Botnets and the Google stock price?

["Richard M. Smith" <rms () computerbytesman com>]

Hmm, could botnets be used to increase the Google click-thru rate to push up
the stock price?
 
Richard
 
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120849136091025725.html?mod=todays_us_market
place
 

ComScore Falls on Google Discrepancy
April 18, 2008; Page B2


SAN FRANCISCO -- Shares in research company comScore
<http://online.wsj.com/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=SCOR>  Inc. fell
more than 8% in after-hours trading following Google
<http://online.wsj.com/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=goog>  Inc.'s
announcement of search-advertising data that differed from comScore's
estimates.

Reporting earnings, Google said consumer clicks on its advertisements during
the first quarter increased 20% from a year earlier. ComScore had estimated
1.8% growth in U.S. clicks from a year earlier.

ComScore's estimates were for U.S. clicks only and excluded some non-search
Google partners; Google's were overall, world-wide numbers.

Shares in comScore, Reston, Va., fell 8.4% in after-hours trading to $21.60.
In 4 p.m. Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading, they had gained nine cents,
or 0.4%, to $23.58.

ComScore's monthly click estimates had fueled concerns during the quarter
that Google was suffering from U.S. economic softness.

Google's shares surged about 17% in after-hours trading after it reported
first-quarter profit rose 30% from the year before.

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