Rational Recovery?
You Can’t Get There From Here!
©2008, Jack Trimpey. All rights reserved.
I propose that this title, above, be adopted as Google’s corporate slogan. Their real slogan is “Don’t be evil.”
If you Google “Rational Recovery” right here, you’ll discover a truly frightening fact about today’s Internet. Bottom line: If Google thinks you’re evil, Google can get you. The famous, controversial, widely-acclaimed Rational Recovery website can no longer be found on Google!
Rational Recovery was a steady customer of Google for several years, buying key words to reach people desperate for information on independent recovery from addiction. Our ad campaigns were successful, bringing a message of hope to many thousands of families trapped in the world of addiction and recoveryism.
The ads were expensive, however, so as 2008 began, we discontinued our Google ads. As we expected, web traffic tapered down to a healthy baseline of activity that has made the Rational Recovery website a high-profile Internet resource since 1995, practically since the birth of the Internet, long before Google had even been thought of.
Then, on March 28, 2008, nothing. As far as Google clients are concerned, the Rational Recovery website, including the crown jewel of addiction recovery, AVRT®, do not exist. Our competitors, detractors, imitators, infringers, and critics now have top rank for those key words. This website is zeroed out, nowhere to be found, as you can see for yourself. Only a paid, “sponsored” ad may appear.
Google denies blacklisting Rational Recovery. Since that false reply, they will not respond to my emails, nor speak to me by phone. I don’t exist. Clients of Yahoo, MSN, AltaVista, and other search engines still rank Rational Recovery first or very high on the key search words people use to get help with addictions. However, the New Behemoth, Google, now owns 70% of the search engine market. Google is a virtual monopoly aiming at 100% market share. This is a new age when one giant corporation has enormous control over the business world, and occasionally uses that power by blacklisting sites it deems unworthy of existence. While this power can have beneficial uses, such as in the control of illegal operations, it can also be abused according to the whims of low-ranking employees possessed by a keen sense of social justice.
Background…
There are two ways to get search engine results:
1. “Organic” ranking. The way people usually search for information, by typing a word in the search field and then click Search. Many thousands of (organic) examples will fill many pages, listed from most relevant to least relevant. Organic rank is superior by far to paid advertising. It’s “reality.”
2. Paid advertising. If you want to make sure your name comes up when certain words are searched, you can buy certain words and Google will put your website in a “sponsored link” in the right hand column of the results page.
“Organic,” is a silly, geeky word that means, reality — the way the world is out there in cyberspace. If you want to find something that’s really out there, “Google it.” Or, so they say. If something exists online, Google knows it, even a single word in an obscure, irrelevant page will be dredged up by Google’s powerful indexing crawlers. Since March 28, 2008, the terms Rational Recovery, AVRT, and Jack Trimpey no longer call up this website. The names appear on searches, but only as indirect references. Rational Recovery? You can’t get there from Google.
When a feature story on Rational Recovery hit the front page of the New York Times some years ago, our telephone contact number was typoed by a single keystroke, enough to divert thousands of desperate addicted people and recovery groupers to an amazed neighbor, who attempted to redirect some of them here. Rational Recovery books are often found misplaced, hidden, or absent from bookstores and libraries. The half-life of an RR poster on a public bulletin board is about two hours. When I appeared in Boston on the Gene Burns WRKO Talkshow, that station’s switchboard had an unprecedented flood of callers raging back at my suggestion that approaches to recovery other than AA often work. My one-hour scheduled appearance was expanded into four, and the stream irate callers continued for days.
We get tons of hate email daily at the RR office. Most amounts to character assassination, often using awkward clinical language picked up at meetings. I am accused of “killing alcoholics” at least once a week in the recoveryism hate mail I receive. Most hate mailers state a desire to silence me, some threatening to “shut this site down” through whatever means, including “malware,” or malicious geeky tricks.
When I appeared on ABC’s Morning Show, hostess Joan Lunden was forced by her producer(s) to apologize the next day on behalf of ABC for the misjudgment of featuring an interviewee who stirred up so much interest and consternation among the viewers. (It was a tame interview.) I have never complained to Dr. Laura for allowing her 12-stepping boss, Fran, to barge into my hour-long interview with her foreboding, distracting steptalk. Nor will I name the number of mainstream media interviews I’ve declined simply because the producers insist on having a 12-stepper join in as a guest, “to provide balance.” (When I’m called by A&E to “balance” its Intervention series with a show of my own, I’ll start accepting AA chaperones for my own media appearances.)
Cultural Recoveryism
Recoveryism is a contagious, barbaric worldview that arises naturally from alcohol and drug addiction. Recoveryism is quite appealing, however, and easily enters mainstream thinking in the form of tolerance for continued self-intoxication by addicted people, compassion toward people who explain their antisocial conduct with a pretend disease, charity for the self-indulgent, and special support for those who are betraying their families, their employers, and their communities. Our social service system has been overtaken by cultural recoveryism, which has replaced traditional values and ethical codes with the disease/treatment thinking for conditions that have no clinical foundation, such as substance addiction and other antisocial and immoral behaviors.
Rational Recovery has always had to swim upstream to survive and thrive. We live in a culture dominated by a vast fellowship of addicted people, the 12-step syndicate, which includes millions of well-meaning men and women who honestly believe that addicted people should be accommodated as disease victims, entitled to the same respect and array of services and protections accorded those who suffer from real diseases. Rational Recovery® has punctured that balloon, cancelled the recovery group movement, and sent its members home to their families or clinging to the morbid illusions of group recoveryism. The stats at the bottom of this page show how the Internet has been correcting cultural recoveryism. Those stranded “in recovery” deeply resent having their cover blown sky high, and they write me hate mail every day.
Millions of men and women stranded in addict-identity believe Rational Recovery® is evil, a source of harm, directly responsible for the deaths of addicted people. The mainstream media have been groomed by 12-stepping insiders to present Rational Recovery® as an ineffective, wrongheaded fringe group that has a grudge against AA. Often those most harmed by recovery group participation are the very ones who defend it most vigorously, insisting that it was because of their own shortcomings and not because of 12-step recoveryism that they have suffered so much. Such humility!
No longer, is vice wrong. Vice has been updated to become a disease — a birthright to barbarism. Vice is cool, addiction an affliction, and it’s the critics who are sick. The worst social sin today is to render a moral judgment of indecency, antisocial conduct, perversion, or crime. The attitudes of tolerance, compassion, and support toward addicted people, however, easily evolves into intolerance for other views and beliefs, just as in totalitarian regimes where the dark side has been empowered.
Aldous Huxley once predicted that there would be a great spiritual awakening in America. He said it would not come on the words of a religious leader or as a religious movement, but would be born of drugs that would open the doors of consciousness to new worlds with new hope and new possibilities. He was a true prophet, for now we are in those times, living in a society that increasingly hates its origins, claims genetically defective ancestors, rejects its ancestral heritage, and feels alienated from the traditional, “dysfunctional” human family.
Has Google played the China card?
Rational Recovery is a polarizing factor in human affairs. You either love us or hate us. AVRT® is a seed idea that grows of its own accord because it is the engine of freedom itself. AVRT® is a model of human consciousness upon which free will rests, an irreconcilable foe of the animal determinism at the foundation of addiction, recoveryism, collectivism, socialism, and Communism.
You may recall that not long ago, Google entered into an evil pact with Communist China, during negotions for entry into the China-controlled Internet. To sweeten the deal, Google agreed to suppress organic search terms leading to organized dissent against the Communist dictatorship — terms like Falun Gong and Tiananmen Square, both examples of China’s brutal suppression of free speech.
Google does have a blacklist. It is for people who run scams, illegal and marginally legal operations, and websites that offend their “Don’t be evil” corporate slogan. BMW got blacklisted for unethical advertising.
We do not know if Google has purposely blacklisted Rational Recovery, or if a low-ranking employee “in recovery” took action to stop my killing spree. The fact is, we are blacklisted. Nor may we ever know who was responsible for New York Time’s “oops” typo, but we do know who was responsible for many other purposeful accidents that have deprived huge audiences and readers from direct access to information on independent recovery. Grateful, recovering alcoholics are found everywhere, in most every organization, from all walks of life, anonymous ones who reflexively defend Mother Hive from adversity, in keeping with AA’s Tradition One, “AA unity above all, for without AA we will perish.”
Can the Internet correct Google?
Rational Recovery® is the world’s exclusive source of independent recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, now blocked by Google from the people we exist to serve. As it is, you can get the foulest porn imaginable through Google, and reach the vilest hate groups that exist through Google, but you cannot get to the Rational Recovery® website through the world’s dominant search engine, Google.
Success has brought unimagined success to Google, making it a world power and catapulting its founders and corporate management into roles and responsibilities for which their backgrounds and technical expertise do not qualify them. They are playing by made-up rules, narrowly skirting the law and breaching ethics to advance their corporate causes. Some say Google thinks it owns the Internet, and feels entitled to create a world in the image of Google’s imagination. Whatever their reasons for economic violence, they are still accountable to the people they serve, which are the Internet clients themselves. Keep in mind that many would love to silence Rational Recovery®. We hear from them daily. They are in every part of society; some work for Google.
The Google attack on Rational Recovery® is a news story. Blog it. Report it to Matt Drudge, near bottom of page. Contact newspaper and online editors. Create chatter. Let’s see if the Internet, which Google claims as its private sandbox, can teach Google a lession.
Rational Recovery is officially underground!
Rational Recovery® has been an underground social movement since we severed from the addiction treatment industry and professional community in 1994. In doing so, we identified the social service system as the chief cause of mass, runaway addiction to alcohol and other drugs and a source of harm and misguidance rather than guidance, healing, or help. This website is the sole resource on independent recovery, aka, AVRT®, and our mission is to make independent recovery a viable option to all addicted people. Only thus may the professional community reclaim its relevance to the human family.
The Google attack only makes more conspicuous what we’ve known all along, which is that we are on our own, and must never form dependencies on any entity or any form of support. We will remain on the Internet until the Internet itself dims out, offering refuge, guidance and solace to addicted people and their families. You can help defeat the Google censorship by using our “Tell Someone” link, and by taking the message of AVRT® to your home communities as an Advocate for AVRT-based recovery.
By all means, register your comments below about our disappearance from Google Search. I am particularly interested in reports from anyone who can this website directly by searching any term or word on Google.
Jack:
It is truly sad indeed how powerful people play God, and attempt to recreate the world in their image. I’m convinced it’s all about brainwashing and control, just like AA. Seems to me that Google’s mindset is the same as AA’s, as Hitler’s and Stalin’s, and as other powerful types that want to control the flow of ideas and beliefs to make society the way THEY want it. It’s rotten and evil to the core, that’s for sure. I for one am thankful and grateful for your website and book, Jack, because had it not been for that I’d still be believing that a bogus claptrap called recoveryism was a great thing, although I knew in my heart that it didn’t work for me.
I do SEO as part of my job and it does appear you’ve been banned. That said, I doubt it’s because they have a problem with the content of your site. A friend of mine runs a wedding site that was briefly banned because of some technical issues. He fixed them and was back in the index within a few days. See Google Proxy Hacking: How a Third Party Can Remove Your Site From Google Search Engine Results Pages.
I respect and admire what you do, but it’s distasteful to equate what you do with the Falun Gong. Those people were beaten and imprisoned. You got banned from Google. Moral equivalence? I don’t think so.
BTW I’ve lived in China and my wife is from there. You can still get uncensored results from Google in English, and they put a note on their Chinese results that some sites have been excluded by the government. Not optimal, but it’s the first time Chinese citizens have even been informed of the censorship. Small steps…
If it makes you feel better, Googling “AVRT” and “Rational Recovery” (two seperate searches) turns up information about RR – BUT – there are _NO_ links to rational.org ANYWHERE.
Yeah, I’m speculating that some recoveryist from the Imanaddict family put you on the blacklist.
May I suggest you go back to buying Google ads? Just a thought.
Anyway, have a great weekend, and keep the faith – I’m in your corner all the way.
Jack,
Did you pay to get back on Google? I noticed that you are now on there as a “sponsored link”. I couldn’t find your site when I entered the term “Rational Recovery” by itself, but it came up when I entered your name as well. This still isn’t optimal (I doubt that as many people know your name as are familiar with the program title), but it’s better than not being accessible through the Google search engine at all… I can’t understand people who are malicious to others seeking help. AA definately does not work for everyone (I dropped out myself almost 10 years ago and have made a lot of progress on my own). I actually found this site through my professor, who is also a drug counselor. I hope that Google gets thier act together with regard to your site, and I think that thier corporate practices will bite them in the backside eventually.
Yes it looks like that you are banned.
http://www.iwebtool.com/google_banned?domain=www.rationalrecovery.org
Ask Matt Cutts at http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/ he is in charge of Google rankings.
Yes it looks like that you are banned.
http://www.iwebtool.com/google_banned?domain=www.rationalrecovery.org
Ask Matt Cutts at http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/ he is in charge of Google rankings.
Funny I think “beer” is also banned in sponsored advertising in the USA. Just do a search for beer and no ads show up:)
I don’t know how long you had the problem, but when I read the blog, I immediately “google” rational recovery and your website is the very first entry.
The American Revolution had nearly failed against seemingly insurmountable odds when George Washington crossed the ice clogged Delaware that cold night…Without his persistance, the world would never be the same.
Never, never, never give up!
I just found this site via a Google search just fine. Did something change then?
I’m here checking things out because I am refusing District Court mandated AA attendance, based on it being unconstitutional. 2nd Amendment, Establishment Clause. Probation has not violated me for my written refusal, so I think I’m good to go. Having RR & AVRT available to me now, I think my refusal is a home run. Thanks!
Jack,
My homepage online is http://www.dogpile.com, which is a site that combines a bunch of search engines. After reading this blog, I typed “Rational Recovery” in the search window, and your site is only second in line.
Maybe you should promote dogpile as an alternative search engine to Google?
I was able to find your site using Google. It sure seems like a overreaction on your part. Why would Google want to shut you down if you are helping people recover?
To All,
This evening, Mon, April 28, 2008, the Rational Recovery website is back in the Google index, ranking first on the key search terms as usual. For exactly one month, since March 28, 2008, we were invisible to searches for Rational Recovery and AVRT.
We have been busy for the last several weeks sending out inquiries, pleas for help, and filing complaints about the vulnerability of small businesses to Google error or negligence. I’m not sure what we’ve learned from this crazy experience other than how dependent we are on a giant corporation that has outgrown its original purpose.
Thanks to everyone who expressed concern, and particular thanks for the contributors who referred me to important resources for webmasters who have gotten banned. Yes, it truly was a ban, and the result some reported above was a paid/sponsored ad with a yellow background.
Back to the business of making independent recovery a viable option to all addicted people, everywhere!
Jack Trimpey
Jack,
I also typed into Google, Rational Recovery and the website was referenced with a link to it. Perhaps your pressure has yielded a victory? I hope so.
Eternally,
Your friend,
George
You are not banned, rational recovery is everywhere in Google!!! Were you ever really banned?
They are in every part of society; some work for Google.
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julie
Comprehensive resources for those looking for recovery from addiction. http://www.addictionrecovery.net
Rational Recovery – never read so much rubbish!
I am remembering the fear of the future in the later 50′s when I was in High School and we were learning about the forerunners of the internet with the fear of Communism. This blog has a “Happy Ending” with RR’s return to Google. Debunking society’s great savior AA and the spinoffs of high price recovery and dependency and disease concept will be a battle against big forces of big bucks therefore RR is a threat to the pocketbook of a huge industry. I would like to see you on Dr Phil and maybe a panel of RR followers to show real human dynamic recovery.
I want to thank you guys for RR. It is reinforcing what I have known for a long time, that to stop taking drugs was my choice, not anyone elses. I did find you on Google and have been reading the RR book since yesterday.
Thanks