Lies, filthy lies and stats August 2, 2004

 

BBC losing the plot? August 3, 2004

 

I do like the BBC News website, and still think that it's one of the best sources of news available online.

But sometimes they run "stories" that leave me scratching my head.

Home PCs hijacked to spread spam

"There is a good chance that your home computer has been hijacked by spammers if you have a broadband net link, but are not using a firewall or anti-virus software to protect your PC."

Followed by:

"Spammers are actively seeking out and hijacking home PCs to act as remotely controlled relays, or zombies, that pass on their unwanted messages."

"And they have succeeded in huge numbers."

"Technology firm Sandvine estimates that 1% of all the active hosts on the net could be compromised."

1% is apparently a good chance.

 

WebPosition Gold 3.0 launches August 3, 2004

 

WebPosition Gold has to be one of the more popular tools among individuals trying to improve their website's Search Engine traffic.

NetIQ Corporation purchased FirstPlace Software back in April, and this is the first new version since the acquisition.

Of particular interest is that they've tried to integrate three products - WebPosition Gold, WebTrends and WordTracker.

Details are available here.

 

What, Me Register? August 4, 2004

 

An interesting article on the Wired website:

"I have a confession. I'm not always who or what I appear to be... Depending on my mood, I'm a 92-year-old spinster from Topeka whose hobbies include snowboarding, macramé and cryptology; the CEO of a successful high-tech firm in Bumblebutt, New York, whose company has a market capitalization of four cents; or an Alaskan mango grower...

I blame the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post -- and any other news site that requires that I register before viewing content."

Full article here.

The writer conducted an informal poll with 50 friends and colleagues, and more than half reported that some or all of the information they provide to the online news sites is bogus.

Bear in mind that this is for people who know that they need or want access to the information at these websites.

Compare this with someone who only wants to download your software to see if they want to buy it.

I know I go on about this, but it's something of a personal crusade.

Stop forcing people to register to download your software.

As the article says:

"There's no law that says we have to tell them the truth about ourselves, and news is news [aka software is software]: I can get it from any number of sources on the Net."

 

Symantec sued for misidentifying Spyware August 4, 2004

 

From CNET News.com:

"A small San Diego software company is suing Symantec, claiming that the computer security giant is driving away business by unfairly lumping it in with spyware distributors."

Full story here.

We've seen a number of our clients run into similar problems in the past. For no real reason, their software has flagged false virus alerts, both from Symantec and McAfee.

Usually the companies in question have been reasonably fast to respond, but there's little doubt that damage has been inflicted in the meantime.

This particular case also raises the question of what exactly is spyware?

It's a term that is frequently overused, and often quite unfairly.

While there are many applications out there that fall under my personal definition of spyware, this doesn't mean that any application "dialling home" is guilty.

Spyware has been used to describe any software using product activation, online updates, anti-piracy measures and more.

If your software accesses the internet without the user knowing about it, then I strongly advise that you make it very clear what you're doing and why. One unexpected firewall notification in front of the wrong (vocal) user can have the most unexpected of negative consequences.

 

XP SP2 delayed again - shock horror! August 5, 2004

 

Microsoft have yet again delayed their already delayed Service Pack 2 for Windows XP.

Development was re-re-rescheduled to finish this week, but Microsoft announced yesterday that "more work was needed on the update before if could be released to manufacturing."

Some things really are worth waiting for...

 

321 falls to 0 August 5, 2004

 

From the BBC News website:

"A US software firm which developed a program to copy PC games and DVDs has collapsed after repeated legal action from film and software bodies."

Full story here.

321 Studios said that despite "best efforts to remain in business, injunctions entered against 321 Studios by three US Federal courts earlier this year has resulted in 321 Studios no longer being able to continue operating the business."

The company have been defending their software, saying that it is for legitimate backup use only.

 

Worst PR sites of 2004 August 6, 2004

 

The Inquirer are running a not-uninteresting article on the worst PR sites of 2004. Oh and it's about the old-fashioned PR. Not the often-obsessed about Google version.

Although it's a little strange as we're only two thirds of the way through the year, the article does make some good points, and points at some amusingly awful websites.

Worth a look before you go for lunch anyway.

Full article here.

 

Google - how the mighty still may fall August 6, 2004

 

I'm one of the many that worship Google as the be-all and end-all of search engines and PPC advertising.

But I still remember when AltaVista were the undisputed Kings of the Search Engines. And when Yahoo sat on the throne before that.

History suggests that Google will not retain their position forever. And I do believe that there's a chance that may become the AltaVista of next year or the year after that. Who knows.

The UK-based Guardian unlimitedare running an interesting article on this.

The writer argues that while Google's market value is profit based, it is "still a highly unusual company. Its expected market capitalisation of around $30bn rests on a single product that, unlike standard physical goods, could lose its appeal almost overnight. I get nervous even thinking about it."

Full article here.

 

European business invest more in IT than the US August 6, 2004

 

The UK based Computing publication have an article that claims that European businesses are more proactive than their US counterparts, when it comes to investing in new technology.

"Some 37 per cent of the IT budgets of large European companies are being spent on new investments, compared to 30 per cent in North America, according to Forrester Research's Governing IT in the Enterprise report."

Read the full article here.

If you're selling business-based solutions, then the word opportunity should be jumping out at you right now.

Two other articles that may be of interest:

Aim at the world - global marketing for software

A World Outside the US

 

Paid search spending set to decelerate August 9, 2004

 

ZDNet UK are running an article that's questioning whether paid advertising might start to slow over the next five years.

The article is based on a forecast by Jupiter Research that shows slower growth for paid search listings.

It's the sort of idea that may cause some nail biting at Google, or for that matter those who plan to invest heavily in the search engine.

As consumers of this technology, we shouldn't worry too much. Whatever may lie ahead, I guarantee that there will always be good ways for us to spend our advertising budgets.

 

Google to delay IPO? August 9, 2004

 

vnunet.com are reporting that Google's IPO may be delayed due to logistical issues.

Full article here.

The best laid plans and all that....

 

XP SP2 August 9, 2004

 

Everyone already knows that the long-awaited Service Pack 2 has finally been finished, right?

At the time of writing this, it isn't yet available to the public, but it should be later today.

If you're an average PC user, I'd advise waiting. I guarantee there will be problems, and I don't advise that you become of the guinea pigs. Sit back and wait.

If you're a developer, then I strongly advise that you download and install it the moment it becomes available. Then make sure that your software works under it. Some advanced testing is highly advisable.

Once you're sure that everything's okay, you might also want to add this information to your website. Show your visitors how up to date and responsive you are!

If you're an MSDN Universal Subscriber, then you can download it already. Lucky you.

 

OneNote hitting the sweet spot August 10, 2004

 

One of the developers involved with Microsoft's excellent (but not widely used) OneNote has been writing about Microsoft's new unified worldwide pricing structure for the product.

In the past the software cost $99.95 in Japan and $199.95 everywhere else.

There was a rebate system in place in the US & Canada, but the rest of us had choose whether to pay the high price or live without the software.

To date, aside from myself and Karin (SharewarePromotions SEO Queen) I don't know anyone who uses OneNote. Which is a great shame, as it really is a remarkable piece of software.

The problem? Most people really don't know what OneNote is. If they happen to pick up the box, it looks like just another note taking app, of which there are hundreds, most priced around the $40 mark.

A low price would have helped given this software the much-needed publicity it deserves.

The lesson? If you're selling an app that sounds like all the others, but happens to be a whole lot better, make sure that your USPs really stand out. Otherwise it'll just get lost in the crowd.

Better late than never.

 

AdSense explained August 10, 2004

 

Sharon Housley's Software Marketing Resource is running an excellent Introduction to Google AdSense.

It covers the basics of what AdSense is and how it works, and includes some helpful pointers on maximising your ROI.

Well worth a read. Click here for the full article.

 

Google and Yahoo! make friends August 10, 2004

 

TechWorld and the rest of the world are reporting that Google have settled with Yahoo.

"The cost of all this will be 2.7 million shares in Google given to Yahoo and a charge of between $260 million and $290 million (although offset by a related tax benefit estimated at between $100 million and $115 million). In return, Google gets a perpetual licence to Yahoo's technology"

Full article here.

 

Napster swallows Roxio August 10, 2004

 

Sonic Solutions and Roxio today announced a definitive agreement for Sonic to acquire the consumer software division of Roxio for a total purchase price of $80 million.

Under the terms of the transaction, Roxio will receive $70 million in cash and shares of Sonic common stock valued at $10 million.

Roxio plans to focus its business on the digital music market and will change its corporate name to Napster and trade under the ticker on NASDAQ, assuming the successful completion of this transaction.

More details here.

 

More Microsoft Pricing August 11, 2004

 

ZDNet UK are running an interesting article on Microsoft's plans to release a cheap version of Windows XP for developing markets.

"Windows XP Starter Edition -- an inexpensive version of Microsoft's flagship operating system that does not contain as many features as the standard version -- will begin shipping on PCs in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia in October."

Read the full article here.

It's an interesting approach, and one that some independent software developers might want to consider.

Rather than forcing users from all over the world, in very different economic circumstances, to come to your "one size fits all" pricing scheme, why not take the product to them, at a price they can afford?

 

Product Pricing Article August 11, 2004

 

The renowned Eric Sink has a new article on pricing on the MSDN website.

"Product pricing is hard. There is no magic formula that will determine the best price for your product. I can't provide any easy answers, but I can give you some things to think about as you make your pricing decisions. In the end, you will just have to make a decision using your own judgment. There will be times you will wonder if you made the right decision. You may never know for sure."

Well worth reading. Full article here.

 

Does your software work under SP2? August 11, 2004

 

You can now download the Service Pack 2 for Windows XP Network Installation Package from the Microsoft Download Centre.

If you haven't already done so, I strongly recommend that you make sure your software works under it. Better you find the problems than your customers.

 

XP SP2 experiences August 12, 2004

 

Internet Storm Center are conducting a survey on people's Service Pack 2 experiences.

So far only 190 people have taken part, but the results are interesting.

Make sure you click on the ratings to see the details.

 

Seven Steps to Optimise Your Welcome Message August 12, 2004

 

ClickZ are running a nice article on how to improve your welcome message, sent after someone opts to receive an email from you.

"A welcome message, sent after someone opts in to receive e-mail from you, is part of a reader's first impression of your organization and e-mail program. Yet many companies treat this message as an afterthought; it's viewed more as a technical requirement than an opportunity to get to know readers."

Full article here.

 

Google's latest legal challenge August 12, 2004

 

"In a day of bad news for Google, which is preparing to float in the next few weeks, the UK company Independent International Investment Research said it had brought in lawyers over the use of the name Gmail, to which it claims the rights"

Full article here.

 

Google Link Popularity Tool August 12, 2004

 

"This tool enables you to easy gather enough data to analyze a page's link popularity. The Google Link Popularity Analysis Tool only looks at Google links and the pages associated with those links. The reports show PageRank data, internal and external link counts, anchor text weights, class C IP reporting and much more"

Click here for details.

 

More Microsoft delays August 12, 2004

 

Now that the saga of the Service Pack delays is over, Microsoft have announced that the first beta test of Longhorn probably won't be available until the second half of 2005.

The beta was originally planned for 2004, but this then slipped to early 2005, and now Q3-4 2005. It will almost certainly slip further still.

The lesson here? Be careful what you promise, and allow yourself plenty of room in a publicised deadline.

I guarantee that the delays will get a lot of coverage, but few will commend Microsoft for doing a thorough job. Apart from me.

The market demands a high level of stability in the shortest amount of time.

Delays look bad, but if scheduled from the start, a two year deadline can look thorough and professional.

 

Bolding Google August 13, 2004

 

The DigitalPoint Forums recently uncovered something quite interesting.

One of the participants discovered that when Google finds a match between a keyword and text in the URL, it will bold the URL in the displayed results.

If, however, the URL is capitalised, the keyword won't match, and will then not be displayed as bold in the results.

Read the discussion here.

 

Google release details of Google Dance 2004 August 13, 2004

 

The SEO world loves to hypothesise, obsess and guess at what Google are really up to at any given time.

This isn't quite what you might be expecting though.

Click to see.

 

SP2 doesn't do P2P August 13, 2004

 

The BBC News website are reporting that Microsoft has taken steps to stop SP2 being shared on file swapping networks.

"A group of file-swapping activists called Downhill Battle put the SP2 update using BitTorrent peer-to-peer software to help Microsoft get the software to as many people as possible...

The legal action means that those wanting SP2 must now go to the official Microsoft site."

So you can download it from their website. Get it by mail. Or get it from a magazine.

But not via peer to peer.

Read the full article here.

 

Search Friendly or Search Engine Friendly August 16, 2004

 

ClickZ Network are running an interesting article, reminding us to get the balance right between Search Engine Optimisation and the user experience.

Full article here.

Too many websites optimise their content to only perform well on the search engines, and the results are often ugly, difficult to navigate, and/or plain strange to the visitors they pull in.

The article makes the point that having a site that pulls in traffic is useless, if most of the visitors then leave the moment they arrive.

 

XP SP2 goes automatic today August 16, 2004

 

XP users with Automatic Updates turned on will start getting SP2 today.

I hope your software is ready.

Microsoft have release a Knowledge Base Article entitled "Programs that may behave differently in Windows XP Service Pack 2" is now out, and the length of the list is somewhat disconcerting.

 

NextSearchSurvey August 17, 2004

 

NextSearchSurvey is a free, not-for-profit survey which will run from the 13th of August to the 13th of November 2004.

The goal of the survey is to understand people's opinions towards the future of search engines.

In the survey, 20 questions will be asked with up to 4 choices for you to select.

The results will be counted and published on the 14th of November, and will then be archived on the website, freely available to be used for research projects, books, websites, articles, or even personal knowledge

Some of the questions aren't overly well thought out, and the language is a little rusty, but the results might prove to be quite interesting.

 

Automatic SP2 delayed August 17, 2004

 

Microsoft have announced that they are delaying the automatic distribution of SP2, mainly to allow business users more time to prepare for the update, or even choose to skip it altogether.

Windows XP Home users are scheduled to be getting the update this Wednesday the 18th, and XP Professional users one week later, on the 25th.

Having seen the number of applications that will definitely have problems on my system, I think it'll be some time before I personally take the plunge.

 

RSS Feed Validator August 18, 2004

 

FEED Validator is a validator for syndicated feeds. It works with RSS 0.90, 0.91, 0.92, 0.93, 0.94, 1.0, and 2.0. It also validates Atom feeds.

To use it, simply enter the address of your feed and click Validate. If the validator finds any problems in your feed, it will give you messages for each type of problem and highlight where the problem first occurs in your feed. If you're unsure what a message means, click the "help" link next to the message for a fuller explanation.

 

Software Marketing Newsletter August 18, 2004

 

Sharon Housley has published the latest issue of her Software Marketing Resource Newsletter.

This issue covers some innovative sales tracking by Emetrix, details of how to get your software in front of more than 1000 sets of eyes (for free), another software success story, RSS feeds, Google AdSense and more.

Highly recommended.

 

How to not do it August 18, 2004

 

While looking into content for this blog, I happened to stumble across the IT Reseller Magazine.

The site appears to be quite well thought out, with an extensive range of well written content.

But if you scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on the Advertise link, you'll see a Windows Media window opening up.

As if that wasn't bad enough, you may then be prompted to install a "WMV-9 VCM RTW" plugin. I was.

Yuck.

When I chose not to install the plugin, I still (unfortunately) had to listen to an uninspiring script, complete with cheesy intro music. Yes I can turn it off, but shouldn't I have been given the option of turning it on if I'd have wanted to? And how many people do you think would choose to do so?

This sort of thing puzzles me. This is a website dedicated to IT Professionals. You'd think they'd get the whole web thing.

But they still think that I want voice with my web pages. And they also think that I'm prepared to sit back and wait for unwanted media to load, and then install an unknown plugin just to find out how I can spend money with them.

Baffling.

 

Imation tempt resellers August 18, 2004

 

The IT Reseller Magazine are reporting that Imation (of removable storage media fame) has today announced a new promotion "giving resellers the opportunity to earn fantastic gifts plus a chance to win two VIP tickets to a London film premiere, when purchasing Imation mid-range data tapes."

Incentives for resellers (or affiliates) that go beyond commissions strikes me as an extremely interesting idea.

Full article here.

 

Google cuts IPO share price range August 18, 2004

 

The BBC News website (and the rest of the world) are reporting that Google have cut the price range for the shares it plans to sell today.

"The new range is $85-95 a share - a reduction of about a quarter from the previous level of $108-135, which valued the company at $36bn (£19bn)."

Full article here.

 

Creating Compelling Search Engine Ads and Landing Pages August 19, 2004

 

SearchEngineWatch are running quite an interesting article on how to improve the ROI of your search engine efforts - with compelling ads and landing pages.

While there's no shortage of article like this, the article does raise some interesting ideas.

"For sponsored search ads, you have 1.8 seconds and one glance to convince searchers to click on an ad," said Gordon Hotchkiss, President and CEO of Enquiro Search Solutions, Inc. "Once searchers arrive on your landing pages, you have 13.2 seconds to convince visitors that they are on the right site.""

Full article here.

 

Google Showing Page Previews on SERPs August 19, 2004

 

The Search Engine Roundtable is reporting that Google are showing page previews in some of their results.

Details here.

 

Yahoo search blog August 19, 2004

 

Yahoo have launched their own blog, possibly in response to Google's much read postings.

Interestingly, they're even linking to the Google blog from their main page.

Yahoo blog.

Google blog.

 

DIY Phishing August 19, 2004

 

The Register are reporting that DIY phishing kits are now freely available, free of charge, on the web.

"Anyone surfing the Web can now get their hands on these kits, launch their own phishing attack and potentially defraud computer users of the contents of their bank accounts. These DIY kits contain all the graphics, web code and text required to construct bogus websites designed to have the same look-and-feel as legitimate ecommerce sites. They also come with spamming software."

Full article here.

 

Fraud Stalks Google and Overture Advertising August 19, 2004

 

IT Management are running a fairly worrying story, claiming that around 10% of the billings charged to PPC advertisers are based on fraudulent activity.

""Click fraud" is a dirty little secret that threatens to undermine the financial success of the paid text ads that appear alongside the ordinary, "editorial" links in many search engines. I wrote in this space on Aug. 3 and Aug. 10 that the Internet e-conomy was hot again and that search-engine advertising was growing as a result. But if the click-fraud problem keeps growing, too, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising will become ineffective or even disappear, as have many other paid-traffic schemes in the past."

Full article here.

I don't know how accurate the information is, but I'm quite certain that Google and Overture will respond accordingly. If the day comes when they allow this to happen on a widespread level, their revenues from PPC will plumet. They have more to lose than we do here.

 

Yahoo cuts domain name registration prices August 19, 2004

 

Ecommerce Guide are running an interesting story:

"Web giant Yahoo! is gambling that price cuts on its domain name registration and Web hosting products will make it more competitive with discounters in the space -- which means that small businesses looking to move online get a sweeter deal through Yahoo!."

Read the full article here.

With domain names from as little as $9.95 per year, they're apparently offering low prices with their very established name. Good move,

 

SP2 flaws showing up already August 19, 2004

 

Ars Technica are reporting that the first flaws in SP2 have shown up, in connection with "untrusted sites" ability to run code.

"There are two flaws in the implementation of this feature: a cmd issue and the caching of ZoneIDs in Windows Explorer. The Windows command shell cmd ignores zone information and starts executables without warnings. Virus authors could use this to spread viruses despite the new security features of SP2. Windows Explorer does not update zone information properly when files are overwritten. So it can be tricked to execute files from the internet without warning."

Read the full article here.

 

The Advertiser Workbook by Overture August 20, 2004

 

Overture have released a free "comprehensive, downloadable guide that covers practically everything you need to know to get the most out of your Overture account."

You can download it from here.

I've only had a brief look through it so far, but what I've seen looks quite good.

It's obviously a little biased towards Overture, but who can blame them? If you're providing good, solid content, then an occasional plug for your own services can't really hurt!

I'll let you know how many people clicked that link...

 

Microsoft Issues First Patch for Its XP SP2 Patch August 20, 2004

 

Microsoft Watch are reporting that some VPN users who were brave enough to install SP2 already, have had difficulties, and that a hot-fix has already been released.

The first patch for the patch is out.

 

File-sharing systems in legal win August 20, 2004

 

The BBC are reporting that fans of file-sharing are hailing a significant victory by a US court.

"Federal appeal court judges have ruled that the makers of peer-to-peer software are not responsible for what users do with their network."

Full article here.

This strikes me as a very grey area. Fred von Lohmann, representing StreamCast in the case, said: "The same principle that people who make crowbars are not responsible for the robberies that may be committed with those crowbars."

Does this fit though?

We know why crowbars are designed.

But I don't think that people designing file-sharing applications do so for people to share photos of their cats, or for that matter to share recordings of their own college band's latest efforts in their parent's garages.

Let's think about this for a moment.

If an application comes out whose sole purpose is to "share" trial versions of software that people have on their hard drives, and people start sharing hack/cracked versions, full versions or serial numbers instead, how grateful would you be to the people who designed and/or sold the app?

 

Gmail Notifier August 23, 2004

 

Google have yet again demonstrated how they consistently dominate whatever they dip their toes into.

The Gmail Notifier is a downloadable Windows application that alerts you when you have new Gmail messages. It displays an icon in your system tray to let you know if you have unread Gmail messages, and shows you their subjects, senders and snippets, all without your having to open a web browser.

More details here.

 

Search Engine Partnership Chart August 23, 2004

 

ihelpyou.com have a useful chartshowing syndications, suppliers and partnerships between the different search engines and portals.

Some of the information seems a little different to the well known Search Engine Relationship Chart by Bruce Clay, but both are well worth a look.

 

Take a longer look at accessibility August 23, 2004

 

ZDNet UK are running an interesting article on accessibility

They argue that website accessibility is not just about political correctness, but is more about legislation and economics.

"Ensuring that the Web is accessible to all is simply good business. Let's hope the industry figures it out before we're all wearing bifocals."

Full article here.

 

Microsoft launch free preview of 64-bit XP August 23, 2004

 

I.T. Vibe are reporting that Microsoft have announced the availability of an updated preview version of their 64 bit edition of Windows XP, available now as a free download or to order on CD.

The software is apparently a 360 day trial version.

What a concept. Microsoft are actually letting people try before they buy.

I wonder if it'll catch on.

Full article here.

 

Longhorn coming attractions - part 2 August 23, 2004

 

CodeGuru are now running the second part of their Longhorn sneak peek series.

There are more screenshots of the user interface, details of how the OS will handle ZIP files, users, system information, file replacement, installation of software and more.

Click here for the article.

In case you missed the first part of the series, you can find it here.

 

How eight pixels cost Microsoft millions August 24, 2004

 

CNET are running an incredible story about how "Microsoft's lack of multicultural savvy cost the Redmond behemoth millions of dollars".

"The software giant has seen its products banned in some of the biggest markets on earth--and it's all because of eight wrongly colored pixels, a dodgy choice of music and a bad English-to-Spanish dictionary."

Full article here.

 

Overall Ad Spending Up, Especially Online August 24, 2004

 

ClickZ News are reporting that U.S. ad spending for the first half of 2004 rose 9.1% over the same period last year.

"Online advertising achieved a growth rate of 25.9 percent as compared to the first half of 2003, reaching $3.6 billion. It was far and away the strongest growth category, although double-digit increases were also reported in cable TV (18.2 percent), syndication TV (17.5 percent), national newspapers (10.8 percent) and local magazines (10.2 percent). The total U.S. ad spend for the six-month period was estimated at $67.6 billion."

Full article here.

 

SEO "experts" debate next PR update August 24, 2004

 

The SEO Chat Forums are discussing whether there will be another PR update, and if so, when.

The person who started the thread points out from the start that it's just for fun.

But this is what happens when PR is mentioned. Common sense goes out of the window.

There are people confidently stating that there will be a PR update between August 21st - 28th (now that the IPO has been realised), before mid-September, any day now, this weekend and more.

No-one knows. No-one has a clue.

Yet so many like pushing out their chests and confidently throwing out a complete guess, based on a completely random snippet of information.

When you mention PR, logic and reason are put on hold.

Don't listen to them.

It'll definitely be mid-September...

 

Google.rss August 24, 2004

 

Far from official, but this is an interesting look at what the Google WebAPI is capable of.

More here.

 

Symantec CTO shares thoughts August 24, 2004

 

IT Week are running quite an interesting interview with Robert Clyde, Symantec's CTO.

With 25 years' experience in the security industry, this is a person whose thoughts and ideas are well worth reading.

You also don't need to look too carefully to see the opportunities that he's pointing at.

Well worth a read. Full article here.

 

What is an Acceptable Response? August 25, 2004

 

Small Business Software have an interesting article on one of the dilemmas faced by many small businesses.

"Many online marketers work odd hours, with no beginning of the day and no real end. How does this impact support and customer service inquiries? Some small businesses are afraid to reply to customer queries off-hours, fearful that the message time-stamp will betray them as a small business."

The article offers some good advice to a common issue for many small companies. Well worth a read.

Full article here.

 

Link Popularity by Jill Whalen August 25, 2004

 

The much-respected Jill Whalen has written an excellent article on Link Popularity.

"For years, "link popularity" and "Google PageRank" have been the talk of the town in the search engine optimization community. However, the definition of link popularity and how it differs from PageRank (PR), as well as how much effect these actually have on search engine rankings, is often misunderstood."

If you've been around in the search engine game for any length of time, then you'll already know that Jill really knows her stuff.

An excellent article, and well worth a read.

 

Internet meltdown predicted for tomorrow August 25, 2004

 

The worryingly named Inquirer are reporting that "a Russian computer security expert has predicted that a large chunk of the Internet will be shut down by terrorists tomorrow."

Aleksandr Gostev from Kaspersky Labs was speaking at a conference hosted by Russian Information Agency Novosti. The cyber terrorists main targets will be the US and Western Europe, he said.

Full article here.

 

URLinfo August 25, 2004

 

URLinfo is a tool for handling web pages: finding information about it, translating it, finding related pages, etc. To use it, type a URL (web page address) into the box in the top frame. Then choose a tab (such as General or Cache), and click on the name of the specific tool you wish to use. The Translate and Search tabs require a bit more, but should be self-explanatory. Click on the [info] link at the end of any tab for details about it. URLinfo includes 95 tools.

Click here for the URLinfo tool.

 

Soldiers' Iraq Blogs Face Military Scrutiny August 25, 2004

 

NPR are reporting that US military officials are cracking down on blogs written by soldiers and Marines in Iraq.

Blogs are a particularly fascinating development of the web, in that they allow one person to reach many, and as by definition they're the ultimate opt-in experience, they can never really be used for illicit purposes.

Not unless you're in the army anyway.

Full article here.

 

US tops league of e-mail spammers August 25, 2004

 

The BBC News website is reporting that the US is the biggest spammer, according to a report published by Sophos.

"Almost 43% of all unwanted e-mails originated from the US in the last month.

The report suggests that anti-spam laws passed in the US nine months ago have had little impact."

The article includes an overview of what different countries are doing, what's working and what isn't. It's more about what isn't.

At this point in time it seems that it's all down to the users (that's you and me) to sort themselves out.

There are some good applications out there, but I still think that there are openings for the right product with the right features at the right price. I see opportunity.

Full article here.

 

Protect your cookies August 26, 2004

 

ClickZ have an interesting article that claims the much-misunderstood cookie might be at risk from the so-called Spyware Act.

"Everyone working in online advertising, publishing, and e-commerce should educate himself about this bill and the issues underlying it. The bill may not go anywhere. Passing a House committee in a year when the entire country is focused on a presidential election and a war doesn't mean it's about to become law. Yet the very fact that using an important, general-interest technology like cookies can be put at risk so easily should give pause."

Full article here.

 

The Google Browser August 26, 2004

 

"Last summer, Anil Dash suggested that it would be a good move for Google to develop a Google browser based on Mozilla. Give that kid a gold star because it looks more than plausible.

Mozilla Developer Day 2004 was recently held at the Google Campus.

Built-in blogging tools. Built-in Gmail tools. Built-in search tools. A search pane that watches what you're browsing and suggests related pages and search queries or watches what you're blogging and suggests related pages, news items, or emails you've written. Google Toolbar++. You get the idea."

Full article here.

 

One third of IT managers struggling with XP SP2 August 26, 2004

 

Vnunet.com are reporting that " a third of IT managers have admitted that they have "no idea what to expect" when deploying Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 2, new research has claimed."

Full article here.

 

Acronym Anarchy August 26, 2004

 

CodeGuru are running an article on the insanity of acronyms:

"It has gotten out of control. The insanity has to be stopped. Words are not the enemy of programmers. Lower case is not bad. Programming languages such as C++ and C# respect lowercase letters! Multiple syllables can be used! In a need for brevity, it seems that the concept of easily identifiable terms and concepts has been lost!"

Full article here.

The article is obviously supposed to be humorous, but the fact is that many software companies out there riddle their documentation and websites with acronyms that many users and visitors simply cannot understand.

 

Too many shareware sites August 27, 2004

 

The Association of Shareware Professionals created their PADKit some time ago.

"So you want to try your hand at being a shareware site webmaster? Although by no means a trivial undertaking, it's never been easier, thanks to the ASP's new "PADKit" codebase. To get started, download the PADKit source code and un-zip it in an empty directory. This will create one sub-directory, pad-sysop."

The kit itself is extremely impressive, and makes a very easy job of creating your own PAD-based Shareware site.

In fact I'm more than a little concerned that it might be too easy.

The result is that there have been an endless stream of near-identical so called "Shareware sites".

We all know that Shareware is a marketing method, and is based on the principle of "try before you buy".

The problem is that many people out there don't get it. They think it's a type of software, and they think that it's low quality at that.

And the endless parade of near-identical sites, often with little or anything to distinguish them from the masses, does little to disperse the myth.

I'm worried that it's now too easy to setup a site, and the standards that I'm seeing in some of them are only hammering in the nails deeper. The name is being cheapened.

One step forward and three steps back?

 

OPA Launches Internet Activity Index August 27, 2004

 

From ClickZ:

"People spend the bulk of their time online communicating with one another and content-related activities come in a close second. Buying things online and searching command a much smaller amount of users' time. These are the conclusions of the new Internet Activity Index (IAI) launched Thursday by the Online Publishers Association (OPA)."

Full article here.

 

Lycos Discussion Search Beta August 27, 2004

 

Type in your hobby, idea, burning issue or any other interest.

We show you forums, bulletin boards and groups where people are discussing your topic of interest right now.

Click here for the search.

 

Boom times ahead for smartphones August 27, 2004

 

BBC News are reporting that "the popularity of mobiles [phones] packed with features is set to explode as they get better and cheaper".

If this is the start of a trend, then I see great opportunities for developers.

Full article here.

 

FBI action over illegal file-swap August 27, 2004

 

The BBC News site is reporting that 5 homes in the US have been raided "as part of the first federal criminal copyright action taken against file-sharing networks."

Full article here.

 

August 2004 Web Server Survey August 27, 2004

 

Netcraft have published their August 2004 Web Server Survey. With a total of more than 53 million sites taking part, this is far from a shot in the dark!

Details here.

 

Will free software kill shareware? August 30, 2004

 

NewsForge are running an article questioning whether freeware will one day kill shareware.

Full article here.

There are more flaws in the article than facts:

"Nowadays, shareware is popular in some parts of the world that have a favourable exchange rate with other parts".

"Shareware is all about keeping the source code". We all know that Shareware is just a marketing method, right?

"So what happens in 15 or 20 years when free software rules the world? Where will the shareware guys be? Will it still be possible to eke out a living holding back portions of your intellectual property in exchange for money? Will there still be a business model in keeping your source code to yourself? "

Some of the arguments expressed here make sense. Some don't. But all are based on the idea that shareware is a type of software.

Why is the author writing about free software vs. shareware, as opposed to commercial software?

And why is he writing about shareware as though it's a type of software?

Shareware is not a type of software. It's a marketing method.

Shareware is no more a type of software than blue is a type of car.

 

Longhorn - the best laid plans... August 30, 2004

 

Fingers all over the world are flying over their keyboards, hammering out news that the road map for Longhorn has been revised.

CNET's News.com are reporting that "the changes--removing some features and altering others--are designed to let the company have a test version of the software next year and a final release for desktops and notebooks by 2006."

Full article here.

Some are seeing this as yet another massive scheduling failure by Microsoft, and the more cynical are saying that Longhorn will be little more than an XP update.

Microsoft Watch are describing the result as "evolutionary rather than revolutionary", and are pointing the fingers at Microsoft's being overly eager.

Full article here.

Of great interest is that they're also running the internal memo from Microsoft's Group Vice President of Platforms, Jim Allchin, to Microsoft's own employees about the decision:

"During this last year, we have been listening closely to our customers and partners as well as our employees. Now that we have completed Windows SP2, it is time to react to that feedback. Customers and partners love our vision - they would like parts of it sooner."

Full article here.

Isn't spin a wonderful thing? The truth is out there.

 

Campaign URLs August 31, 2004

 

ClickZ are running an interesting write-up on capaign URLs.

"What's the best way to manage campaign URLs in broad-based communications? Lacking real-world research, I asked in my last column for your collective wisdom on the issue. Is it better to use a campaign URL, such as www.newcampaign.com, or an extension of the brand URL, such as www.client.com/newcampaign?"

Full article here.

 

eBayFeed/1.0 August 31, 2004

 

MobileRead.com have the source code for eBayFeed/1.0:

"eBayFeed/1.0 allows you to create customized RSS 2.0 feeds of your favorite eBay searches. Compared to other eBay-to-RSS solutions, ebayFeed has the following advantages: it is fully customizable and extensible (open-source), it supports eBay platforms of other countries (take a look at config.inc), you can run it on your own server, it doesn't log your clicks on items, nor does it advertise your search habits to others (such as qksrv.net), and it allows you to fully utilize eBay's advanced search forms. It currently supports eBay USA, eBay UK, eBay Germany, eBay France, eBay Italy."

More here.

 

Longhorn's loss may be some users' gain August 31, 2004

 

InfoWorld are reporting that Microsoft's decision not to include WinFS isn't such a bad thing, and that users and developers may gain more than they lose.

Full article here.

 

Peering beyond the technology hype August 31, 2004

 

An interesting article on the BBC News site explores why some new technologies make it, while others flop silently.

"Sometimes, according to Gartner technology analysts, a gadget, gizmo or technology just needs one good idea - a trigger - to catapult it into something that even dads have heard of.

But other times a whizzy idea sinks into oblivion, only to be reborn when the other factors come into play."

Full article here.

It's a good common-sense approach to an interesting topic, that affects software developers as much as the hardware manufacturers. Worth a read.

I predict that the jet powered wheelchair won't make it.