Google News has advised that they will no longer link to articles from XenoxNews.com
No explanation has been provided other than a vague reference to a potential "violation of guidelines" (an explanation not unlike Amazon's explanation for deleting the wikieleaks.org website content).
Is it because of the current poll relating to "toilet paper malfunctions?
Or could it be due to the three front page articles with strong reference to Wikileaks?
Perhaps it is because the Google News censorship department finds Xenox News is more lurid than other newspapers?
Or is it that the Google internet censors find that the content on Xenox News is less newsworthy than other so called major news papers?
Well, let's take a quick look at what Google News censorship department consider newsworthy papers. The papers that Google News sponsors at a very high level on any android phone. These are what the current main headlines are of the bigger corporate newspapers that Google promote in their news feeds:
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney): Rachael Finch bares all in nude photos
The Telegraph (UK): Editors Choice - There is nothing wrong with nudity
New York Times: Your Worst Christmas Gift
In fact the top story on Google News right now as I write this is:
"There's more explicit photos of St Kilda players to come, says teen girl"
These articles according to the Google News censorship team not only meet the "Quality Guidelines" but are featured items on Google News.
The nature of these hyped up trashy news story that are being featured on Google News, as opposed to the hard hitting, alternative and sometimes provocative news items that feature in Xenox News, suggests that all is not well regarding Google and internet censorship.
Whatever the reason for Google News decision to ban Xenox News it is a very clear sign that independence and free speech on the internet has a limited future.
Vale Google.
Email Correspondence from Google:
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:32:40 +1100
Hello Alex,
We recently reviewed your site and are longer able to include it in Google
News at this time. We have certain guidelines in place regarding the
quality of sites which are included in the Google News index. If your site
is in violation of these guidelines, it will not be added to Google News.
Please feel free to review these guidelines at the following link:
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769#3
We appreciate your willingness to provide your articles to us, and we will
log your site for future consideration.
Sincerely,
The Google Books Team
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
From:
Subject: Re: [#17180562] xenoxnews.com
Date: Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:03:37 -0800
Hi Alex,
Thank you again for your note. We have reviewed your site and will be
including it in Google News in the near future. You should be able to
find your articles in Google News within four to six weeks.
Thank you for providing your articles to Google News.
Regards,
The Google Team