googlewhacking is the harmless pastime of trying to find two word combinations that get a single return when searched for at Google (without quotes around them). Gary Stock invented it in 2002, and it took off rather rapidly. [Disclosure: I was an early promoter of it (also here and here and here, etc.).

Now, nine years and millions of views later, Google has decided that Googlewhack threatens its brand. Gary reproduces the irksome, frustrating, poorly-written, and poorly-thought objection from Google’s AdSense Purity Squad. It’s the sort of inanity caused one hopes by a bot. On the other hand, why would we entrust our culture to bots?

Jeez, Google! How about working towards the day when Google + Jerk is a Googlewhack!

[Jan. 29, 2011:] Gary reports that he got a personal note apologizing for the initial demanding message, and that all is well. Well done, Google.

Categories: cluetrain, copyright dw