AskJeeves getting bought.

I'm sure you've all heard the news about Ask Jeeves that they're getting bought it really doesn't matter who's buying them. There's always somebody who thinks that they can do a better job at what's been done so far. But the truth is, the search engine will always be down the list. Not because it's bad or has irrelevant results, far from it. The reason is is that they're not on the radar screen of what people generally see as a major search engine. It doesn't matter who owns it, nothing is going to change in that area. It might be helpful as part of another piece of a business , but it will never overtake the likes of MSN, Google or Yahoo.

AutoLink, another way to redirect traffic.

There's been a lot of talk lately about Google and auto linking which is a way to redirect search engine traffic to other sites. People may be wanting to go to your site at Google, but this feature will give people other alternatives and steer them to other web sites. A lot of people are angry about this because it detracts from their advertising campaign that they have with Google. I personally don't think it makes much difference as people are going to go where they want to. When it all comes down to where people want to go after a search, it's ultimately up to them. It's true that there may be more choices now and I think that's what bothers some people. The world of online advertising is becoming more and more competitive. Business owners and people who care about such things, should relax and understand that they're going to have to be competitive on many different levels to succeed in the future. It seems like whenever there's a new wrinkle in the online world, people get upset about it. There's no reason to really get upset because no matter what you do, you are somewhat at the mercy of search engines. So it makes sense not to be locked into one search engine or another and be stuck with only their results. I think it's good that people speak out about these type of things that search engines do, but it shouldn't distract from the main thrust of what they do online.

When it comes right down to it, there are a lot of cry babies online and nothing anyone does for them is any good. But if you look at it from a distance, most business that got serious online several years ago should be thankful for all the things that search engines have done and not focus on the little irritants that they sometimes provide.

Real web marketing results that increase sales, RealWebMarketing.com

Some people still gaga over Google desktop search.

With all the negative press the desktop search has received these days, you would think that people wouldn't get all that excited about it. I'm sure it's great from a technical standpoint but that privacy issue just won't go away. It's going to take a snapshot of everything even things you don't want it to like credit card numbers or Social Security numbers. Is it just me or does that bother other people as well? I've linked to an article in EWeek where the author just loves the product. For journalists it makes a lot of sense, someone who's writing all the time. It would be good to be able to find something you wrote quickly when you don't know where you put it. It's funny but those people are the people that are most excited about it. But the reason they are is because it helps their job. That's always been the point of technology, it's a way to get something done easier and better, it's as simple as that. When you hear how great this tool is, which I'm sure it is, keep in mind that these search companies are trying to get deeper and deeper into our lives. I'm not paranoid, I just like some maintenance on my privacy.

Google desktop comes out of beta.

The Google desktop has come out of the beta stage and is now a regular release. One of the additional features they've added is the ability to index PDF files and multimedia files. I'm sure this is a great tool and that it works wonderfully for finding files and things you couldn't find before. It still doesn't answer any questions about security but one of the ideas that Google has is to have a workplace version which might help eliminate some of the personal security issues. I think that any way you slice desktop search whether it's from Google or someone else, there is an element of loss of privacy. It's just too easy for someone who doesn't know anything about your computer to go to a tool like this and find out things that maybe you don't want to. Now in the case of PDF files, will they be able to index password-protected files. I would imagine they wouldn't but who knows?

I still see the desktop search category as being one where not too much excitement is being generated because of the privacy issue. There's never been a time when it's easier to find what you're looking for on your computer and never been a time when your privacy is becoming more compromised. I'm looking for new versions of desktop search that will give flexibility and to find what can and can't be indexed. Now I know there are some things out there like that already but I haven't tried them yet. I'm frankly still a little skeptical on the privacy issues. Because trust has been violated so many times when it comes to private information such as e-mails, names being put on lists, identity theft, many people don't want to make it any easier for these type of things to occur again.

I'm sure the Google desktop is a great tool and it works wonderfully as I stated earlier. When it comes to searching Google is still king and this is just another area where they show how good they are.

Real marketing for web site results, RealWebMarketing.com

Yahoo dropping the Overture brand.

The search engine company Yahoo is dropping the name Overture as a search marketing brand. Well I don't know if it's a search marketing brand so much as a pay per click search engine. Overture started out as GoTo.com and then changed the name to Overture and then was bought by Yahoo. It's probably the best thing that they could do because the overture brand probably doesn't have the luster it used to.

Instead of this approach, Yahoo is going to start offering a complete developer network in regards to search. One part of that search strategy is the pay per click that we've all come to know as Overture. But it won't be called that anymore and I imagined it won't really change much as it has been a successful part of Yahoo.

Real results for marketing online, RealWebMarketing.com

An article on MrSapo.com

I've taken a look at the search engine in the past which is a meta search or really an organizational search tool. This article finds some of the advantages that I found as one-stop search page.

Microsoft every once in awhile trots out some of their latest technology and shows it to their employees. This is an article from the Seattle Times which talks about this event which is sometimes called Microsoft TechFest. I've been finding it interesting that most of what Microsoft is trying to do is aimed at the consumer market. That is, they are coming up with products and software that relate to personal experience. One would think that in something called TechFest that they might have some of the improving products within the lines of what they do now. One of the things they have in the article is a clock that tracks where people are in your family. I find these kinds of products fairly silly as most of us at any time know where the other family members are without this type of technology. It these these kind of little appliances that are consumer related, that has been a focus of some of Microsoft's technology. I remember a few years ago when Bill Gates had an alarm clock that provided real-time information and was touting it as the next big thing. But one has to ask themselves, what is an alarm clock for? Is it for retrieving vast amounts of information or the ability to, or is it to sound off an alarm so that you wake up on time?

That's the problem with proposed technology gadgets these days. Like any new product, they're trying to see if the buying public will accept what they have. That's why you get so many ridiculous things that come before you in these type of meetings. What the public wants and what technology companies give us, are often two different things. The technology guys see what cool stuff can be done, but often there really isn't a market for some of this stuff. The important thing to remember is what we use things for. Alarm clocks are for waking up, not Internet access. Refrigerators are to keep food cold so it doesn't spoil, not as a focal point of Internet access or TV. Does anyone ever ask themselves, do people really want to watch the refrigerator?

Technology can be great when used correctly and in ways that people can appreciate and will simplify their lives. I think that's the key to it all. People adopt new technology when they find that it can help make their lives better and easier. But with the complications of new technology these days, it's harder to discern what will make your life easier. If new technology complicates your life, then it's not any good. The kinds of people that might be interested in all the bells and whistles that a product can do are technology guys, not necessarily the general public. That's what happens when you have these kind of people driving product development. I'm sure they do market research on what people may want before they develop, but in today's fast-paced world, it is probably done less than in the past. So I always get a kick out of these conventions or trade show type deals where companies always show the latest and greatest, having little to do with reality.

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