Re: RE: [ga] Google's SafeSearch is overzealous, blocks innocuous domains

[Nainil Chheda <nainil@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I agree and again assert "Google's chastity belt is too tight".

The site mentioned below 

http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040423.gtgoog0423/BNStory/Technology/

explains how GOOGLE has blocked PartsExpress.com and many sites with the name
barrior:

SafeSearch also marked as unsafe for children JewishSussex.com, a religious Web
site; EssexCountyBeeKeepers.org of Topsfield, Mass.;
BluesExcuse.SouthBurnett.com.au, an Australian blues band's site;
BassExpert.com; and the Anglo-Saxon history site RomansInSussex.co.uk.

PartsExpress.com proudly touts itself as the Net's No. 1 source for audio, video
and speaker components ? but on-line shoppers who rely on an optional feature
in the Google search engine to block porn sites would never know it.

CNET News.com evaluated SafeSearch by testing tens of thousands of random Web
pages and identifying which ones were incorrectly listed as pornographic. The
results showed that Google encountered many of the same problems that have
plagued Internet filters for almost a decade. One 1996 analysis, for instance,
showed that CyberPatrol blocked National Rifle Association and gay and lesbian
Web sites, and CyberSitter cordoned off Usenet newsgroups such as alt.feminism
and soc.support.fat-acceptance.

Thank you.

==================================
Best Regards,
Nainil Chheda.
Eliteral - A Web Site Hosting Co.
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-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Williams [mailto:jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2004 1:38 AM
To: nainil@xxxxxxxxxxxx; Don Evans; Kathy Smith
Cc: ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx; nainil.c@xxxxxxxxxx; Michael.Powell@xxxxxxx;
Kathleen.Abernathy@xxxxxxx; Michael.Copps@xxxxxxx; KJMWEB@xxxxxxx;
Jonathan.Adelstein@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ga] Google's SafeSearch is overzealous, blocks innocuous domains


Nainil and all former DNSO GA members or other interested stakeholders/users,

 It is a shame that such poor judgment by the folks on Googles management and
development team has now in the interest if protecting prying eyes or innocent
eyes from viewing what they have decided is "innocuous domains" that may be
used for sexually explicit information.  Yet none of this so called
"SafeSearch" is necessary in order to still provide for strings contained in a
Domain Name that may contain "girls" or "Sex", ect., ect... A simple programing
change can fix this foolishness and still provide for protected searches of
innocent eyes...  It may be that again the FTC or DOC/NTIA needs to step in
here and make a regulation that would prohibit search engine providers from
inadvertently damaging others that may have as part of their Domain Names,
strings of characters, that may be otherwise filtered out when doing "Safe
Searches" of terms that may have/ sexually explicit terms or words...  But my
guess is that neither government agency will take the lead here and step up to
the plate any time soon.

nainil@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I would like to mention that I fould the following article on 
> http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4816549/
>
> It addresses the same issue.
>
> Google's SafeSearch flaws are more than academic -- they can have 
> serious consequences for innocent Web site operators blocked out by 
> them. Google is the most widely used search engine on the Web, and 
> failure to appear in its listings can have a direct impact on sales 
> for some companies, particularly smaller enterprises with limited 
> marketing budgets.
>
> Research company WebSideStory reported last month that Google claimed 
> an all-time high in search referrals, 41 percent of the United States 
> total, and the search giant's market share is steadily expanding.
>
> "Traffic from Google can make or break a business," said Maria Medina, 
> whose family-run clothing business at ALittleGirlsBoutique.com doesn't 
> pass the SafeSearch censor. "Here I am, a mom of four children, 
> creating an at-home business that sells little girl dresses and 
> accessories, in order to spend more time with my children, and I have 
> been filtered out as not being family friendly. Ridiculous."
>
> David Drummond, Google's vice president for business development, said 
> that at the time of its development, SafeSearch was designed to be 
> overly cautious. "The thinking was that SafeSearch was an opt-in 
> feature," Drummond said. "People who turn it on care a lot more about 
> something sneaking through than they do about something getting 
> filtered out."
>
> ==================================
> Best Regards,
> Nainil Chheda.
> Eliteral - A Web Site Hosting Co.
> Founder & Ex-Proprietor.
> http://www.eliteral.com/
> Addr: 3900 City Line Avenue Apt,
> D827 - Madison Bldg,
> Philadelphia, PA. 19131, USA.
> (H)Phone: 1-267-295-5470.
> (O)Phone: 1-215-204-2029.(10AM - 3PM)
> FAX: 1-215-204-3101
> Email ONLY: nainil.c@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Email ONLY: nainil.c@xxxxxxxxxx
> MSN: nainil@xxxxxxxxxxx
> YAHOO: nainil@xxxxxxxxx
> ==================================
> (SEO - Search Engine Optimizer) ==================================
>
> The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right 
> sometimes. - Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
> Behalf Of Jeff Williams
> Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 9:00 PM
> To: General Assembly of the DNSO
> Subject: [ga] Google's SafeSearch is overzealous, blocks innocuous domains
>
> All former DNSO GA members or other interested stakeholders/users,
>
>   Seems Google has gone over the edge.  More disgusting Censorship... Maybe
there is to much sex in Vietnam and to many girls advertising
> their wares...    So much for Marketing is education and/or
> education is marketing...  No more liberal sex education for Safe 
> Searchers on Google, and seems all "Girls" are now "innocuous" if the 
> term or string "Girls" appears in a domain name and google is your 
> chosen "Safe Search" search facility.. So Girlscouts.org, 
> Girlsclub.org, ect, ect., are now "innocuous" domains...  How 
> special... :/
>
> Regards,
>
> --
> Jeffrey A. Williams
> Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 134k members/stakeholders strong!) "Be
precise in the use of words and expect precision from others" -
>     Pierre Abelard
>
> "If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the burden, B; 
> liability depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied by
> P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
> United States v. Carroll Towing  (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir. 1947]
===============================================================
> Updated 1/26/04
> CSO/DIR. Internet Network Eng. SR. Eng. Network data security IDNS. div. of
Information Network Eng.  INEG. INC. E-Mail jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx  Registered
Email addr with the USPS Contact Number: 214-244-4827
>
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Regards,
--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 134k members/stakeholders strong!) "Be
precise in the use of words and expect precision from others" -
    Pierre Abelard

"If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the burden, B; liability
depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied by
P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
United States v. Carroll Towing  (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir. 1947]
===============================================================
Updated 1/26/04
CSO/DIR. Internet Network Eng. SR. Eng. Network data security IDNS. div. of
Information Network Eng.  INEG. INC. E-Mail jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx  Registered
Email addr with the USPS Contact Number: 214-244-4827


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