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Google Downranks 65,000 Pirate Sites in Search Results

torrentfreak.com

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Re: Google Downranks 65,000 Pirate Sites in Search Results

#131

Post by chongli »

abhiminator wrote: post #4

As much as I despise multi-billion dollar 'copyright holding' corporations, I feel this is a strategic move by Google to thrust more legitimate channels of media consumption (Netflix, Prime Video, Et al) to the top of the search results page. Having said that, people who actually use torrents regularly know their way around Google and other web-based search engines, and this move, therefore, should have little or no…

Forget pirate sites, Google is doing this for everything. I'm shocked at how often a search for some generic word or animal name brings up some company I've never heard of, with the Wikipedia page for that generic word buried at the bottom of the first page (sometimes pushed to the second page).

Re: Google Downranks 65,000 Pirate Sites in Search Results

#133

Post by colordrops »

on_and_off wrote: post #130
shiado wrote: post #124

I remember I used to do filetype searches for mp3, mp4, flac, etc... and get all sorts of good stuff. I would find ftp servers with thousands of songs and just download anything interesting. I feel like the Google search algorithm peaked many years ago and has gradually been neutered by all sorts of special interest groups who have no doubt harassed Google with legal threats. Google probably doesn't want to censor re…

you do know images links are still there ? you just need to click on them.

That takes you to the site, not the image.

Re: Google Downranks 65,000 Pirate Sites in Search Results

#134

Post by ocdtrekkie »

codedokode wrote: post #107

I would prefer that Google would add labels like "pirate site" or "legitimate copy". How can a normal user understand what kind of site they are visiting and whether the site has a legal copy of a movie? The copyright agreements are not public. For example, there is a website that allows to watch Japanese TV from abroad (quite expensive by the way). How one can be sure that they are not paying to scammers?

Yeah, I experienced this problem hardcore when trying to find an ebook I wanted to buy DRM-free. You search for that and you get a ton of PDF sharing sites. As it turned out, it was hard to find a legit link there because the publisher didn't offer any DRM free options, mind you.

But yeah, when I was looking for a proper way to purchase, all I found was pirate versions.

Re: Google Downranks 65,000 Pirate Sites in Search Results

#135

Post by duxup »

nashashmi wrote: post #112
codedokode wrote: post #107

I would prefer that Google would add labels like "pirate site" or "legitimate copy". How can a normal user understand what kind of site they are visiting and whether the site has a legal copy of a movie? The copyright agreements are not public. For example, there is a website that allows to watch Japanese TV from abroad (quite expensive by the way). How one can be sure that they are not paying to scammers?

If they labeled them then they would also ha e an obligation to remove them.

Is that true? Just having links and they'd have to remove it? If they're down ranking them that obviously indicates they know what they are already, but they're not removing them.

Re: Google Downranks 65,000 Pirate Sites in Search Results

#138

Post by cornholio »

Rjevski wrote: post #93
GW150914 wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A real solution would be to employ competent humans rather than build and rely on incompetent algorithms.

As much as I’m against algorithms on closed platforms and walled gardens, I believe algorithms are the way to go on the open web, especially since the amount of content there can be infinite.

It's infinite because it's produced by algorithms - handling it is clearly a job for algorithms. On the other hand, some things tend not to be automatically generated, like domain names, visual templates, monetization tricks and business deals.

So if one side is powered by human ingenuity assisted by algorithms, you need both on the other side, not one or the other. It was the folly of Google to think they could get by using algorithms alone, and the immensely complex, human tweaked, secret soup that Search has become is the result.

Re: Google Downranks 65,000 Pirate Sites in Search Results

#140

Post by tomcooks »

otalp wrote: post #115
codedokode wrote: post #107

I would prefer that Google would add labels like "pirate site" or "legitimate copy". How can a normal user understand what kind of site they are visiting and whether the site has a legal copy of a movie? The copyright agreements are not public. For example, there is a website that allows to watch Japanese TV from abroad (quite expensive by the way). How one can be sure that they are not paying to scammers?

How can Google be sure? They can't, so they can't do it

They do with malware, and what appears to be malware.
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