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Self-promoting Google 'Tips' disappear

<b style="color:#900;">blog</b> After criticism for placing its products above organic results, Google pulls plug on "Tips."

Elinor Mills Former Staff Writer
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service and the Associated Press.
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Elinor Mills

Google appears to have listened to criticism and pulled its controversial "Tips," in which it promoted its products above organic results on the company's Web search page.

For instance, searches for "Calendar," "Blogging" and "Photo Sharing" showed links to Google products like Google Calendar, Blogger and Picasa above the regular search results. Google's self promotion was .

TechCrunch blogger Michael Arrington wrote about the "Tips" disappearing: "There's been no official announcement on this by Google, so the removal could be temporary. My guess is they are gone for a while, though, based on the overwhelmingly negative feedback from bloggers."