Javascript defeats Google auto link toolbar

By Rox on March 9th, 2005

SearchGuild reports: Google has tarnished its somewhat impecabble reputation with the new evil “Auto Link” feature introduced in its’ version 3 toolbar .. beta mode!

Google’s new Beta Toolbar (version 3 available from toolbar.google.com) includes a feature called AutoLink. When a user clicks on a button on the toolbar it scans through the current web page and links any addresses or ISBN numbers to Google’s services.

Unfortunately Google’s “Don’t be evil” philosophy doesn’t seem to extend to recognizing a webmaster’s rights to:

present their page how they want to,
to only create associations that they want to, and
to not have other companies promote their services off the webmaster’s hard work.

Surely webmasters should have to opt-in to this feature! Google doesn’t even provide a method to opt out!

SearchGuild doesn’t think that’s right; In fact, the Editor of this Blog thinks it’s entirely wrong and a dangerous precedent.

What Can You Do About It:

SearchGuild have created a piece of Javascript code that breaks the AutoLink feature. Basically it watches for the toolbar to create links in your page and then unlinks them!

To do this you need to be able to edit the HTML code of your page to insert the Javascript.

So assuming you know how to edit HTML code, let’s kick some AutoLink butt.

Simply copy the Javascript provided on the bottom of this page at Search Guild:SEO Marketing and SE high rankings specialist, upload it to your webserver and then insert the simple line of code provided by Search Guild in your web pages.

If you belong to the Amazon affiliate program, do remember to include your Amazon id in the appropriate place .. in the Javascript you upload to your server. If for some reason the Javascript has been removed at the SearchGuild page, please email me for a copy.

… and it was only yesterday that I assured a colleague the Google toolbar is perfectly safe to instal in her browser!