Anybody who runs a blog knows that spam is a big problem. Spammers use commenting and trackback links to increase their Google page rank and drive traffic to their site. And they must profit from it, or they wouldn't try so hard to increase their visibility on Google.

One can only wonder then what makes newspapers think they can charge Google to index their content.

"If all of the newspapers in America did not allow Google to steal their content, how profitable would Google be?" Sam Zell, the new owner of the Tribune Company, asked reporters during a speech at Stanford University last month...

Zell didn't wait for the reporters to reply... "Not very," he said...

"Newspapers are trying to find their way to understanding and addressing the value of linking," said Aly Colon, an instructor at The Poynter Institute, a school for journalists. "The search engines are supposed to be sending traffic to newspapers. But on the other hand (journalism) is hard work...There is going to be some sort of attempt by newspapers to figure out how they can be fully compensated for their work."

There is little doubt that journalists think their profession doesn't need to show a profit. But media owners used to realize that their business model hinges on selling ads targeted at their readers. And the more readers you have the more you can charge for ads.

For some reason, now they think they're in the business of selling content.