Something odd when trying to connect to forumthermomix via google

[Debbiebillg]

I have been offline for a few days so I apologise in advance if anyone has already posted about this, I did a quick search and couldn't find anything in Chit Chat, so here goes ......

My laptop has been running like a dog lately when using this site only !! My kids do get on my pc and do all sorts but ?? Anyhow I have been whinging at my techo head DH about not being able to get on the forum properly (for about a week I think)....... I could connect but it was verrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyy slow to load a page ! So I just couldn't use it.  So, today he has had my pc in bits thoroughly cleaned it, wiped everything and reinstalled windows etc etc

So I went into google, and in the address bar at the top I typed in www.forumthermomix.com and it takes me to www.recipecommunity.com.au ?  How did this happen Once I hit enter I can see the address change to Recipe Community ?

If I do a google search for Forum Thermomix and then click on Forum Thermomix in the returned search then it takes me here !

Is anyone else finding this as well ? So is this HO taking control and redirecting everyone ?

[gertbysea]

Oh oh Debbie. Very interesting.  Hackers,at work on several THERMOTHINGY  blogs as well. Lots going on.

Gert

[judydawn]

Sorry to hear about your problems Debbie but I am having no trouble myself.  If I type forumthermomix into google, I get an advert right up the top for 'the official Thermomix website - Recipe Community'.   Below that is the link to our forum.  You aren't clicking onto the ad are you?  Probably not because you say what you type changes and takes you straight to Recipe Community.  If you like I can let MM know about your predicament and see if he has any answers or you can wait for more replies from our members to see if anyone can shed some light on it.

[CreamPuff63]

Sometimes unethical business's register domain names that those who have the original legitimate site haven't registered. Perhaps RC has registered the forums .com.au domain name so they can sidetrack people who are looking for the forum. Has happened to me in business and the person who did it is a nasty piece of work. for some people money is more important than leaving well alone.

[judydawn]

If this is happening, then perhaps MM should know about it CP.

[Debbiebillg]

I just showed my DH.  Judy, I don't think it can be my pc now as it's been totally rebuilt !.  If you open a new screen and go to www.google.com.au, at the very top of the screen where it says http://google.com.au (not in the blank bar where you type in whatever you want to search for).  If you click on the http://google.com.au it will allow you to replace the text and then I typed in www.forumthermomix.com.au which SHOULD take me directly to this forum.  After I hit enter it changes to recipe community. It happens on my DH's computer too.

Something very fishy is going on ! CP you could be right !

[judydawn]

OK, I will report this to MM.

[Debbiebillg]

Did you try it CP or JD ?  Yes JD, I would definately report it ........... it's definately not right !

[JulieO]

Maybe because for here it is:   www.forumthermomix.com and not .com.au  ?

[CreamPuff63]

I think this forum is .com so they prob have registered .com.au. With domain names you need to register the whole lot available  ie .biz.  Etc and the you need to register similar  you also have to make sure you renew on time cos these sort of people will buy it the moment it becomes available. The mind boggles because MM will prob need to register other countries as well eg. com.nz. (If it hasn't been taken already  )

[judydawn]

I tried your way Deb and I see what you mean.  Then Julie hit the nail on the head - I did it her way and it goes to our forum as there is no .au in our name. It is not an Australian forum, we have just flooded it with Aussies.
Yay for Julie xx

[Debbiebillg]

Of course ......... yeh I just tried it again and yes I was putting .com.au instead of .com BUT I have done that before by habit (as everything normally ends with .au) and it normally doesn't find anything, it gives you some kind of error that it doesn't exist ! So HO must have jumped in and registered it. Very sneaky actually !

[judydawn]

OK, problem solved but MM has been informed of it just for interest sake.  Good job girls 

[ThermomixBlogger]

Hi Debbiebillg -- yes, it appears you may have inadvertently clicked on the ad which appears at the top of the search results when someone types "forum thermomix" into Google -- from Australia. (Friends using non-Aussie versions of Google won't see the ad.)

It's not a case of hacking, but more a case of "strategic marketing". From my vantage point here, it appears that the Australian HO got savvy in May of 2012 and registered the .au version of forumthermomix.com on May 18. Although a legit move, it could also be considered a dirty underhanded move by some.

They are trying to cash in on the popularity of and the traffic received by this fabulous forum. They were slow to get into online marketing, so now they are scrambling to catch up and one way is to piggy-back on the stellar reputation of this forum and the unwitting nature of some people who will be searching for "forum Thermomix" in Google.

Its somewhat surprising to me that they are paying for a Google ad, but not surprising to see they are trying to compete with this forum. The same thing happened to me when the HO in Malaysia got savvy and registered a Malaysian extension of my blog's name/url. They saw the SuperKitchenMachine.com was coming up high in Google when people searched for Thermomix info, so they proceeded to register SuperKitchenMachine.com.my. Not only that, but they also created a YouTube channel called "SuperKitchenMachine". (my own YouTube channel is "Thermomixblog") They have since produced marketing materials and at least one large public billboard in Malaysia which screams SUPER KITCHEN MACHINE.  I was a bit gobsmacked when it happened, but it shows they know how to play the game market aggressively online. At the time I wrote to them and offered "If you like the name so much, maybe you want to buy the blog...and then you can have it all!" But they weren't interested

Life certainly is interesting in the land of Thermothingies, isn't it?

[goldfish]

Good heavens above!! How pathetically sneaky - and to me, unethical! But then, what do I know   It may not be hacking - but just as good bad as . . .