How To Destroy Google With $100 Million?

from the fun-for-the-whole-family dept

Tom Foremski has come up with what he believes is a huge "vulnerability" in Google's AdWords business model. The business model works because the clicks on the ads are legitimate. If the clicks aren't, then the model becomes troublesome -- which is why Google and others are so concerned about click fraud and look for ways to stop it. So, Foremski's "atom bomb" for Google would be if a random billionaire offered $100 million to the first person to click on a specific Google ad -- without telling anyone (of course) what ad it is. In other words, this billionaire will have given millions of people the incentive to commit clickfraud -- destroying the basis under which the AdWords system works. Advertisers would, in theory, demand their money back or would simply kill their Google ads. It's an interesting idea, and we all know someone who certainly has $100 million lying around and wants to defeat Google. However, there are some problems with the idea. First, in doing so, whatever random "billionaire" carried out this offering would open him or herself up to a tremendous lawsuit from Google. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the problem goes away the second the first person finds the ad and wins the money. Stability is restored, and the system goes on, until the billionaire decides to play the game again -- but that can certainly get expensive fast. While it's an interesting idea, it's not clear that Google has much to worry about right now.

27 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 

Reader Comments (rss)

(Flattened / Threaded)

  1. The REAL way to defeat google...

    by Google Boy - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 4:17am

    The REAL way to defeat google is to create a completely open source search engine, based on a distributed computing model.

    Sure Google has 100,000 computers worldwide, but how many of us geeks donate our computer cycles towards distributed computing projects such as Folding at Home, or DHE (Distributed Hardware Evolution) ?

    The best part is since everyone is a volunteer, there is no need for foolish "click revenue".

    People can donote if they want, or buy memberships that give them bragging rights.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  2. No Subject Given

    by Justin - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 6:57am

    As for long term, I'm sure people would be happy with a $1 mil prize every day for the next 1,000 days..

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  3. Threshold is absurd

    by Anonymous Coward - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 7:10am

    A competing search engine could throw the system into caos by distributing "attacks" on specific keywords at random.

    Those attacks could be done by 10/hour temps.

    $1B prize superfluous.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  4. Would this really target Google?

    by Rich Miller - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 7:32am

    If the "magic click" were a real AdWords ad, Google could undoubtedly find a way to shut the contest down, since it controls AdWords (and we assume the identity of the $100 million patron is known).
    If it's not an AdWords ad, but just "looks like" one, that would be a threat to the entire text ads universe, rather than just Google. If someone is giving out millions to destroy an enemy, they'd want to know they can effectively target that enemy. Not sure that works with this example, as the attack would have to use the enemy's own resources.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  5. $100 Million

    by Joe Dirt - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 8:41am

    How do you arrive at that figure? Sounds like wishful thinking. A lousy thousandaire could offer fifty grand and acheive the same result. Or, alternatively, you could simply plot a story that President Bush was a major investor in Google and the same people who scam every MSNBC politics poll would be happy to do the same to Google for free.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  6. What makes you think Google wouldn't welcome this?

    by Jef Poskanzer - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 8:51am

    Google takes a percentage of the payout, and they don't specify what the percentage is. If they wanted to, they could make the secret percentage be as high as they like for this one ad, to compensate for lost revenue from the increase in bogus clicks. They could even distribute the money to the other advertisers in the form of lowered costs, to keep them happy.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  7. just a free pen is needed

    by just a pen - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 9:18am

    Save the hundred million, as others have mentioned. People will click ads for a free pen. Free pen with every hundredth ad click. To keep them interested, give them a blender when they reach 10,000 clicks.

    But anyways, the entire PPC ad system is ALREADY overrun with click fraud (50-100%), which is why the only ones who make any money off of it are the ppc engines. It is a dumb idea and should go away. But because the PPC engines (google, etc) do make so much money off their advertisers from click from, they dont really care about it.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  8. Always Sabatoge

    by Justin - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 9:34am

    Why is there always a person out there looking to sabatoge a companies good fortune? Google creates great jobs and work environment for its employees. i don't even work there yet I admire the company. It makes no sense to me. So if there is anyone who can shed light on this subject I am waiting to be enlightend.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  9. Re: Always Sabatoge

    by Adam - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 9:46am

    People love kicking the popular kid. Sometimes it seems our whole society is built on schaudenfreude.

    But, seriously, what a counterproductive thing to even contemplate sabataging AdWords. Do we all want to return to the days of blinking shock-the-monkey ads? I, for one, like text ads.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  10. Destroy Google for free

    by Don - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 11:34am

    The free way to destroy Google is by getting 60 million internet users to add:

    127.0.0.1 googlesyndication.com
    127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication.com
    127.0.0.1 adservices.google.com
    127.0.0.1 adwords.google.com
    127.0.0.1 pagead.googlesyndication.com
    127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication.com
    127.0.0.1 googleadservices.com

    to their HOSTS file.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  11. 100 million google destruction idea

    by arthur iger - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 12:37pm

    $10 would be enough it.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  12. Re: Destroy Google for free

    by Art Iger - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 12:39pm

    Or they could just use Scroogle.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  13. Google's Business Model

    by Marius - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 12:46pm

    What would happen when that random "billionaer" would split the 100 Million Dollars into 100 single pieces. The amount of 1 Million is still attractive. And bringing google a hundred times in trouble would be more effective than shooting trouble on them only one time.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  14. How to destroy google with 100million???

    by bakahage - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 12:56pm

    You wouldn't even need to have someone really put up the $100 million dollars.

    How many people still answer the email thinking that Bill Gates is going to give them money. If you could get the rumor started that, in conjunction with his new search engine, Bill Gates is paying out $100 milion (or less even to make it realistic) to the first person to click an unspecified link to prove to the world how bad the Google business model is... then people would click it and click it and click it for years.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  15. Re: Destroy Google for free

    by please explain - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 6:07pm

    please explain. what would this do? block google from your local machine?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  16. try this:

    by JollyLeprechaun - Feb 3rd, 2005 @ 9:49pm

    the random billionaire can simply buy a bunch of adwords, and choose one "bingo" word at random; the first person to click on this totally unknown (to the public) adword will get a million dollars. WAY better odds than a lottery, and there's no need to announce a winner as soon as somebody wins :)
    To keep it honest, the chosen word can be written down and put in trust by a reliable, unbiased and honest third party with no direct interest in the contest. For example, any escrow service can be used. For added destructive mileage, simply repeat the contest every day for 3 months.
    That'll kill Google's adwords pretty quick, you'd have farms of ad-clickers - almost like Mr. Salt's factory in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  17. No Subject Given

    by dorpusy - Feb 4th, 2005 @ 7:11am

    the real way to defeat google is to add it to the banned list in the fantastic brand new free automatic install m$ spy engine no anti-spy engine.
    or maybe just have ie say 404 increasingly for *.google.com. of course this is just speculation thou drdos keeps coming to mind .... 404 ? how about just frame insert to google.msn.com ...

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  18. No Subject Given

    by Anonymous Coward - Jul 5th, 2005 @ 6:01pm

    Why not just release a software that blocks any of googles ads? There is already a FireFox plugin that does it.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  19. Re: The REAL way to defeat google...

    by Andre - Jun 19th, 2006 @ 11:36am


    The REAL way to defeat google is to create a completely open source search engine, based on a distributed computing model.


    In case you didn't know:
    http://www.yacy.net/yacy/

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  20. Google Algo

    by Chris - Jun 20th, 2006 @ 4:15am

    It is the algorithm that matters isnt it ? That is what makes google so strong

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  21. Re: The REAL way to defeat google...

    by under 13 - Jan 29th, 2007 @ 1:14pm

    I found this page after I typed in google 'destroy google'

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  22. Re: Destroy Google for free

    by under 13 - Jan 29th, 2007 @ 1:16pm

    Whats a host file?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  23. Re: Google's Business Model, split 100 Milion in 1

    by under 13 - Jan 29th, 2007 @ 1:24pm

    if the 100 million was split like that, then why not split it more?

    In millions:

    100 divided by 110 = about 0.9

    So that wouild mean an extra ten people.
    Also there would be a little mony left over.
    And, 900 000$ is still pretty attrctive, isn't it?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  24. Just thinking

    by Chaiya Intasoie - Feb 28th, 2007 @ 7:06am

    I HATE GOOGLE AND I WOULD LIKE SOME TO HAVE SOME SUGGESTION. WHAT IF YOU, I MEAN EVERY MAN IN THE WORLD TRY TO MAKE CLICK TO GOOGLE ADSENSE AND CLICK. THEN GOOGLE WILL THINK THAT WAS THE SHEAT. THEN THEY WILL STOP AND THERER ADVER TISER WILL THINK GOOGLE IS SHIT

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  25. to kill

    by greg tejuco - Mar 23rd, 2007 @ 8:04pm

    i want to kill you gloria macapagal arroyo

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  26. google adwords are shit,google adwords are a rip o

    by allan - Nov 14th, 2007 @ 9:56pm

    I am writting an operating system called "TheZoid" at http://thezoid.co.uk

    I have no choice but to add this due to nasty search engine which will not advertise my busuiness called google addwords on www.google.co.uk which wishes to charge very high prices and as an excuse call my website very poor quality. If you manage to find this website as www.google.co.uk is trying its best to keep it out of its search engine that is unbelivable. I would like to know why google cannot recognize TheZoid as an operating system !!! Please send www.google.co.uk lots of emails and tell them that shitting on the small man is good business sense. If google wishes me to remove this from my website than advertise my business fairly, at resaonable rates !!!!

    Did you know google.co.uk wishes to charge upto five pounds for one Click for the word "Operating System" and many other words, I would like to know what is this Bullshit !!!!
    Please show your outrage by boycotting the google search engine !!!!

    This message was posted on 15/11/2007 just after I cancelled my google adwords account which will not advertise my business. I will not pay stupid prices for one click for one keyword !!

    If you work at www.google.co.uk and find this fucking offensive then I am fucking hope so and you can go fuck yourselfs. PS keep pissing of the small man, and I hope you go out of business !!!!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  27. Another theory

    by Rod - Mar 11th, 2008 @ 11:19am

    This post proposes a co-op model, based on the fact that Google relies on web sites to search, so webmaster should take back the power: How to destroy google

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

Add Your Comment

Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Plain Text HTML Save me a cookie
  • Plain Text: A CRLF will be replaced by break <br> tag, all other allowable HTML is intact
  • HTML: No formatting of any kind is done without explicitly being written in
  • Allowed HTML Tags: <b> <i> <p> <a> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <hr> <tt>
Close
Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Plain Text HTML Save me a cookie
Search Techdirt
And now, a word from our Sponsors..
Subscribe to Techdirt's Daily Email Newsletter

Techdirt's Daily Email Newsletter

Related Stories
Close
E-mail It