Google Campaigns Against Web Censorship
April 22, 2011
The worldwide web could possibly undergo some drastic and even somewhat controversy changes in the future. According to the Ars Technica article “Google: Don’t Give Private Trolls Web Censorship Power” the US government is currently working on legislation in support of Web site blocking at the domain level. If this bill comes to pass it would mean that online ad networks as well as credit card companies would be required to cease working with any site that falls on the blocked list. Eventually, “private companies get the right to bring a censorship action in court without waiting for government to act.” The web giant Google has wasted little time speaking out against this potential bill. Appearing at today’s “Legitimate Sites v. Parasites” hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Google’s Kent Walker was clear: a private right of action to bring a COICA claim would give rights holders tremendous leverage over Google.
Walker went so far as to warn of “shakedowns” from private companies wanting to force changes in Google’s behavior. Google has been under noted scrutiny due to controversial search results. Google prefers to take a more neutral role and states that it “doesn’t want to be the “judge, jury, and executioner” for Web sites. Finally, the company simply doesn’t know what sites are “authorized” outlets for music and movies, nor when some use is fair. Legislators want to pass a law that allows them to go after anyone who they feel has inappropriate content on their Web site, from child porn to counterfeit products. Though evidence clearly shows that there are questionable sites online, if search results are allowed to be censored, changed or filtered by the wrong people according to a particular guideline, when it comes to search engine results it will become difficult to determine truth versus fiction.
We don’t want to be sticks in the mud. But: If certain content is excluded because it lacks “value”, is that not a form of censorship? Nah, probably not.
April Holmes, April 22, 2011
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Online Addiction: Will Search Be a Controlled Service?
April 20, 2011
TechEye.net reports that “Kids Go Cold Turkey When You Take Their Technology Away.” We never agreed 100 percent with Marsshall McLuhan and his hot and cold thing. We do understand dependence, involvement, and digital magnetism. If the good Dr. McLuhan were in Harrod’s Creek today, he would sit up and take notice at this story.
Researchers at the University of Maryland subjected participants ages 17 to 23 to 24 hours without cell phones, the Internet, and TV. They could use landlines and read books. (Our view is that digital addiction can take place much, much earlier.)
The subjects’ diaries show that such restrictions threw many of them off their game. For a generation raised with such devices, unplugging is apparently unnerving, according to the article:
“[The study] found that 79 percent of students subjected to a complete media blackout for just one day reported adverse reactions ranging from distress to confusion and isolation… One of the things the kids spoke about was having overwhelming cravings while others reported symptoms such as ‘itching’. . . .One in five reported feelings of withdrawal like an addiction while 11 percent said they were confused. Over 19 percent said they were distressed and 11 percent felt isolated. Some students even reported stress from simply not being able to touch their phone.
And on the plus side, one in five enjoyed the experience, and some found they had more in-depth conversations during that day.
For a busy one parent family, hooking a child or adolescent means some blissful moments of peace. But what about other effects? How will these dependencies change search and content processing. Can an addicted user discern whether information is accurate or inaccurate? Will the user notice? Will the user care?
The study has me wondering about the future—will our grandchildren have chips in their heads that keep them wired 24-7? Will in-depth conversation, even in-depth thought, go the way of bound books? Key word search seems less likely to appeal to those who find the warmth and comfort of online so appealing. Facebook, on the other hand, offers a warmer place. Is this the McLuhan “hot”?
Will the solution be to make search a controlled service.
Cynthia Murrell April 20, 2011
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European Google Alternatives: Not Too Many
April 19, 2011
State of Search ran a very interesting story called “5 Google Alternatives in Europe.” We knew a few of these, but others were new to me.
The article points out that, aside from Russia, Google has the European search market locked up. However, Microsoft’s Bing, as well as some home-grown options, are viable rivals. The Microsoft allegation about Google’s competitive posture in Europe may be in part related to Google’s dominance in the European search market. The article said:
But despite [Google’s] dominance, there are alternative search engines in Europe, and they can be worth looking at. With Europe’s more than 800 million people, of whom about 60% spends time online, even a small percentage using alternatives to Google offer attractively large numbers, and targeting users of those search engines could be very profitable.
Naturally, Bing is a contender. In France and the UK, it is doing better than elsewhere across the pond, with a market share of 2.8 percent and four percent respectively.
In Russia, Yandex has a 64 percent market share, and Yandex continues to expand. The company is adding features that go beyond search. Yandex wants to serve other European countries as well.
Seznam is the engine to watch in the Czech Republic. For Czech language searches, the system returns useful results. Germany and Spain present a different case. Although the runner up to Google there is technically T-Online, that portal is Google-powered. You might want to try Conduit, which has traction in Germany and Spain.
Google has what seems to be a firm grip on the Netherlands, where its market share is alleged to be 94 percent. There are a few other engines in Europe to explore, such as Poland’s Onet.pl, Ask.com in the UK and Nordic countries, and Orange in France.
Stepping back, despite the attention given to search, there seems to be fewer and fewer choices for those who want results not processed by one of the giants. We have frozen our list of international search engines. The choices keep dwindling. Is this a positive or negative development?
Most users want to go one place and get the answer needed. Dinosaurs, like Stephen E Arnold, ArnoldIT.com, runs multiple queries. Soon the dinosaurs will be dead and I won’t have to listen to explanations of the issues in today’s search engines. That’s a plus!
Cynthia Murrel, April 19, 2011
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EReaderIQ: Find Kindle Freebies and Bargains
April 17, 2011
We are book lovers here at Beyond Search. We want to call your attention to “eReaderIQ Is a Complete Database of Free and Discounted eBooks on Amazon”.
Whitson Gordon at Lifehacker points out a source of goodies with “eReaderIQ Is a Complete Database of Free and Discounted eBooks on Amazon.” The service offers a database, updated hourly, of all of Amazon’s eBooks. Search is available, but the browse option works well for a reader like me.
Gordon likes the alerts feature:
. . . where you can track other books on Amazon and get alerted to when their price drops. You can import your Amazon.com wish list, or just paste in its URL on the price tracker. Then, just give it your email and the price drop you’d like to be notified for (e.g. entering $1 would alert you when the book’s price drops by $1).
You set your geographic region and then browse. There is an advanced search feature and some hot links to “free” Kindle books and to price drops on Amazon eBooks. Check it out at eReaderIQ.com.
Cynthia Murrell April 17, 2011
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A Swiftian Moment: Google Becomes the Music Biz
April 16, 2011
My broken leg and ankle notwithstanding, I want to take a moment to call to your attention a Swiftian idea: Google opens its checkbook and buys the entire music industry. Good stuff. The idea is that Google or its executives have enough money to buy the entire music industry. Yep, Arrowsmith to Nikolaj Znaider.
First, whip out your dog eared copy of Cliffs Notes for Gulliver’s Travels or click here for the free version. Second, scan it to get the drift of the satire. You will recall the Queen’s dwarfs, the former top dog of Lagado, and, of course, the Yahoos and Houyhnhnms. Third, point your browser at “Why Google Should Buy the Music Industry.” Once in the Googleplex, Google can be a player on iPods, Android devices, and elevators worldwide.
Once that Google check is cashed presto chango!
Google has power to push which could launch music consumer services on Android users and contracts with darned interesting terms on the likes of Amazon, Apple, and (why not?) Microsoft, the motion picture industry, and the pesky cable and TV industry. Each of these is annoying because Google’s objectives are either slowed, blunted, or derailed by these entities and groups.
If I were taking one of those required classes in the English Department, I suppose an essay comparing Jonathan Swift and the author of Open Source, Open Genomics, Open content’s article. However, this is the rough and tumble world of poobahism, punditry, and pontification. The idea is a good one because it would have flashed through the minds of such outstanding executives as Cornelius Vanderbilt and John Pierpont Morgan.
Nothing negotiates like power and money, or is it money and power?
My view is today’s financial climate might entertain this idea. The problem is that some would object to pragmatic capitalism applied in this manner. The method works quite well in such US sectors as telecommunications, railroads, and politics, music hits a particular chord. The “hooks” are set deep.
Alas, another solution to Google’s music woes may have to be found. Either a solution emerges or Google will face another China maneuver. At this time, China is a big, juicy, complex market. Google appears to be playing a minor role. Is music the next Middle Kingdom for Google? Makes no difference to me. I am hard of hearing. But noise I usually detect.
Stephen E Arnold, April 16, 2011
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Bilingual Search at PaginasAmarillas.com
April 13, 2011
We learned via PRNewswire’s “YaSabe.com to Provide Bilingual Local Search for U.S. Hispanics at PaginasAmarillas.com” that PaginaAmarillas is now bilingual.
With over 50 million Hispanics now living in the U.S., it only makes sense to address that niche. YaSabe and Publicar, S.A. are teaming up to do just that with their bilingual products and services search deal.
Hispanics everywhere can relate to the Paginas Amarillas brand,’ said Carlos Caceres, Internet Business Director at Publicar. ‘Partnering with YaSabe, we will provide a world-class local search experience at PaginasAmarillas.com for the 50 million Hispanics that live in the United States.
Publicar S.A. blankets South and Central America with access to multimedia content, directory assistance, internet search services, and other digital products.
Ya Sabe, Inc. connects U.S. Latinos with resources from local businesses to national brands. Their bilingual search, complete with access to a live human for recommendations, taps into the almost $1 trillion in combined disposable income wielded by Hispanics in this country.
This new service promises to be a welcome tool for Spanish speakers in this country. It is also a smart business move. Check it out at PaginasAmarillas.com.
Cynthia Murrell, April 13, 2011
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Have Your Cake. Eat It Mashed Up
April 12, 2011
The blog Search Nuggets is all about reviewing user experience and business strategy and their latest blog “The Corporate Mashup” is no different. In the blog Marcus Johansson expounds on the need for a corporate search engine that allows users the freedom to search information and receive relevant queries in little time.
In today’s mishmash of business and technology it is important to have an understanding of user requirements as well as technical savvy, such is the case with search engines like Google. The engines are everywhere, even in your toolbars. They’re readily available for users at any time of day and have no problems communicating information between the systems. The problem arises when you put the same search engines to use behind the “corporate firewall.”
“Imagine if you had a common front-end to all those esoteric systems. A solution that lets you search everything at once, with proper tools to dig around in the result set. Even better, a solution that lets you act on the results… You find whatever you’re looking for, and you act on it immediately.”
Because of the strict social restrictions most systems don’t share information and users become bogged down with endless URL’s. that’s where Enterprise Search comes in, it creates a common thread between systems so that you can find what you need, when you need it. Sounds pretty good if you think about it, now if the corporate mash up dream could only be brought to fruition.
Stephen E Arnold, April 12, 2011
Predictive Movie Watching?
April 12, 2011
Ever wish you could bypass the annoying ritual of figuring out just what movie you should rent? Now you can.
According to ReadWriteWeb, Hunch, a predictive entertainment tool, has reached a collaborative agreement with Samsung and Digitas to launch a new interactive social movie watching experience called “The Smart Living Room.”
After a viewer answers a series of Hunch personality questions, The Smart Living Room creates a personalized movie recommendation including the genre best suited for that viewer as well as movie title suggestions. The viewer can then create a movie watching event by inviting friends and family through Facebook or email.
The Smart Living Room uses Hunch’s same movie predicting ability and applies it to television.
Stephen E Arnold, April 12, 2011
Gartner Breaks New Marketing Turf
April 11, 2011
Gartner has a thriving practice in everything to do with digital information. The publicly traded company seems to be sending a message that I hear as “we’re desperate”. Maybe I am wrong but spam from IDG (another researchy-type outfit) that has the subject “Gartner Insight, 3 Top Papers + Win an iPad 2” does not evoke the wood paneled methods of McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, or Bain (yep, the Bain with the now apocryphal kumbaya sessions at a Holiday Inn on Route 128). As wacky as the blue chip consulting firms are, I find email with the words “insight,” “top papers”, and “win and iPad” quite piercing cries for attention.
First, there are not “3 top papers” on offer. The count seems closer to four, but at my age my eyesight is failing. See for yourself whether I got the number four correct:
The other signals that reached me via spam email was the big button that said “Register Now.”
The angle, of course, is leads and input into how Gartner can improve. I also found this enjoinder fascinating:
I will definitely forward the spam message to my one friend, a 70 year old with a beat up truck and a limp.
One positive note: Gartner and IDG got a free mention in a free blog which contains information for which one does not have to register, enjoin a friend, or miscount to access. Of course, the quality of information in Beyond Search is miserable, but we don’t even spam. Heck, we don’t follow up on proposals, return phone calls, or attend conferences where “pay to play” is the new business model.
Objectivity is what one thinks it is, right? And what about search? No white papers about enterprise search? No quadrant? Sigh.
Stephen E Arnold, April 11, 2011
Freebie but no drawing to win an iPad. How is that drawing conducted by the way?
Disappearing US Government Public Information
April 9, 2011
The goose is not going to honk too much about the shuttering of US government Web sites. Most of them get few hits. I know you think that millions of mouse potatoes rush to such thrillers as the US Department of Agriculture’s numerous Web sites or thousands of fact hungry MBAs explore the treasure trove of Department of Commerce content. The reality is that usage is not setting the world on fire.
An outfit called the Sunlight Foundation reported that a bunch of US government Web sites were going dark. The list appeared in “Budget Technopocalypse Deepens: Transparency Sites Will Go Dark In A Few Months.” How do you like that word “technopocalypse”? Felicitous, right?
Anyway, the alleged goners are:
- Apps.gov – Better hurry. Bring your credit card.
- Data.gov—Some interesting but often incomplete data sets
- IT Dashboard – Some spending information. Fascinating for the non economists
- Paymentaccuracy.gov – Love the charts
- USASpending.gov – Keep in mind the $1.6 trillion deficit and you are good to go.
No further comments from the goose.
Low traffic is the norm for most governmental Web sites. One happy exception for the US government is the IRS Web site at tax time. Traffic drops off after April 15th each year.
Coincident with the removal of sunshine data, the US government will notify me of changes in the terror alert level via Facebook and Twitter. Seems a fair trade I suppose.
Stephen E Arnold, April 9, 2011
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