WEBSITE OF THE DAY - ecocho.com
Search the web, plant some trees. Everybody happy.
Ecocho is the world's first environmentally friendly search engine. Set up by a bunch of green Aussies, it utilises Google and Yahoo technologies to deliver excellent results and for every 1,000 searches, two new trees will be planted.
The economics of it are all a bit beyond me - something to do with retiring carbon foot print credits on a global exchange.
Or something.
But, to be honest, I don't really care how it works, I just think it's a great idea.
Bookmark it now - it'll cost you nothing and deliver the same results you always get.
Hmm how are you making sure that they indeed plant the trees as promised? Or it is just a tongue in the cheek..
A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart
And a washed-out dream
They follow the pattern of the wind, ya' see
Cause they got no place to be
That's why I'm starting with me
Furthermore, Ecocho's founder, Tim Macdonald, is also the co-founder of Found Agency, a high-profile search engine optimisation company that has been penalised by Google for breaking its rules in the past.
Google Australia spokesman Rob Shilkin said Ecocho was barred because it broke Google's AdSense policies.
Google's policy is that publishers running Google advertising must not "compensate users for viewing ads or performing searches, or promise compensation to a third party for such behaviour". By promising to plant trees, Ecocho broke those rules.
"The site was in clear violation of our terms of service and we had previously warned the owner of past violations," Shilkin said.
In May last year, Macdonald's company, Found Agency, saw its Google ranking tumble after it was caught unfairly manipulating its search rankings.
At the time, Found's other co-founder, Zak Asani, admitted to the Search Engine Room website that the company liked to test Google's boundaries.
"We've got between 1500 and 2000 websites running at any one time that we use to test the boundaries," he said.
So he's pissed off google in the past by cheating on search rankings and he admits to having 2000 websites trying to get around google's policies. Doesn't sound like the most trustworthy person.
Google's policy is that publishers running Google advertising must not "compensate users for viewing ads or performing searches, or promise compensation to a third party for such behaviour". By promising to plant trees, Ecocho broke those rules.
Um.. was Google not aware of this?
It does sound like Tim Macdonald is not trustworthy, but all this information makes Google look stupid. Unless Macdonald proposed to plant trees after working with Google. If this is the case, what was the incentive for Google to pair up with such a person?
A new Australian green search engine seeking to capitalise on web surfers' eco-guilt has been barred by Google from using its search technology and advertising platform.
The bottom line is that this company is making a commitment to plant trees.
From one of the comments:
I would rather support something which does *something* positive to the environment, than not at all.
I agree. We don't search because we're guilty, we search because we want to help the environment. And yes, I would go out and plant some trees myself, but I'm not sure where I can legally do so, and I haven't made the time to find out this information.
I found an article which contains similar text as quoted above
Probably because it's the same link as I posted.
The other interesting bit from the article:
The benefit of specialist green search engines is questionable because Google itself has invested heavily in green initiatives. Google claims it is carbon neutral, whereas the servers powering sites such as Ecocho are not.
- Lack of transparency : how much for who ? why not a non-profit ? how much work it really cost to just redirect a page ?
- "Ecocho is owned by Yield Media, which is part of ASX-listed Photon Group"... which has as child company 'Returnity' that does 'email marketing' which I label as 'spammers'.
purchase carbon offsets for the emissions that we can't reduce directly.
This sounds like the sale and commercialization of indulgences during Dark Ages.
People back then used to pay for their sins (as defined by the Church) to the Church ... these days sins are different and we are dealing with a different kind of religion but the concept is the same.
Would you rather they didn't do anything about their carbon emissions?
In your example people payed a higher authority (Church), but who is Google paying? The planet? The planet hasn't brought on the idea of paying for our sins, its an effort we put out to resolve a world problem.
Would you rather they didn't do anything about their carbon emissions?
Yeah, well they are not doing anything.
That is not true at all. At the very least these services invest in "green" energy companies. So in effect they are providing the seed money for more efficient technologies that will/can be using in the future.
I am wary of such offer of 'planting trees per 1000 search' because as I asked earlier, how can you ascertain that the pledge is fulfilled? Or is it just like a light joke that nobody should really pay attention to?
IMO, if you are asking for donation toward better world, you had better be very very transparent because it is better do nothing than devise a plan which is actually wolf in the sheep clothing. Too many crooks and dishonest people nowadays
A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart
And a washed-out dream
They follow the pattern of the wind, ya' see
Cause they got no place to be
That's why I'm starting with me
syedhs wrote:I am wary of such offer of 'planting trees per 1000 search' because as I asked earlier, how can you ascertain that the pledge is fulfilled? Or is it just like a light joke that nobody should really pay attention to?
Let's just assume they are true to the promised statement. They mention nothing about planting these trees in dirt, spaced apart, with any amount of water or sunlight ....
So, what can we conclude? They buy packets of seeds and drop a few in a bucket (aka trashcan) using a computerized dispenser as people do searches through them, thus making them money to buy more seeds. Sounds green to me.
