Google is using AI to censor independent websites like mine

Strongest evidence in support: Drop in traffic coincided with google algorithm update.

Biggest lack of evidence: Nothing that shows it's because of who they are and not their content. Author defended their content by pointing out the cost and labor that goes into making their content.

Was the content really authentic and useful? This is hard to prove (and I suspect hard even for an algorithm to discern), and so I had a look:

- Each article did have that human feel to it with photos of the author in the locations they were talking about. Articles also included small personalized evaluations about topics.

So, yes, I did think it was authentic and useful. But how did it compare to the 1000s of other sites who can replicate this? Human writers aren't rare, and travel isn't a small interest to our species.

And that's the crux of it: Even if you're useful and authentic, search engines have to rank you among other sites that are useful and authentic.

You could be amazing and still end up on page 30 because you're not alone in being amazing on the internet.

I don't know what a fair algorithm looks like, and if a fair algorithm would make everyone equally happy.

For now, someone has the power to direct how the algorithm chooses. Who should have that power is a fair question, but I don't think anything will mitigate the problem of being ranked low even with quality content. It's a ranking against the rest of the internet, not just an evaluation of quality.

At the moment, if two sites are somewhat equally useful, being profitable to Google probably gets you a bump.

A couple of days ago one of the web games in my profile frontpaged here, and while it generated a lot of traffic it was nothing like previous times. I have had much more trouble with large private mailing lists linking to things, which also leads to a more condensed rush when everyone looks at once.

Organic traffic generally appears dead, Google or not.

This is even more sloppy and could be easily applied to any real censorship, where some (censored) lose and some (not censored) win

If you're "tuning" your algorithm with the goal of blocking all small independent websites, then yeah, you're doing the shadow (if you don't tell the sites about it) banning. By ignoring the intent of the policy and replacing it with a truism you don't really have a terminology counter argument

For what it's worth, I've started to reintroduce friction in my life where it makes sense. My phone defaults to a "dumbphone" profile that only has messaging, music, maps, etc. and specifically no browser or YouTube.

I only turn on my smart lights with wall buttons and use the smart function purely to tune the white point.

I try to pay by physical card instead of Apple / Google Wallet. Although I do store membership cards that I use once in a blue moon there.

eReader is fine IMO. Weekend newspaper subscription is really nice but can feel expensive if you have limited income.

Another good one is familiarizing yourself in the neighborhood. Get a regular coffee spot or pub or lunch place.

These are only examples of course. I basically feel like hitting the late 1990s - early 2000s 'level' of ease and socialization in your life is the optimal point.

Your brain will fight it every step of the way, but one can tear oneself out of their bubble of surplus comfort. Good luck.