Do I have an unfair advantage in my job?

[jasontn]

I can make sites get on the front page of Google. I have access to an .edu site. In other words, I have a sub-domain on an .edu site that’s totally mine (I don’t actually own it but I can put links on it or design it etc…)

This gives me a huge advantage. Should I use this advantage? Should I use educational sites (which are supposed to be non-profit) to wipe out the competition? Of course, it’s never been proven .edu sites help out though most people believe they do. Some people think Google only likes .edu because it’s they’re usually old sites not because they are .edu’s.

In addition, it’s only a new site (but of course a link to a new .edu site could be a good investment down the road).

Finally, my economic status isn’t that good. Makes it more tempting.

What is the Catholic perspective? Am I selling my soul?

We all know this .edu isn’t a real .edu site (even if I put educational content on it). It’s not really a college site though technically it is? It’s only a bribe tool.

 

[Chaldean_Rite]

I can make sites get on the front page of Google. I have access to an .edu site. In other words, I have a sub-domain on an .edu site that’s totally mine (I don’t actually own it but I can put links on it or design it etc…)

This gives me a huge advantage. Should I use this advantage? Should I use educational sites (which are supposed to be non-profit) to wipe out the competition? Of course, it’s never been proven .edu sites help out though most people believe they do. Some people think Google only likes .edu because it’s they’re usually old sites not because they are .edu’s.

In addition, it’s only a new site (but of course a link to a new .edu site could be a good investment down the road).

Finally, my economic status isn’t that good. Makes it more tempting.

What is the Catholic perspective? Am I selling my soul?

Would you be breaking any laws?

 

[jasontn]

No, I’m not breaking any laws. But people can do bad things that are legal.

For example, buying links is legal but Google doesn’t like it. They lower the rankings or ban sites that buy links (that are purely for the sake of SEO).

 

[jmcrae]

I can make sites get on the front page of Google. I have access to an .edu site. In other words, I have a sub-domain on an .edu site that’s totally mine (I don’t actually own it but I can put links on it or design it etc…)

This gives me a huge advantage. Should I use this advantage? Should I use educational sites (which are supposed to be non-profit) to wipe out the competition?

I’m not sure that I grasp what’s going on.

Are you putting commercial content on a dot edu site? If you are found out, the regulating authorities will take away your dot edu designation, and replace it with a dot com, won’t they? Especially once you link up to a bank in order to accept credit cards, and ask for the “shipping” option to be added - they will wonder what on earth a dot edu is shipping.

Also, if people go on to your site and don’t find the information they were expecting to find, then your placement on Google won’t do anything for you. People will click through, sure, but they aren’t going to buy things that they weren’t looking for.

I also don’t know what the advantage is for commercial enterprises to take a dot edu, since as far as I know, all of the designations cost the same amount of money. I’ve always gotten dot coms, even for my educational stuff, on the off chance that there might some day be some kind of product I would want to sell on the site.

 

[jasontn]

The .edu is a bribing tool. It has only educational content. However, it can be used to bribe sites to link to your other commercial .com .net etc… site. It’s doubtful anybody would ever look at the .edu. People simply want to link to a .edu because they are considered powerful.

Is that ethical? Of course, SEO’s always use high PR sites to bribe other sites. But I don’t really consider that unethical.

 

[jmcrae]

The .edu is a bribing tool. It has only educational content. However, it can be used to bribe sites to link to your other commercial .com .net etc… site. It’s doubtful anybody would ever look at the .edu. People simply want to link to a .edu because they are considered powerful.

A link to it, or a link from it? I’m still completely confused about what’s going on, here. Does having a link to the .edu site do something for them?

I can see how a link from it might add to their credibility, though, because they could say, “See how these highly educated people value our products.”

I’m not sure how it would work the other way, though.

Is that ethical?

I have no idea. If the product has some kind of relationship with the information on the .edu site, then sure, it seems okay to me. But if there is no relationship between the two, then I don’t really see what is to be gained from it, and in the end it could actually be detrimental, since both the .edu site and the product could lose credibility.