In a recent post on Just Roger IT! The Manchester SEO Blog, I brought to everyones’ attention, the extreme penalty that gb.com domains face in Google. Instead of being thanked by potential consumers for avoiding a product that was clearly defective, I was brutally chewed out on Google Forums. A user called Lysis called me stupid, and then posted a lovely comment calling me a ‘dumbass’ in my own blog entry. I allowed this, so the reader has the opportunity of witnessing the childishness I face on a daily basis from some web developers who think they know it all. This was quickly followed by RickyD, who said I should be ashamed of myself before chewing me out some more, despite the fact that his main grievance appeared to lie with the headline of the article itself. Perhaps ironically, it was this headline itself that had led Mr Code Red to find the correct answer he was seeking.
At first I assumed all these people all worked for Central NIC registrar, and forgave them for defending their brand and interests by jumping on me. However, as the conversation unfolded, more of them began to notice there was indeed something very wrong with .gb.com domains in Google. The thread fell deafeningly quiet and I realised – to my amusement – these people did not work for Central NIC at all, but were actually web developers who believed they knew everything about SEO and wrongly assumed I was sensationalising my document, slamming me as a ‘blogger’. (To this moment I’m not sure how exactly this is supposed to be taken as a negative!)
I wanted to use this opportunity to restore a little balance to the Universe, as this is something I face on a daily basis. Please listen to your SEO consultant. Web developers will often assume they know it all, and that SEO is simple and neither of these are true. I hope some good comes out of this. I hope Mr Code Red follows my advice, because he will succeed in fixing his clients problem and when he does, I hope he will let us know.
Hey! I’m the first commenter!
(To anyone reading this comment – yes, I am the “notorious” RickyD mentioned in this article)
Roger – I’ve already had the displeasure of having to deal with one misunderstanding on the forum which may or may not have come as a result of this article.
A few points, if you don’t mind:
You say, “chewing me out some more“.
OK, a rather harsh set of words, but if you say so.
The thing that people may or may not realise in reading that forum thread is that the early comments were made when your article had a rather wild title i.e. “Banned“.
This is not an attack on you – I think you agree with that point (otherwise you wouldn’t have changed the title – that’s what I think at least).
And any “latecomers” to the thread will think we’re talking about all the later developments – and not the initial “banned” situation – which possibly makes my earlier answers seem a bit odd.
I am not excusing foul-language used by people other than me.
And, you must admit – you haven’t been the most gentlemanly of blokes either.
You’ve called me / us a “fool”, “chump”, “conspirator”.
Granted – you apologised (although not to me?)
I know – I’ve written this in the forum but hey, you haven’t had me write about you in my blog – so I feel I have some small right to just put it down here, too (seeing as people will be reading this article for the rest of my life – then moving on over to the forum – and think I’m a *** – despite the hundreds of positive, helpful answers I’ve given to fellow webmasters on there).
So – now you have me email address.
Heck, I don’t even know if this comment on your site will lead to further public berating – it might.
Either way, I’ve made a few other posts (note to latecomers – please read all statements by all parties in context of the time the were written and the circumstances at that particular time).
RickyD
Hi RickyD and thank you for your comment,
Of course, I agree with almost everything you post. I am sorry the situation appears to have brought out the worst in everyone. I was summoned to that Google Webmaster thread by SEARCH: whenever anyone mentions my name or types in something that resembles one of my URL tentacles, my crystal ball will tell me! In this case I felt I needed to send in the flying monkeys, because my character was under assault for speaking the truth which the nay-sayers were about to disregard, having not tested it for themselves. (Except of course yourself and Squibble) and I stand by my comments that others in that thread made themselves look like chumps. They did not need my help for this, I was simply saying what readers would be thinking.
But I also realise that you were one of the few who actually took time to test the assertion I was making. Of course I offer my apologies for any hurt feelings, and certainly wouldn’t put you in the same class as other posters (some of whom were such poor contributors, they are on par with machine spam!). The bottom line is if either you of myself bought a gb.com domain today, we would be statistically unlikely to get it to rank for anything, including it’s own company name. You can’t tell me this is normal, or that my ‘banned’ was in some way misleading. It was right on the money, but I have moderated it because I know you feel otherwise.
Unlike other zombies in Webmaster forum, I believe in an open forum where users contribute ideas, not shouted down with nasty comments and name calling simply because you did not like the message.
No worries mate.