Speaking of New Initiatives...

Web publishers, worry no more. Saving bandwith, and finding fresh content for search engines will be easy as pie, right...now!

Search Leaders Team Up

According to Thomas Claburn, web writer for TechWeb.com, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are teaming up to support Sitemates.90, which is a "...protocol that lets Web publishers inform search engines about content on their sites". What is cool about the 3 search "leaders" working together as a team, is that website owners/developers will now only have to worry about one file to maintain. This new, unified format will help webmaters and consumers by "delivering more relevant search results so they can find what they're looking for faster", said Ken Moss from Windows Live Search, in Claburn's article.

Lookin' Good

The idea of this joint effort sounds like nothing but good for everyone involved. Sitesmaps.90 seems to be the word to be thrown around in the coming week. Google's "Official Google Webmaster Central Blog" describes the Sitemaps initiative as an experiement in the works. The blog also includes links that tell website owners and developers how to go about submitting a Sitemap file.

Seeing how this change will affect website owners (especially businesses) will be interesting in the weeks to come.

Moore's Law(s)

Apparently, "Almost everybody in the modern world has heard of Moore's Law." Well, I haven't but Michael S. Malone of abcnews.com seems to think I should have. For those of you out there who are new to all this techspeak, I will attempt to explain with the help of Malone's article, "Silicon Insider: The Last Days of Software?"

Moore's First Law

Moore's First Law was made by Gordon Moore in 1965, the co-founder of Fairchild and Intel (the people who make those fancy processors in our computers). The law is about the pace of hardware innovation. It says that the speed, size and price of semiconductor chips doubles every 18 months. Malone says a more realistic figure is 24 months. Moore's First Law, for the most part has proven to be true for memory chips and microprocessors, according to Malone.

Moore's Second Law

Moore's Second Law deals with the efficiency of electronic systems, saying it will double every 24 months. So what's the big deal? When chip performance (Moore's first law) doubles, the software needed to work with it quadruples. The problem is that there is a "shortfall" as Malone terms it, between the hardware created and the software needed ot run it. This could turn out to be a problem not only with operating systems like Microsoft's delayed release of Vista, but also with industries that are code-driven. This could include hospital equipment, airplaines and applicances. Malone says that the solutions are found in:

1. Finding/training more high-end code writers
2. More industry standards
3. More sophisticated ways of recycling and resuing exisiting codes
4. Government-backed industry initiatives

Check out Malones full (and technically wordy) article at www.abc.com.

Web 3.0

The World Wide Web is constantly undergoing changes, but rarely do we stop to look at what the changes mean as a whole. Web 3.0 is an abstract idea, or "phase" (in my opinion) which companies believe will be the next big STEP we take. According to John Markoff, of the The New York Times, Web 3.0 will offer a new way to look at the web.

Web 2.0

Before we can discuss Web 3.0 we must establish what our current phase, Web 2.0, is first. John Markoff describes Web 2.0 as, "...the ability to seamlessly connect applications...and services...over the internet". I can best relate the concept of Web 2.0 to the site introduced to me in my Communication class at SUNY Geneseo, ePodunk.com. ePodunk is a site that finds towns and locations in any city in America. ePodunk uses the service of GoogleMaps to illustrate where the towns are located. Although ePodunk and GoogleMaps are separate entites, they are linked together to bring a more convenient service to the user.

Web 3.0

Web 3.0 takes this idea a step further. Instead of merely linking information, Web 3.0 will cognitivley sort it. The example used in the times article is that now, travel sites (Web 2.0) rank vacation packages by thousands of user comments. In Web 3.0, the comments and sites themselves will be weighed and ranked in an instant. Markoff uses the word "cognitive deduction" when describing this process. I think it means that basically we will all be able to stop doing our own research because the web will do it for us. Just how the systems will be built and how soon is debatable.

Check out Markoff's full article at www.nytimes.com.

Internet Retailing: How Big is It?

After perusing the article, "KPMG / SPSL Retail Think Tank: Is internet retailing all it’s cracked up to be?” on TheRetailBulliten.com, I was surprised to find that internet retailing isn't the all-powerful force the retail industy has us (or me) believing it is. Now I understand that just because I shop and browse online, does not mean everyone else on the planet does. The article points out a few key truths about internet retailing reported from the RTT, or Retail Think Tank.

They say when looking at internet retailing, one should remember:

1. There are discrepancies in the way various media interpret and report upon internet retail sales.

2. The size of internet retailing is smaller than most people think.

3. The impact of internet retailing is still huge. It has changed the way people interact with products. This is most prevalent in the "younger generation".

4. Traditional retail basics are more important than using the newest technology.

I think these points represent a side of the story not often heard. We are constatly being bombarded with newer, "latest edition" products. For example, iPod comes out with a new, updated version every couple of months. These products are often sold and buzzed about on the internet. Perhaps the public's purchasing is a response to the the fact that online companies tend to make it seem like consumers are in a race to get cutting edge technology from the most cutting edge places (internet retailers). Looking at internet retailers and technology in general, from a different viewpoint can make one realize that sometimes having or using "the newest" isn't always the best.

Misleading Advertising

After hearing about the new Office Live product and adCenter that Microsoft is offering, I decided to check out their websites. I found that the advertising used is a slightly misleading. I compared it to the information posted in the article on the MSNBC site which I discussed in my previous post.

Do The Numbers Add Up?

I visited the Microsoft adCenter website and noticed some old facts. The site claims that MSN Search reaches over 40 million web customers a month. Their information came from Nielsen/NetRatings 2004. However, the article on MSNBC claims that Microsoft holds just 9.2 percent of the web search market. This information was from Nielsen/NetRatings from September.

A Little Discouraged

Although it is completely possible that 40 million customers make up just 9.2 percent of the total available customers on the web, I think the advertising is deceptive. First of all, Microsoft is attributing information from 2004. They should be using the most current stats possible to market their products. I was unable to look up individual companies' stats without paying a fee. Microsoft also uses the wording, "MSN reaches nearly 2 out of 3 web customers...". This is a little discouraging to me. I do not like the word "nearly" in this sentence. Nearly could mean 1 out of 3 in this instance! It seems like Microsoft is trying to trick their cutomers (small businesses), before even describing the product. If I were a small business owner, the advertising tactics alone would turn me off. Also, the fact is that even if they are Microsoft, in this instance they aren't the best. 40 million customers, or not.

More Microsoft Goodies

MSNBC posted a surprisingly objective article detailing Microsoft's new Office Live software last Tuesday. Allison Linn of the Associated Press described the new software as Microsoft's effort to help, "small companies do things like build a Web site and maintain business contacts". She also said Microsoft wants to link the software to "its platform for selling online advertising".

The Competition

Microsoft apparently launched the software because of increased pressure from competing web software providers. Microsoft's plan is to launch an ad-supported version of Office Live. This will hopefully help them make money off customer's companies' sales and marketing. Microsoft's online ad sales platform is called AdCenter. It is supossed to compete with Google's web search technology. Linn says that Microsoft admits they are late in the web-search game, but is still pushing their product.

According to Linn, Microsoft controls 9.2 percent of the search engine market. Google has approximately 50 percent. She attriutes her stats to the September Nielsen/NetRatings.

Windows "Vista" Upgrade

The buzz around technology news this week is the Microsoft's announcement of their Windows Vista Upgrade Coupon. Both CNN.com and PC World.com feature articles that disucss the process.

Vista Launches

Microsoft has designed a program to increase the sale of its new operating system, Vista. Cnn.com reports that the normal consumer release is planned in January.The system will be available to "big business" clients in November. Microsoft's plan is to include coupons in select computers on the market with their current operating system,Windows XP. The coupons will go into effect this Thursday. If consumers buy the new computer with XP the coupon will allow them to upgrade to Vista at a lesser value when it is released after the holiday season.

Vista Effects

Rex Farance, PCWorld.com blogger thinks that the Vista coupons will cost consumers more than less. He says that upgrade prices ultimately depend on where one buys their computer. Hidden Shipping and Handling fees can also come into play. He also states, "Updating an operating system is not a trivial process". He advises consumers to wait until the Vista system comes pre-installed. He warns,"If you use this coupon program, you are committing yourself to personally upgrading your own PC".

I would assume the hassels of updating an operating system in a business would be tenfold. Although upgrades are meant to speed processes and eliminate patches, coordinating them can be tricky.

Social Networks and Job Interviews

Upwards of 7 million college students use facebook.com according to an NBC nightly news story displayed on CollegeRecruiter.com.

Online Networks

Students use the popular online communities, Facebook.com and MySpace.com as social networking tools. In order to access Facebook, one must have a college email address. The networks allows users to post pictures, biographical information and link to blogs. Users can also "message" their "friends" and leave notes on each other's "walls".

Drawbacks

One of the problems with social networks is that employers increasingly use the sites to do research on interviewees. The NBC news story above said that employers have even paid students to access and report on peer profiles. Sometimes the information people post is unprofessional. Other times it is of a truly personal nature. It might show even show the interviewee in a compromising position.

Is this for real?

Some employers might use the information to determine who to hire. Others like Tory Johnson of ABC.com says that she uses the sites only to find out more about the candidates and see how they react under pressure. She often brings up information on the site in her interview. I agree that these networks can be a hiring tool. They could also potentially damage one's career. The point is that its the user's responsibility to decide how much to share with the world.

Keystroke Logging: The "Unknown" Internet Evil?

But everyone's doing it Mom. I would look like a loser if I didn't. Such a statement could have resonated at the congressional hearing had by Hewlett-Packard last month. Lisa Lerer of Forbes.com reports that HP was involved in a "pretexting" scandal but says that a much more common form of company snopping that HP and other companies may use is keystroke logging.

They're Watching You

Keystroke logger programs are used to track e-mails, record keystrokes made by the employee, and to record screen-shots. Basically those that invest in a keystroke program can see what you look at, type and recieve on the internet. Lerer reports that the loggers are widely used both by the public and corporations. Advertisers may also send them out attached to emails. Webroot Software reports that seven percent of computers have them with or without the user knowing it.

What Does it Mean for Business?

More like, what does it mean for employees? Lerer reports that most keystroke loggers come from external devices (like usb ports), attachments, operating system flaws and websites. Corporations that use the keystroke programs would, from my realitvely ignorant position, probably already have them installed on employees computers. From a business prospective these programs are good for the bosses and bad for the workers. Employees need to monitor their "leisure time" online and realize that they may not be as trusted as they may think. Bosses need to take into account just how invasive their particular keystroke program is. Lawsuits could be even more prevalent in the future.

Lerer's full article can be found on www.msnbc.com.

Deceptive Advertising?

"The Internet's just a big bluff"

So stated David Carter, website entreprenuer. He followed this statement with "If you can make a site look pretty and sound credible, you can pullinquiries in for just about anything and turn the Internet into one greatsales-generation machine". Carter was talking to Business 2.0 magazine Editor, Paul Sloan. Sloan reports that Carter did just that: launched professional looking and sounding websites to advertise a service. The problem is, the service did not exist at the time.

Misdirection Means Money

Carter reportedly creates websites with generic names realted to a business or topic he knows nothing about. For example, his site AsbestosSurveys.com. He writes a few articles (after educating himself first) and lists a few local phone numbers with an answering service. On getting tons of calls for a fake business he states, "I told them there was a big backlog...Then I said, 'Oh, God. What do I do now?" Once he gets the people to commit and call in for the service, he establishes the businesses himself or subcontracts to others.

Crossing the Line?

Although reporter Paul Sloan does not take a stance himself, he does question the ethics of Carter's tactics (barely). Carter set up the site above as an experiment. He is now using it and others to make money. He thinks its a great opportunity for local businesses to build a customer base. He reccomends others first find an overlooked service, create a professional website and then create a business or subcontract. I understand the idea of establishing a need first. Is advertising the service under a name that is not actually the provider a little too misleading? People might think they are getting one serivice and then be subcontracted to a service they swore not to use. The line is thin indeed.

Sloan's full article can be found on www.cnn.com.

Google's "Docs and Spreadsheets" Service

I recently found a potentially great service from Google. It is their "Doc and Spreadsheet" service. Google says, "Google Docs & Spreadsheets is a web-based word processing and spreadsheet program that keeps documents current and lets the people you choose update files from their own computers".

What Can It Do?

In theory the service can do everything a normal spreadsheet or document software (such as Excel or Word) can do. It also allows the user to change it from anywhere, since they are sorted on a web browser instead of on your hard drive. It allows different people to change the documents at the same time without dealing with sending back and forth through email. Google boasts that the service can:

• upload old docs/sheets or create them from scratch
• has a "familiar desktop feel"
• share, edit and export instantly
• safely stores work and allows user to control who access it
• publish work to webpage or blog instantly

My Take

It seems to me that the Google service could simplify work being done on the same project by a number of people. It could eminate a lot of irritation and potential of loss of information from copying and pasting. It also stops sending updated attachments back and forth through email. My only concern is that although Google claims the pages would be secure, I've been taught that you can never be sure of that on the web.

Back to Blogging

Although this blog isn't primarly about blogging, I found some relevant information while researching. Continuing with our previous blogging discussion, Corporate Event or Conference blogs offer positives for a business.

Corporate Event Blogs

In a blog by the VP of HP Global Marketing Strategy and Excellence, Eric Kintz disucsses corporate event blogs, namely the popular "Backstage at Sundance" blog with contributions by Alison Waterson, HP.com's Editor and Chief. Alison noted a positive of her blogging experience was the opportunity to meet new people through interviews. She says, "An event blog is generally a limited-time collaborative blog where different people attending an event will blog about their experience while there".

Get Your Feet Wet!

The great thing about event blogs is that they are intended to last for a limited time only. Alison notes that an event blog is a great way to try out blogging if a person or business is not ready to commit to blogging. Although blogs require planning and coordination before the event, having diverse perspectives make for an interesting and well represented take on the event.

My Thoughts, Exactly...

I think a diverse representation of an event or conference that corporate event blogs afford could help:

1. improve the event in the future.

2.businesses decide if the event was worth sending their employees to.

3. give employee contributors an active role in the conference/event.

4. the employer to see what the attendee took from the event.

I like to think of event blogging as a relaxed book report on the part of the employee. But shhh, don't tell them that!