Macquarie University & petty corruption

Arthur James · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 4

I suppose it is a given that Australian universities are now
thoroughly infested with petty corruption and that the centre of this
corruption is the universities' international office, but I found an
interesting example of how at least one university does not mind
leaving a trail to flaunt their corrupt activities.

If you go to the Macquarie University International Page at:

http://www.international.mq.edu.au/

everything looks quite innocent.

But hidden on that page is a link to a private company. Yes, someone
has placed a hidden link on the Macquarie University International
page to a private company that has a relationship with the university.

"Why would they do that?", I hear you ask, "And what does it matter?"
you might continue.

Good questions, and I agree that to the uninitiated it might seem a
trivial matter. But it is actually very important.

"Why would they do that?"

The reason a private company wants to get a link from Macquarie
University is because the search engines see this as a "vote" from
Macquarie. There is only one external link to a site outside Macquarie
from the page accessed by the URL above. This is the hidden link to
the private company.

The search engines see this link and think that the recipient of the
link must be very important to Macquarie (as it is the only external
link), and as Macquarie is already established as an important website
then the search engine calculates that the link recipient must be
important as well. This gives the recepient a major boost in the
search engine listings.

"What does it matter?"

Strange as it may seem to those who are unaware, such a link has a
commercial value. Webmasters pay for the privilege of having a link
from an important site. Of course, it is very difficult to get an
unofficial link from a university, but in this case it seems that
corruption rules and a link has found its way into the Macquarie
International website.

** How to find the hidden link **

It is very difficult to detect. The size of the link that your cursor
has to be on is smaller than the head of a pin. But if you are patient
you can find it.

1/ First go to the bottom of the reddish-brown bar on the left-hand
side of the webpage

2/ you will see where it meets a faint grey line dividing the main
body of the page from the footer area (which contains the study in
australia logo and copyright details).

3/ Go to the inside corner of this reddish-brown area and the faint
grey line, the corner connecting with the main body of the website.

4/ If you move your cursor up from this corner on the border between
the white part just at the very edge of reddish-brown area then the
link is just a few millimeters up from the bottom (it will convert
your cursor to the 'pointing hand' and you will see the words 'study
international').

5/ the link is not in the reddish-brown area, it is actually in the
white-area, but it is so small it seems to be on the actual border
between these two areas.

Although the link is very difficult for a human to find, for a search
engine it is the same as if it was a big flashing picture in the
middle of the page saying "Click Here".

The website being linked to is http://www.studyinternational.com.au/

you can check out the owner of this domain by entering -
studyinternational.com.au - here: http://www.ausregistry.com.au/

You can also check out another version of this website at
http://www.canedu.com and check out the owner of this here:
http://www.whois.sc/canedu.com (note the technical contact)

So what's a link like this worth?

Directly, I really don't know, maybe up to $500 a week. Indirectly,
however, it might be possible that someone at Macquarie International
might be trying to gain a benefit for this private company website
because they will either make a direct profit from that benefit or
else indirectly receive a 'commission' (i.e. kickback) if the private
company supplies referrals to Macquarie.

Maybe we can get the official Macquarie spin on the matter. The
universities can hide plagiarism, corruption, cronyism, theft,
embezzlement, and heads of department who steal the work of research
students and fabricate their research, so it should be very easy to
laugh away an insignificant hidden link on a website.

Or is it mandatory that these sort of issues be reported to ICAC?

You also have to wonder about the relationship of this private company
with the other universities on its website, namely:

Monash (the first and still pre-eminent corrupt university)
La Trobe
Queensland
UniSA
Newcastle

Do you think that the pigs have got their snouts in the trough at all
these unis as well?

Of course it is possible that the company is unaware of the link. Yes,
that might be a good line of spin from Macquarie, they could say it
was a 'social experiment'.

For the technically minded, the code on the Macquarie website showing
the link is:

"

href="http://www.studyinternational.com.au"> src="images/schools.gif" alt="Study International" border="0">

This seems to be inside an uneditable format table that holds another
table that contains the edited contents of each page.

The image is a 1px x 1px invisible gif

The html format table for the main body of the page, and so the hidden
link to the private company, appears on all the macquarie
international webpages such as:

http://www.international.mq.edu.au/study/postgraduate/
http://www.international.mq.edu.au/study/research
http://www.international.mq.edu.au/lifemq/preparing/
http://www.international.mq.edu.au/study/abroad/
http://www.international.mq.edu.au/macquarie/awards/
http://www.international.mq.edu.au/scholarships/
http://www.international.mq.edu.au/study/internships/program_info.html

http://www.international.mq.edu.au/lifemq/
http://www.international.mq.edu.au/abroad/
http://www.international.mq.edu.au/oneworld/ etc, etc, etc,

Quite a big boost for the search engine rankings, but very amatuerish
for the culprits to think that because the link was 'invisible' they
would get away with it.

Archived from group: aus>education

Stephen X. Carter · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 25

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 10:41:42 GMT, arthurjames@hotmail.com
(Arthur James) wrote:

>I suppose it is a given that Australian universities are now
>thoroughly infested with petty corruption and that the centre of this
>corruption is the universities' international office, but I found an
>interesting example of how at least one university does not mind
>leaving a trail to flaunt their corrupt activities.
>
>If you go to the Macquarie University International Page at:
>
>http://www.international.mq.edu.au/
>
>everything looks quite innocent.
>
>But hidden on that page is a link to a private company. Yes, someone
>has placed a hidden link on the Macquarie University International
>page to a private company that has a relationship with the university.
[snips]

Whilst I cannot get my cursor to react to the (tiny) link, I
can see it in the source .... as described.

Is it corrupt? Not necessarily.

It seems to me that some universities have got a link with
"Study International" - linking from their web pages to
Study International's. And vice versa. That's clear and on
the record.

If the fact of the (in effect) recruiting by Study
International for these universities is known and declared
by, and to, all concerned, then what's the problem?

Of course if it's not, then something odd is there.

But it's a huge leap from finding reciprocal links to
proclaiming corruption....

Do you have evidence that this reciprocity is not well known
and above board?

--
steve@stephencarterNOSPAM.net
Nothing is Beatle Proof!!

Iskandar Baharuddin · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 12

"Arthur James" wrote in message@News.CIS.DFN.DE...
> I suppose it is a given that Australian universities are now
> thoroughly infested with petty corruption and that the centre of
this
> corruption is the universities' international office, but I found
an
> interesting example of how at least one university does not mind
> leaving a trail to flaunt their corrupt activities.
>
> If you go to the Macquarie University International Page at:
>
> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/
>
> everything looks quite innocent.
>
> But hidden on that page is a link to a private company. Yes,
someone
> has placed a hidden link on the Macquarie University International
> page to a private company that has a relationship with the
university.
>
>
> "Why would they do that?", I hear you ask, "And what does it
matter?"
> you might continue.
>
> Good questions, and I agree that to the uninitiated it might seem
a
> trivial matter. But it is actually very important.
>
> "Why would they do that?"
>
> The reason a private company wants to get a link from Macquarie
> University is because the search engines see this as a "vote" from
> Macquarie. There is only one external link to a site outside
Macquarie
> from the page accessed by the URL above. This is the hidden link
to
> the private company.
>
> The search engines see this link and think that the recipient of
the
> link must be very important to Macquarie (as it is the only
external
> link), and as Macquarie is already established as an important
website
> then the search engine calculates that the link recipient must be
> important as well. This gives the recepient a major boost in the
> search engine listings.
>
> "What does it matter?"
>
> Strange as it may seem to those who are unaware, such a link has a
> commercial value. Webmasters pay for the privilege of having a
link
> from an important site. Of course, it is very difficult to get an
> unofficial link from a university, but in this case it seems that
> corruption rules and a link has found its way into the Macquarie
> International website.
>
> ** How to find the hidden link **
>
> It is very difficult to detect. The size of the link that your
cursor
> has to be on is smaller than the head of a pin. But if you are
patient
> you can find it.
>
> 1/ First go to the bottom of the reddish-brown bar on the
left-hand
> side of the webpage
>
> 2/ you will see where it meets a faint grey line dividing the main
> body of the page from the footer area (which contains the study in
> australia logo and copyright details).
>
> 3/ Go to the inside corner of this reddish-brown area and the
faint
> grey line, the corner connecting with the main body of the
website.
>
> 4/ If you move your cursor up from this corner on the border
between
> the white part just at the very edge of reddish-brown area then
the
> link is just a few millimeters up from the bottom (it will convert
> your cursor to the 'pointing hand' and you will see the words
'study
> international').
>
> 5/ the link is not in the reddish-brown area, it is actually in
the
> white-area, but it is so small it seems to be on the actual border
> between these two areas.
>
> Although the link is very difficult for a human to find, for a
search
> engine it is the same as if it was a big flashing picture in the
> middle of the page saying "Click Here".
>
> The website being linked to is
http://www.studyinternational.com.au/
>
> you can check out the owner of this domain by entering -
> studyinternational.com.au - here: http://www.ausregistry.com.au/
>
> You can also check out another version of this website at
> http://www.canedu.com and check out the owner of this here:
> http://www.whois.sc/canedu.com (note the technical contact)
>
> So what's a link like this worth?
>
> Directly, I really don't know, maybe up to $500 a week.
Indirectly,
> however, it might be possible that someone at Macquarie
International
> might be trying to gain a benefit for this private company website
> because they will either make a direct profit from that benefit or
> else indirectly receive a 'commission' (i.e. kickback) if the
private
> company supplies referrals to Macquarie.
>
> Maybe we can get the official Macquarie spin on the matter. The
> universities can hide plagiarism, corruption, cronyism, theft,
> embezzlement, and heads of department who steal the work of
research
> students and fabricate their research, so it should be very easy
to
> laugh away an insignificant hidden link on a website.
>
> Or is it mandatory that these sort of issues be reported to ICAC?
>
> You also have to wonder about the relationship of this private
company
> with the other universities on its website, namely:
>
> Monash (the first and still pre-eminent corrupt university)
> La Trobe
> Queensland
> UniSA
> Newcastle
>
> Do you think that the pigs have got their snouts in the trough at
all
> these unis as well?
>
> Of course it is possible that the company is unaware of the link.
Yes,
> that might be a good line of spin from Macquarie, they could say
it
> was a 'social experiment'.
>
> For the technically minded, the code on the Macquarie website
showing
> the link is:
>
> "
>
>
> > href="http://www.studyinternational.com.au"> > src="images/schools.gif" alt="Study International" border="0">
>
>
>
>
> This seems to be inside an uneditable format table that holds
another
> table that contains the edited contents of each page.
>
> The image is a 1px x 1px invisible gif
>
> The html format table for the main body of the page, and so the
hidden
> link to the private company, appears on all the macquarie
> international webpages such as:
>
> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/study/postgraduate/
> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/study/research
> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/lifemq/preparing/
> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/study/abroad/
> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/macquarie/awards/
> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/scholarships/
>
http://www.international.mq.edu.au/study/internships/program_info.html
>
> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/lifemq/
> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/abroad/
> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/oneworld/ etc, etc, etc,
>
> Quite a big boost for the search engine rankings, but very
amatuerish
> for the culprits to think that because the link was 'invisible'
they
> would get away with it.

This intrigued me, so I went to the first URL above. Could not find
the link, so I opened the source and searched for "study
international". Not there.

Tried the next two. Zip.

Searched for just "study". Zip.

I fail to see how there can be a link if it is not in the html.

I think you have some explaining to do.

Izzy

Iskandar Baharuddin · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 12

"Phil Allison" wrote in message$0$14482$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>
> "Iskandar Baharuddin"
>
> > This intrigued me, so I went to the first URL above. Could not
find
> > the link,
>
>
> ** It is there, just where the OP said it was.
>
> It is very small.
>
> It is in the same spot on each page with the brown LH side
strip.
>
> .......... Phil
>
I have only written a few thousand pages of HTML, so it is not
surprising I do not know how to insert a link without putting it in
the code.

Perhaps you will be good enough to explain the technique.

Izzy

RT · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

Iskandar Baharuddin wrote in message ...

>"Arthur James" wrote in message

>I think you have some explaining to do.

Do you find that surprising - from somone using a hotmail account?

Stephen X. Carter · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 25

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 00:13:27 +0800, "Iskandar Baharuddin"
wrote:

>I can't find it. Unless edit/search is broke, it was not in any of
>the three pages I checked.

Dunno what browser you are using, but using Opera I canNOT
see it when I'm browsing, but I see it when I view the
source.

--
steve@stephencarterNOSPAM.net
Nothing is Beatle Proof!!

Phil Allison · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 4

"Iskandar Baharuddin"

> This intrigued me, so I went to the first URL above. Could not find
> the link,

** It is there, just where the OP said it was.

It is very small.

It is in the same spot on each page with the brown LH side strip.

........... Phil

telford · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 3

In aus.education Arthur James wrote:
> If you go to the Macquarie University International Page at:

> http://www.international.mq.edu.au/

> everything looks quite innocent.

> But hidden on that page is a link to a private company. Yes, someone
> has placed a hidden link on the Macquarie University International
> page to a private company that has a relationship with the university.

If you use the "lynx" browser or anything text based then the
"Study International" link stands out very clearly.

Looking at the "wayback machine" on archive.org it seems to have been
added somewhere round April 2003.

Judging from the source code of the page, most of the source is
indented to follow the nesting of the HTML tags but that line sits
on a funny indent, as if it had been pasted in by a third party,
not the original author of the page.

I suspect that the MU administration probably don't know about it
and wouldn't understand what it meant anyhow. Someone has slipped
this in. I wonder how long before this technique starts to show up
all over the place?

- Tel

Arthur James · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 4

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 22:04:07 GMT, steve@[127.0.0.1] (Stephen X.
Carter) wrote:

>On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 00:13:27 +0800, "Iskandar Baharuddin"
> wrote:
>
>
>>I can't find it. Unless edit/search is broke, it was not in any of
>>the three pages I checked.
>
>Dunno what browser you are using, but using Opera I canNOT
>see it when I'm browsing, but I see it when I view the
>source.
>

I suppose if you can see it in the source you know where to look.

It is very difficult to find. Even I know it is there it is still hard
for me to find sometimes.

It is at the bottom-left corner where the brown side bar meets the
main content box.

Place your cursor in the brown area right at the very edge in teh
corner. Now move your cursor up very very slowly from the bottom just
on the edge of the brown line. Only about 10mm.

Now go back to the bottom and move the cursor just a pin width to the
right so the cursor is now on the border between the brown bar and the
content box. Again, move the cursor up very very slowly from the
bottom about 10mm.

Now go back to the bottom and again move the cursor just a pin width
to the right so this time the cursor is at the very edge of the white
area on the border between the brown bar and the content box. Again,
move the cursor up very very slowly from the bottom about 10mm. This
time you should see it.

If you still can't see it then you have an idea about where to look
and how minute the movements must be.

Iskandar Baharuddin · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 12

"Stephen X. Carter" wrote in message@localhost...
> On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 10:41:42 GMT, arthurjames@hotmail.com
> (Arthur James) wrote:
>
> >I suppose it is a given that Australian universities are now
> >thoroughly infested with petty corruption and that the centre of
this
> >corruption is the universities' international office, but I found
an
> >interesting example of how at least one university does not mind
> >leaving a trail to flaunt their corrupt activities.
> >
> >If you go to the Macquarie University International Page at:
> >
> >http://www.international.mq.edu.au/
> >
> >everything looks quite innocent.
> >
> >But hidden on that page is a link to a private company. Yes,
someone
> >has placed a hidden link on the Macquarie University
International
> >page to a private company that has a relationship with the
university.
> [snips]
>
> Whilst I cannot get my cursor to react to the (tiny) link, I
> can see it in the source .... as described.

I can't find it. Unless edit/search is broke, it was not in any of
the three pages I checked.

>
> Is it corrupt? Not necessarily.
>
> It seems to me that some universities have got a link with
> "Study International" - linking from their web pages to
> Study International's. And vice versa. That's clear and on
> the record.
>
> If the fact of the (in effect) recruiting by Study
> International for these universities is known and declared
> by, and to, all concerned, then what's the problem?
>
> Of course if it's not, then something odd is there.
>
> But it's a huge leap from finding reciprocal links to
> proclaiming corruption....
>
> Do you have evidence that this reciprocity is not well known
> and above board?

What is suspicious is that it is so bloody hard to find. Normally
links are inserted to be used by readers.

Izzy

David M. Williams · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

"Iskandar Baharuddin" wrote:

> This intrigued me, so I went to the first URL above. Could not find
> the link, so I opened the source and searched for "study
> international". Not there.

It's there ...

src="images/schools.gif" alt="Study International" border="0">

Obviously, Izzy, you can't search properly. Just like you don't seem capable
of adding a 5 line reply to a 50 line post without repeating all the
original 50 lines ! Sheesh! Try snipping, next time.

Arthur James · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 4

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 12:41:08 +1100, "Allan Ross"
wrote:

>Thank you, Phil, for your response. Your views may be entirely correct.
>Is there, however, a response from Arthur James?
>

If you have a question you will need to ask it very clearly rather
than have it contained in seemingly rhetorical statements.

Also, I draw your attention to another episode where Professor Bruce
Hall of UNSW was found by an external investigation to have committed
scientific misconduct, that is, they found that Bruce Hall was a
cheating lying scum, but vice-chancellor Rory "piss in my pocket and
I'll piss in yours" Hume , declared that cheating lying scum such as
Bruce Hall were the kind of professors that UNSW liked to have around.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/printpage/0,5942,8335583,00.html

The three research students who originally pointed out that Professor
Bruce Hall was a cheating lying scum were treated in much the same way
as Rod Speed has abused me in this thread, but over a number of years
and including racial abuse.

Also, the three research students were unanimous in expressing their
regret that they ever made public that Bruce Hall was a cheating lying
scum and stated that there was absolutely no way would they ever
report any such misconduct or corruption ever again.

Compared to this, the hidden link is very small scale. It is also very
small compared to the mass of other things that go on at universities
which are common knowledge amongst the people I mix with.

The point of interest about the hidden link is that is there for all
to see.

Another poster has pointed out that the link was inserted early last
year so the culprit might be long gone by now, although the benefit to
the private company has continued.

Gregory Toomey · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

Iskandar Baharuddin wrote:

> I can't find it. Unless edit/search is broke, it was not in any of
> the three pages I checked.

Its there. look harder!

gtoomey

Iskandar Baharuddin · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 12

"Arthur James" wrote in message@News.CIS.DFN.DE...
> On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 22:04:07 GMT, steve@[127.0.0.1] (Stephen X.
> Carter) wrote:
>
> >On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 00:13:27 +0800, "Iskandar Baharuddin"
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>I can't find it. Unless edit/search is broke, it was not in any
of
> >>the three pages I checked.
> >
> >Dunno what browser you are using, but using Opera I canNOT
> >see it when I'm browsing, but I see it when I view the
> >source.
> >
>
> I suppose if you can see it in the source you know where to look.
>
> It is very difficult to find. Even I know it is there it is still
hard
> for me to find sometimes.
>
> It is at the bottom-left corner where the brown side bar meets the
> main content box.
>
> Place your cursor in the brown area right at the very edge in teh
> corner. Now move your cursor up very very slowly from the bottom
just
> on the edge of the brown line. Only about 10mm.
>
> Now go back to the bottom and move the cursor just a pin width to
the
> right so the cursor is now on the border between the brown bar and
the
> content box. Again, move the cursor up very very slowly from the
> bottom about 10mm.
>
> Now go back to the bottom and again move the cursor just a pin
width
> to the right so this time the cursor is at the very edge of the
white
> area on the border between the brown bar and the content box.
Again,
> move the cursor up very very slowly from the bottom about 10mm.
This
> time you should see it.
>
> If you still can't see it then you have an idea about where to
look
> and how minute the movements must be.

Finally found the bloody thing in the source for the top page.
Cannot find it in three of the subsidiary pages cited in the
original post.

This is indeed pretty sneaky business.

Does anyone of consequence at Macquarie know about it? I doubt that
the Vice-Chancellor turns up here very often.

Izzy

David M. Williams · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

"Iskandar Baharuddin" wrote:

> The problem was the space.

Gee, after "designing thousands of HTML pages", wouldn't you be aware about
whitespace issues?