Copernic desktop search takes aims at Microsoft September 1, 2004

 

Are You Ready to Explode Your Keyword Lists? September 1, 2004

 

According to Amit Singhal, principal scientist at Google, over 50 percent of the 200 million searches performed a day have never been searched before.

A new software program called Keyword Tumbler takes your existing keyword phrase and generates multiple variations of it, simply by mixing the keywords around.

Keyword Tumbler looks extremely basic, to put it mildly.

And the question is, how many of these will convert?

The Search Engine Watch forums have some interesting thoughts on the matter. Well worth a read.

As is the PDF on "Challenges in Running a Commercial Web Search Engine", also by Amit Singhal.

Note that the PDF is years old, but some of the ideas expressed are still interesting.

 

Downloaded Music Chart on UK's Radio 1, 1st September September 1, 2004

 

The Official Music Download Chart premiers on the UK's National Radio 1 tonight, on the Scott Mills show.

Incredible. Downloading music has gone from geek to mainstream to establishment in only a few years.

One day all music may well be sold this way, and "one day" may be closer than we realise.

The times truly have a' changed.

 

Is the Internet becoming over-optimised? September 2, 2004

 

If you're getting frustrated with your Search Engine Optimisation efforts, then you are not alone!

A discussion on the HighRankings.com forum may provide some form of relief.

 

Ignorance is no excuse for stupidity September 2, 2004

 

Dick Bussiere has written an article on "The Threat of Ad-Ware".

The interesting use of creative punctuation in the title serves well as an introduction for what is to come.

"Yet another scourge is emerging on our networks and in our computers: ad-ware. Software that monitors our activities while online and reports these activities back to a third party without our knowledge...

Ad-ware is software that monitors your online activities and reports these activities to a third party company for the purposes of serving annoying 'pop-up' or 'pop under' advertisements...Exactly what these programs are looking at is frightening...

Another common vector for the distribution of this type of software is through the installation of "freeware" or "shareware" programs, especially file sharing software..."

Full "article" here.

Dick Bussiere is apparently CTO for some company or other. He should know better.

 

Exploring Micro-ISVs September 2, 2004

 

A new article by Eric Sink:

"Summary: Eric examines the world of micro-ISVs, which are software companies that are comprised of only one person. (8 printed pages)

In most of my writings I am talking about a particular type of software company, which I refer to as a "small ISV". I daresay most of my readers know what I mean by this term, but I'd like to take a moment to define it."

Shareware also gets a lot of attention:

"I have concluded that I don't care what the term "shareware" means or what connotations it may have. Here at SourceGear, we will continue to choose not to use the term to describe our products, but I maintain my respect for the accomplishments of those who do. The fact is that the shareware community contains a lot of micro-ISVs that are doing some very impressive things."

Full article here.

 

What do you want to listen to today? September 2, 2004

 

MSN yesterday launched a preview release of its MSN Music service in the United States, providing music fans with an easy, comprehensive service for discovering and downloading legal, digital music.

MSN Music offers simple sign-up, no-hassle purchasing and superior sound quality, either through a Web browser or the new Windows Media Player 10. The new service delivers a vast selection of music with more than 1 million tracks licensed, from new releases to rare classical compositions, from major labels including EMI Music North America, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group as well as more than 3,000 independent labels.

Lie back and enjoy here.

 

Overture Shifting To Default Broad Match September 3, 2004

 

Danny Sullivan's SearchEngineWatch is reporting that Overture are about to switch matching terms to a broad basis.

"The change will make it easier for advertisers to gain more traffic, as they'll no longer have to think of each exact term they want to target. This makes tapping into the "tail" of search queries, the relatively low-volume searches that happen, easier to target.

The change will likely increase Overture's revenues, as well."

Full article here.

 

Software Marketing Newsletter September 3, 2004

 

The September issue of the Software Marketing Resource Newsletter is now online.

If you haven't yet subscribed then I would suggest that you do so.

Details at the bottom of the newsletter.

Well worth a read.

 

RSS Specifications September 3, 2004

 

RSS Specifications is described as "everything you need to know about RSS" and this description actually seems quite accurate!

Plenty of information on what is RSS, software, XML basics, RSS uses, Feed Validators, forums, feeds and more.

This one is well with adding to your favourites/favorites.

 

Product opportunity: Email add-on for holidays September 3, 2004

 

IT Week are running an interesting article on cutting email cholesterol:

"As soon as you arrive back from your well-deserved break, you think of the next day back at work. You might get to tell your holiday tales of adventure and fun, and maybe even show off your tan.

But all that fades away when you consider how many emails will be waiting for you. The last time you came back from holiday, how many were there? Was it 10, 150 or 1,000 messages?"

Full article here.

The article outlines steps to minimise this problem, but I can't help thinking that this spells out opportunities for a new application. After all, who hasn't had this problem before?

Identify a common problem, work out a good solution, get it out there before anyone else, and you're laughing all the way to the registration service.

 

Acclaim facing bankruptcy liquidation September 3, 2004

 

Ars Technica are reporting that game publisher Acclaim Entertainment are filing for bankruptcy.

"The liquidation marks the end of a rather precipitous fall for Acclaim, and it's one that could be replayed again in the industry. While some of the larger developers such as EA can afford to invest the capital necessary to take a title from conception to release, smaller developers struggle at times. Many become dependent on hitting the jackpot with one or two titles to make subsidize development on other games.

Big publishers can thrive in the current scenario even if they release a stinker now and then. It's some of the smaller shops that may find themselves in situations similar to that of Acclaim."

Full article here.

 

XP SP2 glitches to trip up one in 10 upgrades - report September 6, 2004

 

The Register are reporting that one in ten corporate PC users will encounter difficulties in upgrading to Windows XP Service Pack 2, according to AssetMetrix.

Full article here.

In our office here in the New Forest (UK), we have four machines running Windows XP. Right now I wouldn't even dream of upgrading any of them to SP2. The benefits simply don't outweigh the inevitable headaches.

Have you upgraded yet? If so, please share your experiences.

 

Judge: Geico can sue Google, Overture over ads September 6, 2004

 

InfoWorld are reporting that a federal judge in Virginia has ruled that a trademark infringement suit filed by the Government Employees Insurance Co. (GEICO) against Internet search giants Google Inc. and Overture Services Inc. can proceed.

If successful, the lawsuit by Geico could hobble the engine that has fuelled Google's growth: search advertising.

Full article here.

 

Google Code Jam 2004 September 6, 2004

 

Do you have exceptional programming skills? Can you make computers perform like silicon puppets with just a few well-expressed commands? Are you at ease when faced with a hard stop and a group of peers evaluating every line of your code? Here's your opportunity to display the grace of the true professional in a reward-rich environment.

Google is looking for engineers with the programming skill to rewrite the world's information infrastructure. The Google Code Jam 2004 is one way we hope to find them.

Further details here.

 

TechNet Virtual Lab September 6, 2004

 

Ever wanted to test Microsoft's newest software in a sandbox environment? Wouldn't it be great to be able to test new servers immediately, without formatting hard drives or dedicating one or more computers to the project? Now you can, with the TechNet Virtual Lab.

 

BMI posts record year, despite music industry doom and gloom September 6, 2004

 

Ars Technica are reporting that BMI, one of the largest music companies in the world, are reporting a record-breaking fiscal year:

"BMI reported revenues of $673 million for the 2004 fiscal year, an increase of nearly $43 million, 6.8% over the prior year. The performing rights organization generated royalties of more than $573 million for its songwriters, composers and music publishers. Royalties increased by $40 million or 7.5% from the previous year. BMI President and CEO Frances W. Preston said both the revenues and royalty distributions were the largest in the company's history.

Such results are confusing when we're told every month that the industry as a whole is on the verge of destruction, mostly on account of piracy. We're told that the industry, and artists are suffering (just ask Senator Hatch). Surely, one might think, that this year is an exception, but for BMI, they've seen a 9% average growth every year for the last 10 years."

Full article here.

And from the horse's mouth here.

 

We Build Pages Tool #5 - Top 10 Google Analysis September 7, 2004

 

"Type in a search phrase and, optionally, a specific page to compare. We will fetch the top 10 sites for that phrase and show you analysis of statistics for that search phrase, as well as for the URL."

Click here for the tool.

Note that you may have to get your own Google Web API license key, but this is simplicity itself, and well worthwhile.

 

Interview with Jim Allchin September 7, 2004

 

ActiveWin.com are running an interview with Jim Allchin, group vice president of Microsoft's Platforms Group.

There's nothing particularly sensational in there, but as a marketing person, I can only grin and enjoy his presentation of facts, aka propaganda.

On Longhorn: "We recently announced that we're going to accelerate the delivery of Longhorn by...."

On Microsoft's stream of security flaws: "In the long-term, we're going to keep doing everything we're already doing around engineering excellence, customer education, and helping people keep their PCs up-to-date."

On the issue of delayed schedules: "Windows is a long-term vision whose milestones coincide with product releases..."

On source code leaks: "There are no implications for Windows users because nothing of major importance leaked. We know this wasn't the result of any breach of Microsoft's corporate network or internal security, nor did it come from any of our Shared Source partners. It was an isolated incident and we worked with the authorities to track down who was responsible."

I can only take my hat off to those who turn spin into an art form.

Full article here.

 

Web Sites That Shorten Long URLs September 7, 2004

 

NotLong.com have quite a useful list of free websites that take a long URL and give you back a shorter URL, without requiring registration.

These are useful for avoiding the dreaded URL wrapping in emails, but it's worth making sure that you choose a service you can rely on.

Full details here.

 

RSS feed issue September 8, 2004

 

Just a quick note. We are aware that our RSS feeds are being truncated. This will be dealt with within the next few weeks.

 

McAfee AV ate my application September 8, 2004

 

The Register are running an article on an Australian developer whose software was wrongly identified as a Trojan horse programme by the latest virus definition update from McAfee.

This isn't the first time that this has happened, in fact some of our own clients have experienced this in the past.

"So why is McAfee AV misdiagnosing a benign program as malignant? We don't know. Our repeated calls and emails to McAfee over the last two days failed to generate a response from the company"

Full article here.

 

Search Engine Executive Roundtable, Part 1 September 8, 2004

 

From ClickZ Experts:

"What's happening in search today, and where is it headed? Danny Sullivan grilled top honchos from AOL Search, Ask Jeeves, MSN Search, and Yahoo for answers to these and other wide-ranging questions."

Well worth a read. Personally I love the fact that the article appears to be sponsored by Google.

Full article here.

 

Burger King's Back With New Buzz September 8, 2004

 

ClickZ are reporting that Burger King has debuted another online buzz marketing campaign as part of the "Angus Diet" effort for its Angus burger.

Full article here.

 

Annoying ads work? September 8, 2004

 

David Neal of IT Week has written his comments on "Time for pop-ups to go under".

He argues from the point of view of the annoyed website visitor.

"When I use the Internet, I use it for a reason. Perhaps it will come as a surprise to some online companies to learn that the reason never involves reading adverts."

Full article here.

Adam Penenberg from Wired News, on the other hand, writes from a different point of view.

"Most experienced web surfers will tell you that the most annoying aspects of life on the internet are pop-up ads and spam...

That being the case, you might think they couldn't possibly work. But if you did, you'd be wrong. On the contrary, they are enormously successful."

Full article here.

 

Disabling auto-delivery of XP SP2 September 8, 2004

 

Microsoft have announced that they are temporarily disabling delivery of Windows XP Service Pack 2 through Windows Update and Automatic Updates.

"While recognizing the security benefits of Windows XP SP2, some organizations have requested the ability to temporarily disable delivery of this update via AU and WU. These organizations have populations of PCs, upon which they have enabled AU. This is done to ensure that these PCs receive all critical security updates."

This seems to be an interesting step back. More so considering that the delay will be for 240 days.

Full article here.

 

Travel Search Beta September 8, 2004

 

Yahoo have unveiled their new travel search engine.

 

Microsoft sticks with controversial Longhorn security September 9, 2004

 

ElectricNews.net are reporting that Microsoft are still planning to include the controversial NGSCB in Longhorn.

"The software maker stressed that Longhorn will work either with or without enabling the Next Generation Secure Computing Base (NGSCB), a technology designed to make PCs more secure by shifting sensitive data and operations into a separate part of the computer's operation. The software maker also continues an overhaul of the technology, which is already quite different from the code that was given out to developers at Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference last year."

Full article here.

 

Microsoft Set to Release Virtual Server 2005 September 9, 2004

 

Microsoft Watch are reporting that release of Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 is imminent.

Virtual Server is software that is "designed to allow customers to run multiple operating systems, including Linux and Unix, concurrently on a single Intel-based Windows Server 2003 system".

Further details here.

 

New GuruNet Beta includes Desktop Search September 9, 2004

 

GuruNet have announced the release of their version 5.2 BETA, and this version also includes the ability to search your files and emails.

For some time now I've been saying that the desktop is the new arena, and there seem to be new apps popping up with amazing regularity. Watch this space.

Further details here.

 

Reflections On SEMPO September 9, 2004

 

Danny Sullivan has written a long, detailed and balanced article on SEMPO, and also announced that he is resigning from the board:

"The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization should have had a happy first birthday last month. Instead, SEMPO found festivities marred when a critical article kicked off concerns over poor communication about board of director decisions, the group's overall mission and other issues."

Full article here.

 

Russian Conference September 10, 2004

 

Next week I'll be attending the Independent Software Developers Forum (ISDEF) in Moscow, Russia.

I'll be posting a review of some of the more interesting bits and pieces that emerge while I'm there, and Sharon Housley of Software Marketing Resource fame will be doing the same in her blog.

 

The Five Issues that Persuade Visitors September 10, 2004

 

ClickZ Experts have an article based on five basic principles that must be communicated to each visitor's "perceptual reality".

Relevance
Trust
Value
Privacy
Security

Full article here.

 

Relevant Banners Reduce User Ire September 10, 2004

 

ClickZ News are running an article that seems to draw some fairly obvious conclusions:

"Most people would find banner ads less annoying if they were more relevant to their interests or needs, according to a study released today by the Ponemon Institute.

The 2004 Survey on Internet Ads revealed that 66 percent of those surveyed would find relevant ads less annoying, and that 52 percent would be more likely to respond to a relevant banner ad."

Full article here.

 

Spam on the menu at annual virus conference September 10, 2004

 

Techworld.com are reporting that spam will be a major topic at this year's Virus Bulletin conference in Chicago.

"The interest in spam reflects the increasing prominence of the problem, and the wandering eyes of anti-virus technology companies, which are looking to broaden the number of ailments their products address, according to Matt Ham, a technical consultant at Virus Bulletin. "There's been a lot of movement from just viruses to spam," he said. "People are saying 'We can look for viruses in e-mail, we might as well look for other things, too.'""

Full article here.

 

Adware, Should I be Afraid? September 10, 2004

 

Finally a balanced look at the issue of Adware, from the Software Marketing Resource:

"Developers offering downloads are paying the price for the malformed truths that have been put forth regarding downloads. While not a political campaign the smears are ever present in the adware arena."

Full article here.

 

Real sells 3m tracks at a loss September 10, 2004

 

BBC News are reporting that RealNetworks have sold more than 3 million tracks, thanks to an aggressive three week price promotion.

"The company halved the cost of tracks to 49 cents in mid-August to try to tempt consumers away from Apple's iTunes music store.

The discount offer has ended, but Real said it would continue to offer the top 10 tracks at the lower price."

Full article here.

 

Be careful what you say on the net September 13, 2004

 

The BBC News website is running an interesting article on how online publishing is not outside the law;

"The debate about who is responsible for material published on the internet took an interesting turn this week when the Sunday Herald newspaper paid former Nato secretary-general George Robertson undisclosed damages after admitting it had libelled him on its website."

Read the full article here.

 

MyDoom creators ask for job in AV industry September 13, 2004

 

I.T.Vibe are reporting that the creators of the latest versions of the MyDoom email worm have embedded a secret message inside their code, asking for a job in the anti-virus industry.

Further details here.

 

Ignore Longhorn and stick with XP, says Gartner September 13, 2004

 

ComputerWeekly.com are arguing that removal of WinFS from Longhorn reduces the new Operating System to little more than a "product intended to simply fill in a gap in the schedule".

Further details here.

 

Unusual Search Engines September 13, 2004

 

"Unless you've been living under a rock, you know of the major search engines like Google or Yahoo. But did you know that there are many other smaller or niche search engines out there that can offer you unique help? Let's take a look at some of these and get some insight into how they can be of benefit."

Read the full article here.

 

Google Redirects WWW2 & WWW3 to WWW September 13, 2004

 

From Search Engine Roundtable:

"Google's infamous www2.google.com & www3.google.com addresses are now being redirected to good old www.google.com. So we have not had a PageRank update in, how long as it been, 3 months. And Google's link command has been virtually taken away from us. Now Google redirects www2 & www3 to www."

More here.

 

Google changed the toolbar checksum algorithm September 13, 2004

 

From PRWeaver.com:

"Google has just released a new version of its toolbar: v2.0.114. The Google Toolbar updates itself automatically.

As you may know, the Google Toolbar has a built in code (in a DLL) for computing the checksum associated to each URL viewed in the browser. This checksum depends only on the URL and is needed to retrieve the PageRank displayed in the toolbar.

In June 2004, this checksum algorithm was cracked and the code was released all over the web (see comments about that). Since that time, many people developed some PageRank checkers based on this cracked code. That was the first time you could retrieve the PageRank so easily without using the Google Toolbar."

Read the full article here.

 

Ooqa-Ooqa Goes Polite September 13, 2004

 

An article by Jeremy Lockhorn of ClickZ Experts looks at an "odd company":

"Shoshkeles were weird enough. Everyone pronounces the word differently. Most folks shorten it to "shosh" because we can all agree on how that should be said. Others make it sound like a combination between a mosh pit and a ukulele. It's an odd enough word, but so hard to pronounce that it leaves you wondering if it's a stroke of marketing genius or a lesson in how not to launch a product."

Draw your own conclusions. Read the full article here.

 

RSS feed issue - resolved? September 13, 2004

 

Our RSS feed should now be functioning normally.

If you're having any problems, please let me know through our contact form.

 

Firefox browser to hit 1.0 September 14, 2004

 

CNET's News.com (and the rest of the web) are reporting that Firefox Web Browser 1.0 should be released today.

"Although the release is technically a preview, the 1.0 version is a significant milestone for the free open-source browser software, which has already won an enthusiastic following as an alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer."

Full article here.

There's no shortage of good alternatives to Microsoft's Internet Explorer out there, but most just don't seem to make it beyond the desktops of the geeks and power users.

But this one appears to be different. It's free, it's open source, it was one of the innovators of tabs, has a great pop-up blocker, and is very small in size. It's also immune to many of IE's security flaws. So far.

But personally, I just don't get what makes this one any better than the others.

There's been a lot of hype behind the name for some time, and pretty much all the mainstream PC magazines and websites recommend it as the standard alternative to IE.

Personally, I take my hat off to them. In a tremendously overcrowded market, they've managed to distinguish themselves, and I think we're finally seeing a browser to make Microsoft sit up and worry.

Who knows, perhaps this will push them into actually releasing a real, decent upgrade to their very dated Internet Explorer?

 

Will AI Reach the Mainstream? September 14, 2004

 

Line56.com are running an article on Artificial Intelligence.

"What software vendors are doing, is to create more powerful search products that can automatically look into the concepts of the documents, tag and collate them. During project feasibility analysis, AI can be used to consider more risk factors that can be entered in data fields." It can backtrack through scenarios and outcomes. It will give them a lot of choices.""

Full article here.

Fantasy, fiction or opportunity?

 

EU countries vote for first cross border security agency chief September 14, 2004

 

Computing are reporting that European Union member states will tomorrow vote in the first head of its new cross border security agency.

"One of ENISA's core roles will be to bring the whole of the European Union up to a similar standard when it comes to protecting critical national IT infrastructures - such as government, emergency services, utility firms and the finance sector - from hackers and potential terrorist attacks."

Read the full article here.

 

MS anti-spam proposal returned to sender September 14, 2004

 

IT-Analysis.com are reporting that the technical standards body for the internet (IETF) has bounced back Microsoft's controversial proposal for stopping spam, Sender ID.

"The reason given is that proposal is encumbered by Redmond patents. Adopters aren't allowed to sublicense the technology - it's a "nontransferable, non-sublicenseable" specification, which makes it a non-starter for free or open source developers. Internet standards have traditionally only become accepted if they're free of such restrictions."

Full article here.

 

The web is about to collapse! September 14, 2004

 

The UK-based Guardian is reporting that the CTO for Intel has told a conference in San Francisco that the internet can no longer cope with the traffic streaming across its network.

"Mr Gelsinger said the internet's infrastructure was based on a 30-year-old model and could not manage today's heavy workload and remain secure.

With spam now accounting for 80% of all email traffic and the number of viruses and worms increasing, there is growing concern over the internet's underlying stability."

Read the full article here.

 

The Deadly Duo: Spam and Viruses - the facts September 14, 2004

 

As a great fan of stats and analysis, I'm 89% delighted to see some hard facts and statistics on spam and viruses by ClickZ Stats.

"The spam level hit 76 percent of the 5.7 billion messages processed by Postini over the month. The volume has hovered in the same range throughout 2004, dropping from a peak 79 percent in January. The current ratio may just represent a small lull, as spammers gear up for an end-of-year assault."

Further details here.

 

Populations and internet usage - more stats September 14, 2004

 

ClickZ have collated some interesting data on different countries populations, internet users, active users and more.

Fascinating stuff.

Data on disposable income might have made this useful information even more valuable, but it's a great start.

Further details here.

 

Leaving for ISDEF September 14, 2004

 

This will be the last entry before leaving for the Russian ISDEF conference.

If you're planning on being there, make sure you say hello. If not, you can expect all the news from the conference as it happens. Watch this space.

 

The Russian adventure begins September 15, 2004

 

I made it from the beautiful New Forest to London's not so beautiful Heathrow Airport, more or less intact. Unfortunately, I've now found out that my flight has been delayed by six hours.

It's not a good start to what I hope will be a great trip.

At this moment I'm getting true value for money in a pay-per-access business lounge.

The adventure continues.

 

And continues... September 15, 2004

 

The six hour delay has been increased by an additional hour and a half.

For now.

Software marketing seems a long way from here. I keep hoping I'll wake up and find myself on the plane. No such luck...

 

Day 1 - ISDEF September 16, 2004

 

The journey from hell went from bad to worse, but I eventually stumbled into the hotel. A mere 9 hours later than expected.

As this was my first trip to Moscow, I didn't really know what to expect. But the hotel seemed good, the hot water in the shower felt fantastic, and the two hours and forty-five minutes sleep were... erm... adequate. Barely.

The day started with a quick wander around Moscow, with Sharon Housley - www.softwaremarketingresource.com - and Misha D'yachkov - www.voicecallcentral.com - followed by an interesting journey back to the hotel.

After discovering that I was speaking on Basic Search Engine Optimisation an hour after getting back, I shot off for the traditional pointless final run through of the presentation.

My talk went well, but was somewhat hampered by the translator. Tomorrow there will be simultaneous translation, but there was no time for questions after I'd spoken at all.

That was until I left the room.

After speaking with an assortment of people from different backgrounds and experiences, I came away highly impressed. The people I spoke with were receptive to new ideas, were highly innovative, and had some very unique and interesting theories that I'm itching to explore when I get back.

And then there was the evening. If nothing else, the evening's experiences proved to me that the traditional stereotype of the grim-faced, unsmiling and deadly serious Russian couldn't be further from the truth! More of that when I publish the photos once I get back!

In the meantime, I can see that Sharon Housley's Blog has also been updated, so be sure to check on her experiences too!

 

Day 2 - ISDEF September 17, 2004

 

Day 2 of the conference has shown that Russians have a real resilience to late nights and alcohol!

While I drank very little and slept reasonably well, I still woke up feeling more than a little groggy. Yet everyone else seemed raring to go. Maybe it's the jet lag...

One of the most striking differences between this conference, SIC and ESWC is the lack of hobbyists. Sharon Housley first noticed this. Everyone I've spoken to, without exception, runs or works for a reasonably sized company, and their software is their full-time job.

I haven't met anyone here who's considering turning their hobby into a business, and everyone seems to be well established, with some good, solid business experience behind them.

But the interesting thing is that despite this quite advanced level of knowledge and experience, no-one seems to be set in their ways, and I'm yet to speak to anyone who isn't interested in exploring new ideas and expanding in some way.

If nothing else, this conference has already opened my eyes to the wealth of opportunities that the country offers.

Now all I need is to be able to read the alphabet and pronounce names.

More later.

 

Day 3 - ISDEF September 18, 2004

 

This conference is proving to be an incredible experience. In many ways.

I mainly came here as a result of Misha D'yachkov - Pingram Marketing - telling me for the last two years how much I need to be here. He was right. Misha is one of those people who seems to know everyone, and has done everything possible to make my stay pleasant and productive. He shrugs off my gratitude every time I thank him, so I'll thank him here. A place where shrugs don't work!

 

Day 3 , part II - ISDEF September 18, 2004

 

There's no doubt that this industry is a thriving one.

Having also attended conferences in the US & Europe, I'm starting to realise that this (Russia) is the most dynamic part of the world for the industry. When great and innovative products or ideas are born, there are usually Russians involved. A few weeks ago, I thought that this was simply down to the low costs of labour.

Now I realise that it has nothing to do with that.

There's a level of innovation here that I've never seen before. And a way of doing business that is simple, highly efficient and refreshingly fast.

With today and tomorrow still to go, I've already established more useful contacts than I ever anticipated. Networking is the name of the game, and interesting and useful contacts are everywhere. Literally.

More later.

 

Day 3, part III - ISDEF September 19, 2004

 

I came here not knowing what to expect, and to say that I haven't been disappointed is somewhat of an understatement.

The experience as a whole has been original, eye-opening, entertaining, but above all, fascinating.

I've spoken to so many people with great software and original ideas, that even though I'm not getting back to my room before 2 am most nights, the first thing I'm doing is going through the business cards in my pockets and writing notes in OneNote.

Only then do I collapse with exhaustion.

Quite an experience.

Tomorrow we're going sightseeing in Moscow, and then on Monday morning I'll be heading back to the UK. I'll be going back with a lot of new contacts, some great memories (and pictures), and a genuine new respect for this country and the quality of software coming out of here.

ISDEF has done the most astonishing job, and I for one can only thank them for their efforts. I'll be back next year.

 

ISDEF conclusion September 20, 2004

 

Today wasn't about ISDEF. It was about being in Moscow, and being tourists.

As someone who grew up in the so-called Cold War, I remember all too well a childhood where the Russians were the "bad guys". To be in the Red Square and the Kremlin was awe inspiring. I know that I'm not exactly the first person to feel this way, but for me it was a novel experience.

We wandered around the city for over twelve hours, and when we finally got back to the hotel, we packed our bags, and then went for a final, unforgettable visit to the hotel bowling alley and Casino!

That was only five hours ago or so, and I'm still reeling from the experience! Why I'm typing this after considerably less than five hours sleep (again) is beyond me.

All being well, I'll be leaving this city in about four and a half hours; Aeroflot schedule permitting. I've learnt a lot, seen a tremendous amount, met a diverse and fascinating collection of people, and put my body, mind and stomach through something of a marathon ordeal.

It's hard to believe that I'll be in London in less than nine hours. Hopefully.

 

ISDEF addendum September 20, 2004

 

Sharon Housley and I shared a taxi to the airport, and it was an experience, to put it mildly.

We booked it to arrive at 7:40, and it came at 8:15. Half way there, we stopped in slow traffic. So slow that the taxi driver turned his engine off. Never a good sign.

Yet somehow we arrived at the airport more or less on time. And intact. I'll never understand how.

For security reasons, the Police had closed the road to the terminal, so we had to walk up the road dragging our bags. Interesting. Especially as half way up they apparently decided to re-open the road. No pavement/sidewalk of course.

After going through the first security check, and putting our bags through a cunning machine that spits them out onto the floor, we went to check in.

Sharon wasn't allowed through, as her flight doesn't leave for quite some time. I was allowed through, but then had to stand around for twenty minutes until they decided it was time. The person had sat their at the desk staring into space until then. Meditating perhaps?

After checking in, I went through another security check, then passport control. After going through the diplomatic channel (obviously) I was then free to explore the airport.

My fingers are crossed that I won't be here too long.

The airport has one thing going for it. My internet access works using the same access information I used at the hotel. Very odd, as I never paid for it in the first place.

I'm looking forward to getting home, but I think that my impressions of the country have altered forever.

I'm fearful as to what the future holds for this part of the world, more so as I have now met so many good people, who are a part of what happens here. I hope that peaceful times are not too far away for them.

For me, I'm lucky enough to live in a very peaceful part of a relatively calm country.

This will hopefully be my final Russian entry.

Back to software marketing tomorrow.

 

ISDEF pictures September 21, 2004

 

Normal software marketing resource posts will resume later today.

In the meantime, our pictures from the ISDEF conference and our sightseeing in Moscow are now online.

Click here for the pictures.

 

PC security threats hit new high September 21, 2004

 

The BBC News website is reporting that the number of viruses, worms, Trojans and other such delights aimed at PC users has now surpassed 100,000.

"According to security firm McAfee, a variant of the Sdbot bug has the honour of being the 100,000th security threat."

As always, one company's threat is another company's opportunity.

Full article here.

 

Genuine Microsoft Software September 21, 2004

 

Microsoft appear to be publicising their Genuine Microsoft Software scheme.

I'm not sure if it will work or not, but it's worth a look, and may be worth some level of sincere flattery...

More here.

 

Google Develops Own Web Browser September 21, 2004

 

"It's the logical thing to do. With Microsoft launching their Longhorn OS which has MSN search built in for the desktop and the Internet, more and more people would use that search engine instead of Google's.

However, with Google's current policy of "sandboxing" new sites and keeping their index stale for the sake of avoiding spam, I'm sure many will not be supporting this action by Google.

Some may even be supporting Microsoft on this one. I know, it's shocking....."

Full article here.

 

Microsoft shares office source code September 21, 2004

 

PC Advisor are reporting that Microsoft have decided to allow governments and international organisations access to source code for its Office 2003 productivity suite.

Further details here.

 

Firefox smashes 1 million download deadline September 21, 2004

 

Silicon.com are reporting that the first preview release of the Firefox 1.0 web browser passed the million-download mark after only five days.

"Mozilla spokesman Bart Decrem, when asked about the 10-day goa, said: "Beaten would be an understatement. I think we're setting new records here in terms of new browser downloads and it shows that people are ready for an alternative.""

Full article here.

 

Want # 1, Can't get past # 5 September 21, 2004

 

The HighRankings forum is running a very interesting thread in getting past the fifth position in Google.

Well worth a read.

 

Microsoft using doorway pages? September 21, 2004

 

A thread on the Cr8asite forums is reporting Microsoft are using some low quality doorway pages to pull in traffic from the search engines.

Read the thread here.

 

Global Broadband Tops 123M September 21, 2004

 

ClickZ Stats have released some interesting figures on broadband adoption rates.

"Broadband adoption is occurring at high speed, as Point Topic finds a 55 percent year-over-year increase in the number of worldwide lines. DSL continues to account for the majority of the 123 million total subscriptions."

Further details here.

 

Delving Deep Inside the Searcher's Mind September 21, 2004

 

Search Engine Watch are running quite an interesting article:

"Which search engines do searchers prefer and why? How do users use search engines to find the information they want? And how do searchers perceive paid versus free listings? New research offers insights into the workings of the searcher's mind."

Full article here.

 

Google Wins German Trademark Ruling September 22, 2004

 

"A German state court dismissed a trademark-infringement case yesterday brought against Google for its search advertising system.

A Hamburg district court rejected a complaint filed by German software company Metaspinner Media over Google selling ads to Metaspinner's competitors tied to searches for "preispiraten," the trademarked name of Metaspinner's price-comparison software.

An interesting development, but will the rest of the world follow suit?

Full article here.

 

Bootcamp 343: Shareware and freeware, part one, essentials September 22, 2004

 

The UK based Telegraph are running the first part of an article on Shareware and Freeware.

The Author, Rick Maybury, concentrates more on freeware for now, but points out the following:

"Freeware and shareware is software that you download from the Internet for free, or try before you buy, usually at a fraction of a cost of comparable commercial products.

But how can anyone afford to give away software or sell it so cheaply?

Obviously a developer's advertising, packaging and distribution costs are greatly reduced by distributing their software over the Internet. Quite a few programs are provided on a trial basis or are 'lite' versions of more sophisticated applications with some features disabled that will be activated upon payment of a modest licence fee."

Full article here.

Well done Rick Maybury! It's refreshing to see someone who understands what Shareware is about, and to read such a balanced and well-informed article is nothing short of delightful!

 

Ceefax - more than 20 million user a week in the UK! September 22, 2004

 

"Thirty years ago tomorrow, Ceefax was accidentally discovered by BBC engineers, bringing about a revolution in the way TV viewers looked for information. But in the age of the internet, why do 20 million people a week still use it?"

This amazed me. Everyone here (in the UK) has the TEXT button on their TV remotes, but no-one ever uses it. Or so I thought.

"Paul Brannan, the current editor of Ceefax, insists that it still has a role to play. "It's cheap, it's quick and on demand," he says. "It's convenient and it's very easy to operate." He points out that Ceefax still averages 20 million users a week."

Full article here.

 

Keyword research September 22, 2004

 

The High Rankings forum is discussing how to carry out effective research.

Some interesting ideas, and worth a read.

Click here for What Is Your Keyword Selection Process?, Share if you dare about keywords.

 

Microsoft to step up SP2 downloads September 22, 2004

 

From ZDNet UK:

"At just 20 million copies, distribution of SP2 is way behind schedule so Microsoft intends to do something about it

Microsoft said it would speed up SP2 distribution to meet its self-imposed goals, having distributed just one-fifth of its planned installations a month after launch."

Further details here.

 

Overture's Shift to Default Broad Match September 22, 2004

 

The renowned Danny Sullivan writes that Overture will soon make a major switch, matching terms on a broad basis, rather than the traditional exact match default it's followed since the company launched.

"The change will make it easier for advertisers to gain more traffic, as they'll no longer have to come up with each exact term they want to target. This makes tapping into the "tail" of search queries easier to target."

Full article here.

 

Firm justifies job for virus writer September 23, 2004

 

From the BBC News:

"A German computer security firm has defended its decision to hire the self-confessed teenage author of the Sasser and Netsky worms."

It's a variation of "it takes a thief to catch a thief", but personally I don't believe it for a moment.

Full article here.

 

Shoppers going first to bricks, then to clicks September 23, 2004

 

From USA TODAY:

"Don't call brick-and-mortar retail stores irrelevant in this age of e-commerce: In a survey, 69% of U.S. online shoppers admit to browsing in traditional stores before buying over the Internet."

Full article here.

 

Fagoogle - Search Engine Supports Gay Community September 23, 2004

 

From the Search Engine Journal:

"A new search engine tool has been released this week which is based on the Google search engine - but with a twist. Fagoogle.com supports homosexuality and actively sponsors programs aimed at educating people about the gay lifestyle."

Most interesting of all:

"Google, Inc. itself, has announced that Fagoogle.com is fully in compliance with Google regulations, and as such is neither endorsed, nor shunned by Google."

Full article here.

 

Is PPC an Essential Tool? September 23, 2004

 

Jill Whalen has produced yet another thought-provoking article, this time on whether PPC is an essential marketing tool or not.

"If your site is already showing up in the search engines' "natural" results for a good number of relevant keyword phrases, and you're making sales off of this traffic, then you may not gain any advantage by purchasing PPC ads."

Full article here.

 

Windows is the 'biggest beta test in history' - Gartner September 23, 2004

 

From The Register:

"Spending more on security doesn't necessarily make you more secure, Gartner warned yesterday.

He described Windows as "the biggest beta test in history" and warned IT security pros not to expect too much from Microsoft's vaunted Trustworthy Computing initiative. "Microsoft will try, and there'll be improvement with Longhorn, but it will not solve all your security problems - no matter what the richest man in the world says," he said."

Further details here.

 

Google Ad Policies To Be Expanded Publicly September 23, 2004

 

SearchEngineWatch are reporting that "Google is planning to greatly expand the editorial guidelines it publishes online, providing everyone -- advertisers and Google users alike -- a better idea of what it accepts on the advertising front."

Full article here.

 

Web tool may banish broken links September 24, 2004

 

BBC News are reporting on a tool developed by students that may mean broken links are history.

"Peridot, developed by UK intern students at IBM, scans company weblinks and replaces outdated information with other relevant documents and links."

Full article here.

 

Microsoft Changes Its Tune on Porting SP2 Fixes September 24, 2004

 

Microsoft Watch are reporting that "Redmond had told developers privately earlier this year of plans to port some SP2 fixes to older versions of Windows. Now the company says it has no such intent.

The decision: No SP2 fixes - not even ones like the SP2 pop-up blocker or the ActiveX-control blocker - will be offered for users of older versions of Windows and Internet Explorer (IE)."

Full article here.

 

Online shopping figures set to soar this Christmas September 24, 2004

 

UK based vnunet.com are reporting that online shopping is set to soar this Christmas, with UK shoppers expected to spend around £3.5 bn - approximately $6.2 bn.

Details here.

 

Google browser speculation grows September 24, 2004

 

ZDNet UK are reporting that rumours of Google developing their own browser just won't go away.

"The Google franchise could be coming to a Web browser near you; that is, if all the recent clues add up.

Evidence is growing that may support rumours that the pre-eminent search company plans to introduce a Google-branded Web browser down the road. Among the clues are a domain-name registration, a patent application and several recent hires."

More here.

 

Metabolife fined $100k for illegal software September 24, 2004

 

I.T. Vibe are reporting that Metabolife International has been fined $100,000 dollars for using illegal software within their organisation.

"The firm agreed to pay the Business Software Alliance (BSA) the money after a self-audit revealed that they were using unlicensed copies of software belonging to firms such as Symantec and Microsoft."

More here.

 

Study: More Net Equals Less TV September 24, 2004

 

From ClickZ News:

"The fourth installment of the Digital Future Project (formerly the UCLA Internet Report) examined media usage among Americans, finding that there is a distinct correlation between the increase in online time and tenure and the overall decline in television viewing.

The number of hours spent online in 2003 has increased over 2002 while the number of hours spent watching TV has stayed virtually the same. Growth in online time has risen more quickly than television viewing declined."

More here.

 

LookSmart Acquires Furl September 24, 2004

 

ClickZ News are reporting that LookSmart have acquired Furl.net - a Web archiving service that allows users to save a permanent copy of any Web page to a personal Furl-hosted account, then search and share that data.

Isn't that old technology?

Are LookSmart buying from the bargain bin, or are they planning something interesting?

More here.

 

CNET developments September 24, 2004

 

Interesting things appear to be happening in CNET's Download.com.

First of all their front page has a prominent link to the new Game Room.

When you get there, it appears that all of these games are being sold through Protexis.

Is this a revenue share model?

Protexis is also being promoted through Upload.com, but I can't seem to find any answers there either.

Does anyone want to enlighten me?

 

HFC bank in mass e-mail blunder September 27, 2004

 

The BBC News website is reporting that "one of the UK's biggest providers of loans and credit cards has infuriated thousands of customers by revealing their personal details in an e-mail."

Many of us have done this at some point, so it's reassuring to know that the big companies can do it too.

Because of the scale of the incident, the bank has admitted that it is in breach of data protection law and has credited affected people's accounts with £50 compensation.

Full details here.

Mass mailings should only be sent by dedicated software, such as Mach5 Mailer.

 

Search Engine Showdown Reviews September 27, 2004

 

Search Engine Showdown have a great set of resources for the users of the main and secondary search engines.

Well worth a look.

 

jux2 September 27, 2004

 

Search engines differ more than you think.

jux2 allows you to search two different search engines for the same phrase, and lets you compare the results of both simultaneously.

Warning: this is dangerously fascinating. Don't say that I didn't warn you.

 

Microsoft to charge for Hotmail-Outlook link September 27, 2004

 

Techworld.com are reporting that Microsoft are to charge Outlook users for being able to access their Hotmail accounts.

"The charge will start from today on all new Hotmail accounts. Existing Hotmail users will be require to become subscribers in the coming months and the feature will no longer be free from April, a spokesman said."

Full article here.

Will Google take the bait?

 

A new application of Verified by Visa September 27, 2004

 

From the European Financial Management & Marketing Association (often referred to as EFMA for obvious reasons):

"The card issuer Visa Europe and Mobey Forum, a European consortium whose objective is to promote online payments and the use of mobile telephones for financial transactions, have recently unveiled the Verified by Visa application for the authentication of payments by mobile telephone. Verified by Visa enables banks to identify customers thanks to a password and validate their online purchases. This new application should enable banks to accept payments by mobile telephone, irrespective of the type of device or network used by the customer."

 

OpenOffice.org reveals marketing ambitions September 27, 2004

 

From ZDNet UK:

"The organisation behind the cross-platform office suite has released a marketing plan which explains how it plans to promote its open-source product."

"John McCreesh, who helps to run the marketing for OpenOffice.org, told ZDNet UK on Friday that it is essential for the organisation to think about marketing as well as coding if it is to succeed in the marketplace.

"The world is filled with lots of good technologies that failed due to bad marketing," said McCreesh. "On the reverse side, there are bad technologies that are doing well due to good marketing.""

I couldn't have put it better myself.

Full article here.

 

Top Five SEO Design Mistakes September 27, 2004

 

From ClickZ Experts:

"The Web is overflowing with sites search engines can't index. The problem is largely due to URL structure, back-end programming, and poor design choices. I could fill a book with the search-friendly design mistakes I've seen. For starters, here are the top five mistakes I typically encounter."

The article is a little basic, but makes some good, common-sense points.

Worth a quick skim through.

Full article here.

 

DVDs 'could hold 100 times more' September 28, 2004

 

The BBC News Website is reporting that future DVDs could hold 100 times more information than current discs.

 

The Economist - great publication, lousy article September 28, 2004

 

I'm a great fan of The Economist, and the only thing that stopped me renewing my subscription was simply the lack of time required to read even a fraction of their high-quality articles. Usually.

Their article on "How Google Works", however, leaves a lot to be desired.

"Google is now responsible for one in three searches on the web. For this reason, an entire industry of "search-engine optimisers" has sprung up. For a fee, they will try to manipulate your page's ranking on Google and other search engines."

A shame the writer didn't use Google to search for "search engine optimisers" to find out what we actually do. Or how we came into existence. I'm sure I remember practising SEO techniques before Google took off?

"Google is thought to have several complete copies of the web distributed across servers in California and Virginia."

Enough said.

 

IDC raises sales estimates for 2004 September 28, 2004

 

From ZDNet UK:

"Researcher IDC has raised its estimate for the number of PCs that will be sold in 2004, saying it now expects sales of 176.5 million units, the company said on Monday.

The year is expected to end with 14.2 percent growth, the company said, an increase from its earlier estimate of 13.5 percent."

 

Can Skype live up to the hype? September 28, 2004

 

Silcon.com are running an interesting article on Skype:

"Just over a year after Skype's launch, the Luxembourg-based upstart is showing signs of being the real deal. But as with early predictions about peer-to-peer technology and the music business, the expectations about an overthrow of the telephone industry remain unfulfilled.

In fact, as much as Skype presents a budding competitive challenge to the old-line companies, it's also looking for ways to cooperate with them. The start-up voices lofty goals of expanding the way people communicate but it still faces the down-to-earth demands of broadening its own sources of revenue."

 

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