# Google - To late, we've seen you're weakness **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 22, 2002, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-to-late-weve-seen-youre-weakness/99563 "2002-03-22T18:11:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![micilin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@micilin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micilin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-to-late-weve-seen-youre-weakness/99563/21 "2002-03-24T05:13:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dewey Cheatem Undhow \* > \*\*What **SPOOFE** said. My point is that Google is under no moral obligation to pursue free speech rights. That market forces in this case pushed them in the direction of protecting free speech is just a happy coincidence. \*\* I’m confused: my understanding is that Google recieved a letter from lawyers acting on behalf of the Church of Scientology telling them that unless they removed links to a site that quoted (copyrighted) Scienotological teachings they’d be brought to court under the terms of the DMCA. So Google removed the ‘offending’ links, thereby protecting the free speech of, um, who exactly? > [@](#): > > Plus, it seems to me that here the market worked pretty effectively: Google saw that it was offending a large number of its consumers and changed course. Isn’t that what we want to happen – for businesses to listen to their customers? Who are these people that Google offended by indexing websites? What is the market that worked pretty well? Again, WHO are these people that Google offended? Does their offence count for more than the rest of the satisfied Google customers’ continued enjoyment of a quality search engine? (Also, the ‘market’ must since have broken as as they’ve reinstated the links) I can’t speak for the ‘market’, but when I find that Google’s search results don’t match their stated criteria I’ll find another search engine to use, thank you very much. For people who are wondering what the brouhaha is about, here’s a [link](http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/03/21/0453200&mode=thread) to a robust discussion of some of the issues at stake here. Be careful though, as you might be ‘offended’ by some of the links provided, in particular the ones to [Xenu.net](http://www.xenu.net). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-to-late-weve-seen-youre-weakness/99563/22 "2002-03-24T05:49:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by micilin \* > **I’m confused: my understanding is that Google recieved a letter from lawyers acting on behalf of the Church of Scientology telling them that unless they removed links to a site that quoted (copyrighted) Scienotological teachings they’d be brought to court under the terms of the DMCA. So Google removed the ‘offending’ links, thereby protecting the free speech of, um, who exactly?** You really should keep up. Google, after hearing the outcry from its users, restored the xenu links to their index. As noted, market forces ended up protecting free speech in this instance – because Google, not wanting to offend its users, restored the links.\*\* > [@](#): > > Who are these people that Google offended by indexing websites? What is the market that worked pretty well? Again, WHO are these people that Google offended? Does their offence count for more than the rest of the satisfied Google customers’ continued enjoyment of a quality search engine? (Also, the ‘market’ must since have broken as as they’ve reinstated the links) \*\* Christ on a cracker, are you that dense? Here, in order: 1. The offended people I was referring to were Google users; they were offended not by the linking of sites but by the removal of sites due to Co$ pressure. 2. The market here being Google customers, i.e., users of the search engine. 3. See #1. 4. See, you clearly did not read my posts. As I was pointing out, the “satisfied Google customers’ continued enjoyment of a quality search engine” was what really counted in the end, because Google restored the links. **That was my whole friggin’ point**. ---
**Author:** ![micilin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@micilin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micilin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-to-late-weve-seen-youre-weakness/99563/23 "2002-03-24T18:23:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dewey Cheatem Undhow \* > \*\*You really should keep up. Google, after hearing the outcry from its users, restored the xenu links to their index. As noted, market forces ended up protecting free speech in this instance – because Google, not wanting to offend its users, restored the links.\*\*Christ on a cracker, are you that dense? \*\*. \*\* **YES I AM THAT DENSE!!** Sorry, DCU, I got the completely wrong end of the stick, and for some reason thought you were defending the scientos. How I got that idea I don’t know… (Note to self: Posting when pissed and argumentative is a bad idea.) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-to-late-weve-seen-youre-weakness/99563/24 "2002-03-25T15:42:33Z")
Dammit, **micilin** , now I feel bad for being all pissy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![micilin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@micilin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micilin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-to-late-weve-seen-youre-weakness/99563/25 "2002-03-25T16:33:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dewey Cheatem Undhow \* > \*\*Dammit, **micilin** , now I feel bad for being all pissy. 🙂 \*\* No worries, DCU, anybody who likes to see Scientologists foiled at every turn is A-OK in my book, even if they think I’m thick! I lived with two of the blighters for a year: one of the most miserable years of my life. A lot of it was thanks to the soulless, cheerless weirdos, hence the bile that rises every time I hear about their latest antics. Did give me a reasonable insight into how a religion gets its teeth into people, though, sort of a ‘compare and contrast’ with my Catholic upbringing. 😉 (There’s a Great Debate in there somewhere if I can figure out how to phrase the comparision diplomatically.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-to-late-weve-seen-youre-weakness/99563.md?page=1)