Type 'Freemasonry' into Google (or any other search engine for that matter) and many Masonophobic websites are listed in the top ten results. The reason for this was previously discussed in an earlier article: Masonophobic Websites. To revisit that article click here or on the previous link.

Recent discussions with Google have confirmed that Google can do very little to stop Masonophobic websites being listed as if they were genuine websites about Freemasonry. This is because such website use the same keywords and report on 'Masonic' matters albeit usually with an anti-Masonic bias. Such websites are usually easy to identify from the information listed by the search engin. A quick look at Google today (Friday, 12 March 2010) found Masonophobic websites with the following descriptions under the links: 'We are all victims of Freemasonry', 'Exposed Freemasons Secrets' and 'Freemasons News: Monitoring the Invisible Empire.' From the description provided by the search engine it is usually not necessary actually visit the site to know that it is Masonophobic and if it is Masonophobic why visit the site?

Visiting Masonophobic sites only promotes them on search engins so it is suggested that not visiting such sites would go a long way reducing their prominence on search engins and the internet in general.

It would also be very helpful if Freemasons used a genuine Masonic website (such as this one) as their home page and every time the browser is used this will be recorded by the search engins. In Internet Explorer to set a website as your home page go to 'Tools', then 'Internet Options' and this will provide a box in which you can type the website address (URL). If you have a website open when you do this the website address is usually already inserted and all that needs to be done is click on the 'USE CURRET' button. Most internet browsers (Safari, Google Chrome, Opera, Firefox etc.) allow you to select a home page.

The use of Masonic 'keywords' is used in more subtle and clever ways by Masonophobic web sites. The above refers to the use of the key word 'Freemasonry' and although this is probably the most common keyword used to search for Masonic sites the increasing number of sites 'about' Freemasonry on the internet means that other keywords are needed and used in order to narrow the search for particular sites on the subject of Freemasonry.

Geneology, for example, is an increasingly popular area of research. Many Freemason (and indeed many non-Masons) are interested in ascertaining if any of their ancestors were Freemasons. Type, for example, words such as, Masonic Lodges Family History, or similar, into a search engin and although some genuine Masonic sites will appear others such as: "theforbiddenknowledge" will also be listed. Such web sites cannot provide any authoritative information from Masonic membership records. Instead they use keywords that you are likely to enter into a search engin in the hope that you will then access their site. In light of that why would you visit such sites?

Thank you for helping to promote genuine Masonic websites on the internet.

More to follow...