Bonum Certa Men Certa

Why Techrights Has Just Programmatically Blacklisted ZDNet

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jul 14, 2024

Rest In Peace Black Stamp Text

Even their "Linux" writers are AWOL these days. Their duties are barely journalism.

Also see (5 days ago): ZDNet Kills the Linux RSS Feed (Syndication Redirected to Loads of Marketing Spam and Fake Articles)

Steven Vaughan-Nichols has published 3 articles since July 3rd. Here are two of these.

Catalogue disguised as 'article' and SEO trash

Also this:

Catalogue disguised as 'article'

It's hard not to see what's going on here.

Steven Vaughan-Nichols (SJVN) has basically been turned into a marketer, working for a marketing company (which is technically what the owners of ZDNet have been for years; they make no secret/mystery of it). They did the same to Mr. Wallen, as we showed earlier this year [1, 2, 3].

Seeing the part that says: (at the top of SJVN's 'marketing masterpiece' entitled "The best TV antenna you can buy: Expert tested")

Why you can trust ZDNET

ZDNET independently tests and researches products to bring you our best recommendations and advice.

When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Our process

In our articles about Mr. Wallen (above) we explained what that means and expanded the links to explain it using their own words.

So linking to ZDNet basically helps boost all this "marketing spam-farming". It harms the Web. There are many other ways those harm the Web. Inaction isn't an option.

We've therefore modified our programs this morning. They now cull ZDNet links.

This is a sellout, compromising one's integrity for a salary from a very sleazy company that selectively deletes old articles (like embarrassing revelations about Microsoft), publishes slop (fake text) for SEO purposes, and does all sorts of other nefarious things.

When your employer demands such behaviour it is probably time to leave. Do not participate. â–ˆ

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