Google Page Rank just for entertainment?

Python

I was just browsing various forums and websites and came across a bit of text... Read...

"The PageRank that is displayed in the Google Toolbar is for
entertainment purposes only. Due to repeated attempts by hackers to
access this data, Google updates the PageRank data very infrequently
because is it not secure. On average, the PR that is displayed in the
Google Toolbar is several months old. If the toolbar is showing a PR of
zero, this is because the user is visiting a new URL that hasn't been
updated in the last update. The PR that is displayed by the Google
Toolbar is not the same PR that is used to rank the webpage results so
there is no need to be concerned if your PR is displayed as zero. If a
site is showing up in the search results, it doesn't not have a real PR
of zero, the Toolbar is just out of date"

Taken from: http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=3054

I wonder if this could be true? Because there have been an awful lot of people complaining about dissapearing PageRank's and other stuff...

What do you think?

CannonBallGuy

It is true, the toolbar PR is not the real PR.

Python

if thats the case then thousands of people theories and ideas about pagerank would be completely wrong...phew

and if it is true... what is the point?

CannonBallGuy

whats the point of what?

Python

what would be the point of showing pagerank to people if its been delayed by x amount of months or has no real meaning

daboss

p, what i understand is that the pr on the toolbar is not a true 100% reflection of the 'true' pr that is being use to rank websites in terms of serps. however, it is still a reflection of pr. as such, since it's the only thing we can hold on to, it's being asked for and quoted when people buy sites or text links.

Python

yeah. true... you have a point

CannonBallGuy

What about the PR you get when you use a PR Checker like on DevDreams or at www.prlookup.com?
I thought those were real...

daboss

cbg, that's the same as the pagerank you see on the google toolbar. what i mean is that google keeps another 'true' pagerank that is being used to rank your site in terms of serps - that 'true' pagerank is not published - so you can only guess what it is...

CannonBallGuy

Thats what I thought...
So, really, a better way to sell/promote an advertising slot on your site would be to say something like: My site comes up on the first page of google results for "webmaster forum".
As opposed to "My site is a PR6"...

Python

yup

daboss

unfortunately although everyone knows otherwise, they still place lots of emphasis on toolbar pr when purchasing sites or text links... so i guess it still matters to have a high toolbar pr

deadfingers

that would probably make sense, would also prove why my sites havent shown up as soon as i put them up hmm