Yahoo and Bing Fall in Love!
31. August 2010
Michael Augustine
Ok, Ok, Ok, maybe it is not that glamorous, but yes, Yahoo and Bing have definitely formed a relationship. A relationship in my opinion has significant effect on searches that internet marketers or SEO experts love to do. To the average user of course, they may not care as to how the results are provided.
It has become apparent that Yahoo has “adopted” the technology that Bing uses to deliver search results in a certain way. This was a move I have been expected for some time. Since Google was determined to dominate the search market, Yahoo has given me the impression that they have decided to disappear from the “popular vote”nomination so to speak and focus on restructuring their business, their brand, and their focus on marketing.
Yahoo apparently become attracted to Bing when MSN changed their “image” to Bing, Yahoo decided to “flirt” with Bing and pass notes to each other during SEO class. I remember my days in high school when I was shy to meet a girl and ask her out, so I would play chicken and pass her a love note! Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, this technique never worked for me, so as you can probably tell I wasn’t the one with the most dates or any dates for that matter.
Today we are in the 21st century and anything is possible. I am several years older now along with being married, so I obviously cannot try that technique again, unless I want to have my wife stop feeding my face at night along with throw me out on the street. If other people want to try this technique, then by all means, hey knock yourself out!
This merger of harmony is just a sign of things to come! I have always believed that “what goes up, must come down.” Google has managed to become the “big dog” on the market, and I believe that Google will eventually “crumble” under the weight of fortune and fame thus Yahoo will be there to grab the baton and win the race.
Time will tell the tale! Ladies and gentleman, welcome to “Binghoo!”
Article was used with permission! Original can be found at http://www.michaelaugustine.net
First Amendment Right Costs $300 in Philadelphia
27. August 2010
Michael Augustine
Over the last decade I have come to the realization that “Freedom in America is not Free.” Ever since 9/11, the rights and privileges of American citizens have come under scrutiny from the government. There is no sense of privacy anymore and government leaders believe that increased federal regulation provisions are the answer to issues plaguing the government and its people.
If you believe that government intervention into the problems facing America today is the correct and only solution, then, I completely respect your opinion on this matter. I personally believe that government intervention is leading to the “suspension and/or removal” of our rights and freedoms and civil liberties. America was built on the concept of “free enterprise.” America is a country that was created “by the people,” and “for the people.” Allowing the government to intervene on certain matters certainly violates this concept. Just ask the residents of Philadelphia who’s favorite past-time or business function involves going on the internet and creating and maintaining a blog.
Philadelphia bloggers got a surprise in their mail recently when their city government asked them to purchase a “business privilege license” at the price of $300. While it is required that all Pennsylvania business owners file for ownership right to their business with the Pennsylvania Department of State, what about those folks who blog for fun and without any intention of monetary gain? That is a question one fellow blogger Marylin Bess had to answer.
“The real kick in the pants is that I don’t even have a full-time job, so for the city to tell me to pony up $300 for a business privilege license, pay wage tax, business privilege tax, net profits tax on a handful of money is outrageous,” Bess says.
Bloggers would also have to find the money to hire their own accountants. This, my friends is the perfect way to end a dream and destroy what fun we have as American citizens as a result of government intervention. Perhaps this is a way for struggling cities to recoup funds from mismanaged governmental budget operations which put our country into the debt that it has in the first place. Don’t blame the American people for government mistakes, take responsibility and blame yourself Uncle Sam!
This article was used with permission and can be obtained at http://www.michaelaugustine.net
Facebook Hits 500 Million Users
21. July 2010
Michael Augustine
Facebook’s population is now larger than that of the U.S., Mexico and France combined. The world’s largest social networking site announced Wednesday that it has hit a widely anticipated milestone, signing up its 500 millionth user.
In a blog post, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said he “could have never imagined all of the ways people would use Facebook when we were getting started 6 years ago.” In a video message, Zuckerberg thanked Facebook users and told them “you really have created a worldwide movement.”
To show off its international reach, Facebook launched a new application Wednesday called Facebook Stories. The app lets users recount their own stories and read others’ posts, filtered by theme and geographic location.
The speed with which Facebook hit the 500 million mark is a sign of its accelerating growth. Launched in early 2004, it took Facebook nearly four years to add its first 100 million users, but only five months to add its most recent batch. Around 70% of the current user base for the Palo Alto, Calif., company now comes from outside the U.S.
US Terminates 73,000 Blogs
17. July 2010
Michael Augustine
last month U.S. authorities targeted several sites they claimed were connected to the streaming of infringing video material.
‘Operation In Our Sites‘ targeted several sites including TVShack.net, Movies-Links.TV, FilesPump.com, Now-Movies.com, PlanetMoviez.com, ThePirateCity.org, ZML.com, NinjaVideo.net and NinjaThis.net. In almost unprecedented action, the domain names of 7 sites were seized and indications are that others – The Pirate Bay and MegaUpload – narrowly avoided the same fate.
Fears remain, however, that this action is only the beginning, and that more sites will be targeted as the months roll on. Indeed, TorrentFreak has already received information that other sites, so far unnamed in the media, are being monitored by the authorities on copyright grounds.
Now, according to the owner of a free WordPress platform which hosts more than 73,000 blogs, his network of sites has been completely shut down on the orders of the authorities.
Indeed, 73,000 blogs is a significant number to take down in one swoop, regardless of what some users of the site may or may not have been doing. Time will tell if it was indeed a copyright complaint that took down the service but the signs are certainly there. Not so long ago the conclusion that this type of action could be taken on copyright grounds would have been dismissed out of hand, but the current atmosphere seems to be changing.
