In short, paying people to link to your site in order to boost your page rank is not allowed. Google made this rule to try and keep things fair. They found that Google Chrome download page actually had a payed link, so they punished their own product. What is interesting to note is Googles reaction, they found a single payed link (which was only payed by them on a technicality, and was completely unintentional), and they enacted an extremely harsh punishment - 60 days page ranking downgrade. Such a massive punishment for a tiny slight, Google said that even though any other site would have received a far less punishment, or none at all considering it is just 1 link, they said that since it was their own product, they should know better, and thus they gave themselves such a harsh punishment.

So the topic of discussion is, do you think Google was right in punishing themselves at all? They make these rules, they are above their own rules, they could quite as easily just set Google Chrome to the top result forever. Do you think Google is right to make an example out of themselves by being so strict with themselves? Do you think those that should know better should be punished harsher?

Well it's a good way to show they're not going to act like assholes and say "oh we're in control we do what we want". Keep the riff-raff happy and all that jazz.

On the other hand, I'm not sure what to think about this, uh, "cyber-masochism".
(Is masochism the wrong word...?)

I don't understand the question.

Let me rephrase:

• Should the people who make the rules have to follow the rules?
• If they do break the rules, should they be punished less, the same, or more than a regular person?

• People who make the rules do HAVE to follow the rules, but it certainly does not reflect well on an individual or group when they impose rules but do not follow them. Google was very much in the right for following their own rules in that regard. However, they also then run a risk in terms of PR, which leads to the second point.
  
• When Google broke their own rules, they reached a dilemma. Do they punish themselves according to how their rules go? This could then be interpreted as trying to weasel themselves out of their own blunder. However, Google decided to turn it into quite a smart publicity stunt. By giving themselves a larger punishment, they avoid the first pitfall of seeming to avoid their own punishments, and also get a very positive marketable story of "Google punishes Google." It has the ludicrous title that attracts attention, but at the same time makes sure everybody gets the message of "we are a fair moderator of our service, not even us are above our rules." And the brilliant part about it is, by getting this publicity, the link downgrade will probably be counter-balanced by the PR the article receives.

- Well if rules are made they're put there for good standard. If you want others to follow the rules you put in place, then the person who put them in order must abide by them also.
- The same of course. Even a giant company like Google. If they don't follow there own rules they put in place, why should anyone else?

So it seems that everyone agrees that those that make the rules should be required to follow them. This makes sense, I can't even think of a country where (for example) police forces, politicians or judges can break the law as much as they please.

However how about we move this conversation a little closer to something we all know.


The Toribash forums.

Staff here are NOT required to follow the rules, and OFTEN break them just for fun. Do you think this is acceptable? Should Staff be held to the same standard (or a higher standard) as regular users? Should they be demoted/receive more than just infractions for breaking rules?

Hurr hurr, lets make a thread just to pick apart the staff!
That's nice gorman, you can get lost now.
Anyone who wants to change how we work, use the complaint box.
Anyone interested in why we work like we do, use 'Ask the staff', and try not to sound rhetorical like gorman is.
Anyone who would like more conspiracy theories, Gorman should have a new account soon that you can PM.