Google pulls co.cc subdomains from search, brings our global malware nightmare to an end

Google’s been on an artistic tear lately, rolling out new products and revamping older ones . But there is a reason the phrase “search giant” is synonymous with Big G, and it is often working to go back better results . Sometimes that suggests tweaking its algorithm to prevent SEO-gaming ; other times it means dropping over 11 million sites from search results, because the company just did in blocking the .co.cc subdomain. Google classifies it as a “freehost” — it belongs to a Korean company that offers free or cheap domains, often bulk-registered — and after automated scanning revealed a high percentage of malware-hosting sites, decided to wash the total lot from its results. Needless to say, that is something like using a nuclear weapon against cockroaches: it causes a large number of collateral damage, while your real target scurries to its next hideout. Still, we would like Google well in its bravely quixotic mission.