| LED Digest 2404: Google & the Online Economy |
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================================================== The LED Digest Moderated Discussion List "Effective Online Advertising, Since 1997" Data > Information > Knowledge > Wisdom www.GetWebContent.com/LED : the LED's Key Sponsor The Web's Most Experienced SEO Content Providers. ================================================== List Moderator: Published by: Adam Audette LED Digest adam, led-digest.com http://www.led-digest.com .............................................. May 7, 2007 Issue no. 2404 .............................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ====== NEW ===================== --== Vertical Search Engines? ==-- ~ Dave Mead "...can someone actually give me a few URLs of actual Vertical Search Engines...?" ==== CONTINUING ================= --== Content vs Catalog [was: Google Hell] ==-- ~ Nathan Holley "Google needs your quality content." ~ Aaron Wall "I can't see search becoming more open anytime soon." <Moderator Comment> --== Recommended Spam Filters ==-- ~ Peter A. "I am just completely stunned by Tucows behavior." ~ Anne Ricciardi "My spam flood is a trickle since I signed up with Heluna.com a few months ago." --== Headaches & Eyestrain [was: Change] ==-- ~ Reg Charie "I also find that working on LCD screens is much easier on the eyes..." ~ Tom Aman "The other big factor can be the refresh rate." =========== NEW ================================== From: Dave Mead Subject: Vertical Search Engines? I keep seeing chatter about VSE's [Vertical Search Engines] in articles and blog posts but can someone actually give me a few URLs of actual Vertical Search Engines that are doing well? Also, does anyone think that we could start seeing the rise of Video Content Optimizers as social sites and specialized video sites are now springing to the fore? Dave Mead http://www.dmwebsites.com Web Design | SEO | Consulting Comment? ======== CONTINUING =============================== From: Nathan Holley Subject: Content vs Catalog > When it comes to online search, it takes three to tango: > user-catalog-content or, the other way around, if you prefer. > Right now, as it seems, search engines as catalogers are > ahead of us, both as users and content providers. They are > the informational rocket that we (willingly) strapped ourselves to. > This current imbalance and lack of control on two sides, > created a paradox wherein a catalog becomes more > important than the information being cataloged. - Alex Hughart, LED Digest 2403 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1806/55/ Pardon the large quote, but what a hugely valuable perspective this is. Indeed it's true, that the cataloguers of content (the search engines) have taken precedence over the creators of content (the publishers). We *are* at the mercy of SEs, at the mercy of rankings, which is why every site needs SEO (well, most do anyway). But for the sake of the discussion, let me spin this the other way: the search engines *need* quality content. Google's business model relies on relevance, on clean (relatively clean, at least) SERPs. If it was worthless no one would use Google, and their content ad network would whittle away. Google needs your quality content. And that's the answer: make unique content that is so high quality that the ratio is reversed in your order. Users want to find you, and the search engines need to position themselves to make that happen. They need you. Nathan Holley Comment? -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Aaron Wall Subject: Re: paradox between content / catalog > One can presume that the online search will naturally > come to its place like any other eco-system. Users will > be smarter users, content will be better tagged, engines > will become more transparent. - Alex Hughart I can't see search becoming more open anytime soon. They may give the perception that they are, but when you see how Google made the background color on their top ads virtually invisible on some monitors and turned a virtually unmarked link into an ad unit in their CPA targeting program it is pretty clear that they are not interested in being open. Aaron Wall SEO Book.com http://www.seobook.com Comment? <Moderator Comment> Speaking of... I've been meaning to share this post with LEDers - Aaron wrote it a month ago. It's informative and really offers a critical (ie discriminating) perspective of the Google Empire. A quote: --------------------- "[Google's] newest ad unit is an unmarked text link ad, which only displays any ad notification AFTER people hover over the link. Publishers who refuse to sell links directly will publish the ads, and if they spread anything like AdSense does, what happens to links to commercial sites? What happens when virtually nobody is willing to link to a commercial site unless it is through Google?" --------------------- Read the full post here: "Google as the Invisible Hand of the Online Economy" http://www.seobook.com/archives/002113.shtml Adam ============ Sponsor Message =========== Have you sat down and read your website lately? What your site says is crucial in converting surfers into customers and meeting search engine mandates for fresh, unique copy. Our all-pro writers have Fortune 500 experience. For top-quality, customized, cost-effective copy, visit GetWebContent.com today. http://GetWebContent.com/LED ============ Sponsor Message =========== -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Peter A. Subject: Spam filters > So LED'ers - do you use any 3rd party spam filters? > Can you name a good one? Please? - John Smart, LED Digest 2402 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1805/55/ Hi John, As another (about to be ex) reseller of OpenSRS / Tucows I have also been astonished by their behavior. Their email filtering service was great but to have them turn around and say that they were withdrawing it, and not replacing it with anything for months, with just 10 days notice is commercial suicide for them and for us. I have been searching for a replacement filtering service for our clients and am currently trying out the Reflexion service at http://www.reflexion.net. I can't yet say if it is what I need yet but it looks promising and they are being very helpful, including telephoning me back at a sensible hour (I am in the UK). I am dealing with a girl called Laura. For clarification I am not associated with Reflexion in any way, I am just completely stunned by Tucows behavior. Regards. Peter A. Comment? -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Anne Ricciardi Subject: Spam filters My spam flood is a trickle since I signed up with Heluna.com a few months ago. They filter the junk and send me questionable emails tagged for my feedback. Pricing is based on the number of "clean" emails your domain receives, not how many are filtered and it's a fabulous deal, especially considering how much time it saves me. Thre's an online interface, nicely set up, for account settings including approved / blocked senders and multiple users. All emails are virus filtered and the customer service is great. Anne Ricciardi www.ariccidesign.com Comment? -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Reg Charie Subject: Headaches & Eyestrain [was: Change] > Since first going computerized in 1984, I've had fatigue > issues involving the computer. Recently they've been > much worse. headaches and eyestrain start after only > a few minutes sometimes... - Shel Horowitz, LED Digest 2403 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1806/55/ Shel, I went through something similar a few years back. I am one of those folks that can use the "off the shelf" drugstore glasses and had been doing so for years, without problems. I read about special coatings and prescriptions for computer users and had a pair custom made. I was upset to find that after a few hours my eyes started to burn and I was getting headaches. I switched back to the drugstore variety and my eyestrain went away. I also find that working on LCD screens is much easier on the eyes than using CRT monitors. Thank You, Reg Charie www.dotcom-productions.com Comment? -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Tom Aman Subject: Headaches My first thought is that if you normally wear one pair of glasses but switch to a different pair for computer work, that could be the source of the problem. I wear bifocals and had to tip my head back to read the computer screen through the reading portion of the lenses. That always made my neck sore so I got a second pair of glasses, non-bifocal, for use when I worked on my computer. These were fine for viewing the screen, but I then found that switching to my computer glasses would end up giving me a headache because the focal length was not an exact match for the bifocals reading lenses. The resulting strain as my eyes adjusted to the change caused my headaches. This kind of problem is not unusual when switching between different glasses. I finally gave up on the computer glasses and ended up keeping my monitor as low as it would go on my desk and raising my chair as high as was comfortable so I could view the screen with my normal bifocal glasses without getting a sore neck. The other major factor contributing to eyestrain can be the computer monitor. The sharpness of the actual screen is one issue. It is possible for a monitor to gradually lose some sharpness or go a bit out of focus as it ages (even after 3 or 4 years), often not enough to be obvious if you are working with it regularly, but a potential major source of eyestrain nevertheless. The other big factor can be the refresh rate. While it is not usually apparent to the eye, the screen is being constantly refreshed so there is always some *flicker*. Most (all?) AC current in the US and Canada, is supplied at a 60 cycle frequency (meaning the current changes direction 60 times a second) and lights appear steady. Many (50+) years ago, the frequency used in the Niagara Peninsula area in Canada was at a 25 cycle frequency. Whenever our family, living in a 60 cycle area, visited relatives in the 25 cycle area, we could see a visible flicker in the lights for the first day or so, then we became used to it and the flicker would seem to disappear. Obviously the human eye / brain works wonders in dealing with this so it was no longer apparent. The same can occur with a computer screen. For a computer screen that will be used a lot, the less flicker the better, so the higher the refresh rate the better because a low refresh rate, while not causing a visible flicker of the screen, can cause considerable eyestrain. If eyestrain is a potential problem, go for the best monitor / graphics card combination you can afford to get the absolute clearest image possible. Tom Aman Aman Software http://www.cyberspyder.com Comment? ------------------------------------------------------- The LED Digest is sponsored by GetWebContent.com The Web's Most Experienced SEO Content Providers. Free no-obligation proposal: http://GetWebContent.com/LED The Archives: http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/126/120/ Subscribe: http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/52/77/ Unsubscribe, Change Email, or Hold / Resume Delivery: http://www.led-digest.com/content/category/4/17/86/ (c) Copyright 1995-2007 Orange Wheel, LLC. All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking." - Jerry Seinfeld |
