Archive for October, 2007
Google Local
October 31st, 2007 | 
Author: The Google Webmaster site now allows you to specify a geographical area for your site. Unless you want to sell to everyone on the planet, this is a setting worth looking into.
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OpenSocial vs Facebook
Not really a surprise, but Google’s answer to Facebook is officially announced as OpenSocial. This platform will be officially announced tomorrow. The platform attacks Facebook at it’s weakest point…the last of openness. This allows developers to create applications that can be used across multiple social networking tools. Although it’s hard to say how many apps can appeal to the target customers of each social network represented, by opening up the ability to create, we’ll see what happens. Odd that MySpace isn’t listed.
SearchReviews on StumbleUpon
Ok, I’ve been bad. I’ve been using this and never blogged about it here. StumbleUpon has made a brilliant addition to their community bookmarking, tagging service. You can now see on search results what others have bookmarked and commented upon. Information from your StumbleUpon friends can be viewed and you can discuss web pages with those friends. The terrific thing about this is it most likely works with the search engine you currently use. I use an addon for Firefox. Now of course privacy discussions pop up all over the place, but it is an online community. What do you expect… What you share is available to all…keep that in mind.
Google Restricting Library Content
A number of libraries with special or unique content are shunning Google’s restrictions on scanning books to place online. Although Google is offering to scan books for free, the library must agree not to share the scans with any other commercial search service. Libraries have always provided information to all and naturally are put off by this idea. It’s nice to see an institution standing on morals and not giving in just because it’s free.
Microsoft 411 tops Google’s 411
Microsoft has just updated and released their new Live Search 411 service. Toll free access to search information seems to be a hot new item that everyone is fighting to be #1 in. Initial tests from various bloggers puts Microsoft in the lead over Google’s service. Microsoft produced more relevant and desirable results in an easier to follow format.
Yahoo! Search Marketing Allows Blocking of Domains
In more exciting news (and expected), Yahoo! is now allowing users to block domains in their PPC advertising. Want to stop your ads from displaying on certain URLs? Jump to it!
Google Releases Anti-Piracy Tool for YouTube
If you want to test a tool, release it to the folds and encourage the abusers to break it. YouTube has come under a lot of fire for allowing protected content to be uploaded to their service. This new tool will soon prove itself as I’m sure many out there want to be the first to exploit it.
Taptu Launches Mobile Search
Taptu has launched what they are touting to be a new kind of search. Called Socal Assisted Search, their service for mobile phones includes playable audio and video.
Yahoo! Site Explorer Differing Results
Run a search at Yahoo! Site Explorer and notice how many results you have. Now log in and run the same search. Notice that you have a different number of results? What’s missing or added? Good luck determining the answer to that question unless your search returns very few results.
Yahoo Site Explorer API is Broken?
People at Webmaster World noticed the error and yes, I’m having issues as well. Yahoo! SiteExplorer….we miss you!