Google Rash :: First Ever Allergic Reaction to Google? [Press Releases and Press Coverage]

Allergic Reaction to Google

Google Rash :: First Ever Allergic Reaction to Google?

Our CEO and Creative Director Mike Hartley's somewhat extreme views about Google have been known to those of us close to him (and unfortunately, by far too many others also, to anyone who'll listen quite frankly) for some time. Yesterday things took a turn for the worse. Mike was doing some best practice research regarding flash (used by sites like ZOOZOOM and NY Times' T Mag to deliver multimedia experiences) when he came across this link, which gave him a rash:

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Best uses of Flash

Some of the highlights:

Google: Flash is inherently a visual medium, and Googlebot doesn't have eyes.
Mike: How does it read the words then?

Google: Try to use Flash only where it is needed.
Mike: Thanks. Try not to make your content as compelling and engaging as other media, like tv and print. Why? So we all just keep moving around so you can keep cashing in on adwords?

Google: So what's an honest web designer to do? The only hard and fast rule is to show Googlebot the exact same thing as your users.
Mike: But you just told me Googlebot's got no eyes. My users do. The screen on which we view the web is a visual device. What on earth do you mean?