http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/google-search-and-search-engine-spam.html
Quotedocument-level classifier that makes it harder for spammy on-page content to rank highly. The new classifier is better at detecting spam on individual web pages, e.g., repeated spammy words—the sort of phrases you tend to see in junky, automated, self-promoting blog comments
Ouch! time to hire new content writers ;D
QuoteAttention has shifted instead to "content farms," which are sites with shallow or low-quality content. In 2010, we launched two major algorithmic changes focused on low-quality sites. Nonetheless, we hear the feedback from the web loud and clear: people are asking for even stronger action
Your stuff is too good Paul:)
Doug
Interesting one this. Does seem to be more of a "cards out, balls on the table" response to criticism than they often give (Which considering the source means that it probably isn't).
The timing is interesting to me. We've seen a number of sites receive significant increases in G traffic since about Jan 4th. The timing has made it quite hard for us to measure as many of the same sites would expect to have a big drop in traffic from xmas to the start of the year. However as a general trend the sites it has been noted on have been what I would call quality sites using pretty clean promotional methods.
Related? I'm presuming somewhere on the web someone has analysed these changes much more than we have.
Matt Cutts discussing this on Hacker News
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2127937
Search Engine Land also discussing the Hacker News thread
http://searchengineland.com/google-may-let-you-blacklist-domains-to-fight-spam-62129
"The new classifier is better at detecting spam on individual web pages, e.g., repeated spammy words—the sort of phrases you tend to see in junky, automated, self-promoting blog comments."
So, this is in place already. Sounds like it's targeting the lowest of the low, in regards to quality.
"And we're evaluating multiple changes that should help drive spam levels even lower, including one change that primarily affects sites that copy others' content and sites with low levels of original content. We'll continue to explore ways to reduce spam, including new ways for users to give more explicit feedback about spammy and low-quality sites."
This is the upcoming bit, scraper sites (the Hacker News discussion is focused on this) and user feedback (searchengineland article's focus).
So, they are handling braindead spam already, plan to try nuking scraper sites and may incorporate user feedback. I envision a facebook-ish "like" type button in the SERPs soon as a test if nothing else.
Of course this is assuming the blog post is relevant to what they're actually doing.
http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/algorithm-change-launched/
Matt has comeback with a reply that a fix is in place.