EightBlack.

This story ran in The Age today.

I don’t know, I just don’t get it. It’s one thing to understand affiliate marketing and traffic generation, and using the ad distribution networks that the big search companies offer - like Adsense etc.

I’ve got no issue with Adsense sites in general because most site owners make it clear that the ads that are running are clearly just that- ads.

But when operators hide behind the whole “eco-friendly” concept and say that using a black site (instead of white like Google etc) will benefit the environment is just horse-shit. It really is.

At least Sensis had the common sense to make a donation when they went and pulled out the eco-flag as a marketing tool. They state quite clearly that every search conducted at sensis.com.au results in a donation to Greenig Australia. For a limited time at least. Fair enough. If thats what they need to do, then fine. Its their money. If they want to piss it up against a wall, I’m not a shareholder, so it makes no difference to me. I can assure you that the marketing angle wont drive long term, sustainable search volume. But thats another story.

But back to Blackle.

I hope it fizzes out quickly. I really do. I’m not convinced the model will survive long term. On one hand, I have to admire the “entrepreneurship”. But its just not ethical to state that by displaying everything in a black background that the environment will be saved and that our computer screens will use less power - unless they can clearly prove the claim.

Their website states that “a black Google would save 750,000 megawatt hours a year”. Show me.
I’ve had the good fortune of visiting the Googleplex in the US and I would lay good money on the fact that all 4 buildings within the actual “plex” - with their roofs covered in solar panels would save probably just as much. Google in the US generate 40% of their own power with their solar efforts.

All I can say is “where’s the evidence…”

(Image courtesy The Age, 1 Aug 2007)

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 at 10:41 pm and is filed under Search Engines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.