It’s only natural. People were bound to game the system to get those precious +1s so their crochet/steampunk blog got some recognition. SEO! So you can’t blame Plussem.com for charging $US9.99 for that fix, right? Of course you can.
The whole thing gives me a bad taste in my mouth. Plussem is offering “packages” where more money means more +1s. $US9.99 for 50, $US29.99 for 250, and $US169.99 for 2000. Good deal, if the whole thing didn’t sound so evil and opportunistic? But don’t worry! This spammy service tries its best not to look too spammy on Google’s end. Just sprinkle a few +1s from real Plussers here and there and you’ll get some natural, honest-to-goodness feedback.
Effective? Maybe. Sleazy? Definitely. Good job, Plussem. [The Atlantic]