Comments on: The Battle of Black Hat vs. White Hat http://www.squareoak.com/blog/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/ Search engine optimization, search marketing strategies, and web solutions company. Our efforts also include linkbait, niche content, articles, social networking, blogoshpere networking, application development, web development, site audits, and usability testing. Thu, 01 Apr 2010 20:18:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Marty http://www.squareoak.com/blog/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/comment-page-1/#comment-218 Marty Sun, 28 Oct 2007 15:44:24 +0000 http://www.squareoak.com/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/#comment-218 It's like taxes...you take what they give you so long as it's legally defensible. It’s like taxes…you take what they give you so long as it’s legally defensible.

]]> By: Dave http://www.squareoak.com/blog/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/comment-page-1/#comment-214 Dave Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:17:14 +0000 http://www.squareoak.com/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/#comment-214 It all comes down to whose definition of "black hat" you use. Google might have a big list of practices that are on their "black hat" list, but at the end of the day, how these practices get on to that list is by being deceptive. Deception is the key word here. Will I, as a user, feel deceived when I get to your site ? Will Google be deceived into thinking that your site is more popular than it really is ? If Google think you've tricked them then they are going to penalise you. If Google think that you have added something worthwhile to the internet then you will probably be rewarded. There's nothing "evil" about automation. If you can automate something mindless and repetitive then good for you. If you automate something that should involve human thought and is beyond the capabilities of a simple script, then a real human will be able to tell the difference. It all comes down to whose definition of “black hat” you use. Google might have a big list of practices that are on their “black hat” list, but at the end of the day, how these practices get on to that list is by being deceptive.

Deception is the key word here. Will I, as a user, feel deceived when I get to your site ? Will Google be deceived into thinking that your site is more popular than it really is ? If Google think you’ve tricked them then they are going to penalise you. If Google think that you have added something worthwhile to the internet then you will probably be rewarded.

There’s nothing “evil” about automation. If you can automate something mindless and repetitive then good for you. If you automate something that should involve human thought and is beyond the capabilities of a simple script, then a real human will be able to tell the difference.

]]> By: Sam Freedom http://www.squareoak.com/blog/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/comment-page-1/#comment-208 Sam Freedom Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:16:18 +0000 http://www.squareoak.com/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/#comment-208 Ok, you cracked me up with the final sentence. I'll leave it alone. :) I think it's safe to say that Black Hat SEO, in it's most basic form, is simply opportunism. Since every person can't be a top expert, in his or her chosen field, there are varying opportunities to get a little juice now and then. After all, those who are relatively new to any scene are entering a mix with people who have been in it for ages. Black Hat allows that quick boost for the newcomer to get up to speed. It's the extent to which it is employed that makes it seem evil or not to that aforementioned perceiver. Regars, Sam ps. I'm subscribing. See y'round. Ok, you cracked me up with the final sentence. I’ll leave it alone. :)

I think it’s safe to say that Black Hat SEO, in it’s most basic form, is simply opportunism. Since every person can’t be a top expert, in his or her chosen field, there are varying opportunities to get a little juice now and then.

After all, those who are relatively new to any scene are entering a mix with people who have been in it for ages. Black Hat allows that quick boost for the newcomer to get up to speed.

It’s the extent to which it is employed that makes it seem evil or not to that aforementioned perceiver.

Regars,
Sam
ps. I’m subscribing. See y’round.

]]> By: SeoReef http://www.squareoak.com/blog/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/comment-page-1/#comment-205 SeoReef Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:42:07 +0000 http://www.squareoak.com/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/#comment-205 Black Hat is white hat taken to the limits, but I like white hat anyway. Black Hat is white hat taken to the limits, but I like white hat anyway.

]]> By: Brendan Picha http://www.squareoak.com/blog/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/comment-page-1/#comment-204 Brendan Picha Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:08:43 +0000 http://www.squareoak.com/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/#comment-204 I find black hat and white hat equally fascinating and in my post it reads, "Many of us perceive black hat to be evil". If you think it's evil then that's your perception and decision. And I love how you say the "analysis is so superficial" yet it was enough to get your goat and post a thesis of a comment. :) I find black hat and white hat equally fascinating and in my post it reads, “Many of us perceive black hat to be evil”. If you think it’s evil then that’s your perception and decision.

And I love how you say the “analysis is so superficial” yet it was enough to get your goat and post a thesis of a comment. :)

]]> By: Sam Freedom http://www.squareoak.com/blog/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/comment-page-1/#comment-203 Sam Freedom Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:55:39 +0000 http://www.squareoak.com/the-battle-of-black-hat-vs-white-hat/#comment-203 Ok, Brendan, I want to thump you in a friendly way for riding the coattails of the easiest paradigm to blog about in human history: good vs evil. It's not that it ought not to have been broached again but that the analysis is so superficial. Let me ask you this... why is the black hatter automatically EVIL? Perhaps what you've witnessed, or heard, of black hatting is from the least well-adjusted amongst us who are doing it, for example, out of some long-standing dislike of authority? Or as on over-compensation for a general feeling of powerlessness. Sure, the money is nice but there's a "you can't tell me what to do" feeling that comes with it and the allure for many refugees of social angst is often irresistable. But, perhaps there are those who use it not for evil, but just as an occasional BOOST to their business? Perhaps they use it to generated leads in a very targeted niche and later, regardless of what happens to that original site, they refer those referrals to similar niche ventures in their white hat arsenal? After all, my friend, did Google ever ask you if they could spider your site and make money from it? Some things in moderation are just fine. For survival still goes to the fittest and being able to thrive under all conditions with a toolbox well-stocked with diverse tactics is being pretty darn fit. Regards, Sam Freedom ps Brendan, you might find this related piece of interest. <a href="http://controversialmarketing.blogspot.com/2007/04/get-your-vaseline-out-google-is-at-it.html" rel="nofollow">Get Out Your Vaseline, Folks...</a> Ok, Brendan, I want to thump you in a friendly way for riding the coattails of the easiest paradigm to blog about in human history: good vs evil. It’s not that it ought not to have been broached again but that the analysis is so superficial.

Let me ask you this… why is the black hatter automatically EVIL? Perhaps what you’ve witnessed, or heard, of black hatting is from the least well-adjusted amongst us who are doing it, for example, out of some long-standing dislike of authority?

Or as on over-compensation for a general feeling of powerlessness. Sure, the money is nice but there’s a “you can’t tell me what to do” feeling that comes with it and the allure for many refugees of social angst is often irresistable.

But, perhaps there are those who use it not for evil, but just as an occasional BOOST to their business? Perhaps they use it to generated leads in a very targeted niche and later, regardless of what happens to that original site, they refer those referrals to similar niche ventures in their white hat arsenal?

After all, my friend, did Google ever ask you if they could spider your site and make money from it? Some things in moderation are just fine. For survival still goes to the fittest and being able to thrive under all conditions with a toolbox well-stocked with diverse tactics is being pretty darn fit.

Regards,
Sam Freedom
ps Brendan, you might find this related piece of interest. Get Out Your Vaseline, Folks…

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