Remembering the First Google Bomb
Earlier today, Matt Cutts and the Google software engineering team posted an update citing the progress they’ve been making fighting Google bombs. Back in the old days, these pranks were common practice, but they’ve become less prevalent thanks to Google’s diligence.
That’s OK — link bombs are so 2001.
In January, 2001, Wired News ran an article about a humor site called Hugedisk. During the run-up to the 2000 presidential election, it linked a particularly saucy two-word term to a site selling official George W. Bush campaign merchandise. We contacted one of the Hugedisk admins and offered him the opportunity to recount his side of the story and reclaim his stolen glory. So here it is, a first-hand telling of the bomb that started it all.
I remember the “dumb motherfucker” incident. The amusing part was the site selling official George W. Bush campaign merchandise (how lame is that?) went ballistic and sent a cease and desist to one of the originators of the Google bomb.
For what it’s worth, it looks like Microsoft’s search can still be link bombed…