Google Combats Domain Name Loophole

[HardOCP News]

It would seem that Google, over the next few weeks, will help prevent the practice of domain name tasting by excluding names that are repeatedly registered and then dropped within the five day grace period. Google believes that, by excluding these names from its AdSense program, it can help remove the incentive to game the system.

The online advertising leader Google Inc. said Friday it would help make it less lucrative to tie up millions of Internet addresses using a loophole and keep those domain names from legitimate individuals and businesses.

 

[schenks]

thank god someone is going to do something about this....i've lost URLs because of crap like this, and it's just gotten to be a hassle anymore to even check for URLs, because half the time they're being squatted on

 

[InorganicMatter]

Hmm...another version of this I read earlier said Google simply wasn't going to give ads to domains less than 5 days old.

 

[VulturEMaN]

I wish that they'd make a list of them :O

 

[Cinge]

WTF doesn't ICANN just stop the practice of giving refunds since it's being abused?

 

[pxc]

WTF doesn't ICANN just stop the practice of giving refunds since it's being abused?

I'm not sure that would do any good since it would tie up a somewhat worthy domain name for at least a year if they had to pay the few dollars.

Google caused this problem and good it is (finally) trying to fix it. Most of the worthless search results are caused by the incentive google and the like give for sites to spam affiliate links.

 

[HOCP4ME]

Excellent. I'm getting a little tired of that "what you need, when you need it" page.

 

[Nemesis999]

I'm not sure that would do any good since it would tie up a somewhat worthy domain name for at least a year if they had to pay the few dollars.

Yes it would. The only reason the practice works is because refunds are given. Simply announce that they will stop giving refunds as of *date* and the practice stops dead in it's tracks.

 

[pxc]

update: http://www.icann.org/minutes/prelim-report-23jan08.htm

Free domain tasting days may soon be over. I would guess what happens next is what I wrote above. For "somewhat worthy domain names" the search engine keyword/affiliate spammers will probably weigh if it's worth the few bucks and tie up the domain name for a year.