MSN pulls a Google and breaks the link command
Live Search's WebLog : We are flattered, but...
For those of you who use some of the advanced query syntax in our search engine such as link:, linkdomain: and inurl:, you may have noticed that this functionality has been recently turned off. We have been seeing broad use of these features by legitimate users but unfortunately also what appears to be mass automated usage for data mining. So for now, we have made the tough call to block all queries with these operators.
www.friendadder.com, one of the oldest Myspace bot developers, sent out an email earlier today telling resellers to cease promoting its bots via myspace and 5 hours later sends a follow up letter that simply says: "We are unplugging the site due to the recent myspace news and communications."
Great Stuff, Google going into the Job seeker Market...
As reported previously on TW, the debate over a .xxx TLD continued with the Governmental Advisory Committee meeting behind closed doors today. They'll issue a formal, non-binding statement on Thursday, which is expected to influence the final ICANN vote on Friday. ICANN has rejected .xxx proposals twice since 2000.
A growing publishing trend is to make ads not look like ads, or presell the ads value on the trusted content site. The WSJ is hosting advertising content for UPS:
After reading this article over at Yahoo Technology I began to remember some "experiments" at previous search conferences. Then I began to wonder how soon someone would turn an "experiment" into reality and really start being evil.
I'm "advising" on a blog setup for SME. For safety-in-numbers, I told them to use WP. They'll need multi-author capability, trackback & comment spam protection, seo urls. They know jack about html, so some sort of wysiwyg editor (FCKeditor available for WP?).
Borders announced last week that it will be cease using Amazon.com to sell its books and start its own competing site in early 2008. Borders accounted for 80 to 160 million dollars of Amazons revenue last year. Amazons total revenue was over 10 billion though so the impact of its loss doesn't seem to be that great. I think there's more to this story than meets the eye though..
If you have the Google Toolbar installed in Firefox, and go you to MSN's Live Search, you may see this popup.
MSN is asking if you would like to add MSN "Live Search" to the Google Toolbar.
Via Dudiblog, when you load MSN UK, currently it suggests you search for The Apprentice BBC. It has been that way for over 4 hours today. Is the pre-filled search box a branded ad unit, or another sign of cluelessness at M$?
- By: DaveN - 28th Mar 2007
Kim over at cre8pc wrote an article about Kathy Sierra getting deaths threats, seriously has the world gone mad, Kathy posted on her blog pointing her finger, I guess at Rageboy his response is here, Maybe the next time you start a flame war,do you think you will think twice most probably not !
- By: skore - 28th Mar 2007
Barron's points to Pali Research analyst Richard Greenfield's recent research notes on News Corp to give us the answer:
Not wanting to be left out of this week's mobile marketing initiative announcements from Google and Yahoo that won't matter to anyone except those of us who write "It's the Year of Mobile Marketing" and/or "It's the Year of the Widget"* blog posts, Microsoft announces wireless widgets designed to "deliver personalized marketing messages to cell phones."
According to a Seroundtable Google and Yahoo have launched new solutions for mobile users. Google introduced new search engine for mobiles and Yahoo has started a mobile ad Pay-Per-Click campaign.
Screenshot of new Google search engine:
Danny reported on Yahoo!'s recent click fraud settlement. Advertisers get a chance to ask to receive credits to buy more click fraud.
Microsoft is getting around to working on their media relations. Apparently they still have a long way to go:
Imagine being asked one day, "Would you like to see your FBI file?" You'd say "Yes," right? But then ask yourself a different question: "How will it make you feel to know all that information?"
DoubleClick, which was recently taken private for $1.2 billion, may be up for sale for $2 billion. Microsoft is seen as a potential suitor. The Wall Street Journal report also claims that Google is aiming to create a DoubleClick-like product that could be unveiled in a few months:
This means that we can all watch people falling of donkeys on our cell phone...
Full Story
Rich Skrenta recently posted 12 tips to creating a Google killer:
Grow a spine people! You have a giant growing market with just one dominant competitor, not even any real #2. You're going to do clean-tech energy saving software to shut off lightbulbs in high-rises instead? Pfft. Get a stick and try to knock G's crown off.
