Technology

I kicked ass on “How does google work”

Well, I’m giving my self some kudos, and I kick ass. Out of 18 Million pages, I made it to number 9, which is the front page of Google on the phrase “how does google work”. I have bumped back to 14, but Google is a moving target, so I’ll be back up.   I originally wrote a paper for my MBA class on the subject titled, “Google: How does it work?”, which goes into more detail about the company and their business plan, than into search theory.  You can read my “Google: How does it work?” paper (pdf) here.  My page is also ranked very high on this other phases, “how does google stock look“, number 2 after Yahoo(odd).

So if you want to know more, read my work.

Microsoft goes after Google

Microsoft may still control the worlds desktop operating systems, but in recent years, Google has smash them on the internet.  Accross our client’s websites (250+, www.redfusionmedia.com) we have about 50% of all search traffic coming from Google, and the other 48% split between Yahoo and Microsoft.  That is why today’s news is ground shaking.  Microsoft has no debt, it has cash, and it just made an unsolicited bid for Yahoo.

Microsoft (MSFT, news, msgs) stunned investors and Internet users around the world this morning by making an unsolicited $44 billion bid to buy rival Yahoo (YHOO, news, msgs).

The offer was made last night and announced this morning. The $31-a-share offer is a 62% premium over Yahoo’s closing price of $19.18 on Thursday. Yahoo shares soared on the news, jumping 45% to $27.72 by 12:20 p.m. ET.  –  MSN

Blog — Multi-User WordPress

Word Press today announced the new multiuser version, named WordPress MU.

WordPress, the open source way to blog announced it’s new Multi-user blog software today. Named WordPress MU, for people like me who host and manage many blogs, as a writer and website consultant, the idea that I can easily manage multiple users is great. Check out more at WordPress.org – Jon Burgess

Google Checkout

The announcement that Google has created a credit card payment system called Google Checkout to compete directly with EBay’s PayPal and the rest of the merchant account industry, is both good and bad news.  This opens up a bigger door to a number of legal responsibly in areas such as Contracts, E-Commerce Disputes, International Transactions, Ethics and Intellectual Property.

Google has always tried to be easy to use and confidential, so the first benefit is to have a system that is safer than using a credit card online. Google stores your credit card data and never gives it to the merchants, so your credit card is not directly used in transactions, which has been PayPal’s exclusive model over the past few years.  This is obviously attractive to buyers, because security is a big issue on the internet.  It also is good for sellers because Google is providing the transaction protection and fraud guarantees to the merchants.

The bad news is that Google is quickly becoming the world’s information giant, which will strongly test Ethics and Intellectual Property rights.  Not only does Google contain the best data mining tools and search ability, but they also store ALL the information they gather.  Google is rumored to have the largest grouping of servers in the world, not to server up web pages searches, but to actually store data, such as whole websites that have been cached, so much of the information found on the internet is actually being stored at Google server farms. Google will now have the ability to collect vast amounts of personal information directly from users, such as address, full names, and credit cards.  Traditionally all information that is in Google databases was collected from other websites, so personal data found on websites isn’t necessarily right or complete, it is only as good as it’s source.  The question must be asked who owns that data?  Does Google because they captured and stored it, or does the creator of that information?

Recently Google refused to turn over information the United States Attoney General about viewing habits of internet surfs in regards to child pornography.  So Google holds its information in high regard and will protect it for as long as possible.  However, once credit cards get tied into the transaction process, more attract against Google may come because of the simple fact that money is involved.

Google must be wary of the contractual agreements with its users.  Credit card information is highly regulated, so they will need to fulfill the government mandated agreements, meaning they may not be able to cross data with search data.  Google will be on the leading edge of the Internet E-Commerce Dispute law, they will need to be prepared to defend against lawsuits and lobby for proper laws and regulations.  They will be the testing ground of internet law.

WordPress’ April Fools Joke/Hoax

WordPress Merges with Textpattern

WordPress Merges with Textpattern, announced just this morning on WordPress.org. It will now be called WordPattern, and can be found at http://www.wordpattern.org.

This is a huge deal, helping position WordPress in the with the top blog tools like Blogger and MovableType (MT). I love Word Press and have used it for more than 8 of my own clients, so this really pleases me.

On behalf of the WordPress community, I’m proud to announce a merger we’ve had on our minds since the first time we saw Dean Allen’s dog — WordPress and Textpattern are joining forces to create the greatest CMSMS ever, WordPattern. “WordPress and Textpattern: Two great tastes that taste great together.” – WordPress.org

Google goes to Mars

Google does it again, and blows us out of this world. Google has sent its search engine software to Mars, well…. at least they have a cool map of Mars.

I like talking about Google and our world. Like my last theory that Google and Yahoo are going to be the fall of China, Google has taken it’s Google Map software and inserted a topographical map of Mars.

It’s pretty cool and you can even see where the spacecraft have landed, check it out at http://www.google.com/mars/

What is Origami without paper?

I have been reading though Technorati, wondering what this “Origami” tag is. So I did some research and figured it out, and it may become a household name (or not).

So what is Origami? Origami is Microsoft’s new portable computer, sort of. Microsoft is not a hardware company so it designed the specs and farmed out the design to manufacturers, supplying its software, a modified version of XP Windows. Microsoft is clearly trying to enter into the handheld world to hold on to its operating market share, not to make the best product on the market. Reviews seem to bash the product, saying it will never handle the software that Microsoft intends it to use.

• Origami looks paper-thin
• Is Microsoft’s Origami Just a Paper Tiger?
• Introduced at CeBIT, the new mobile PC form factor, formerly codenamed “Origami”

Google Custom Toolbar Buttons

Most people in the know, like to use Google Toolbar. Google, is again making cool free stuff. One on the new additions to the Google Toolbar 4.0 for IE 6 (which is a must-have for any webmaster because of the “Page Rank” feature), is the the ability to create custom buttons and links from your site. I have only found the information for Movable Type and if any one knows where to find simple code for Wordpress, I’d appreciate it.

Here’s how you can create a Google Toolbar Button for your Movable Type site.

Need a Google Toolbar? Find out how to download the Google Toolbar.

Google Page Creator

Google has launched a new product, Google Page Creator, which is used to create web pages on yourdomain.googlepages.com. And what seems to becoming par for the course, its initial launch was too successful, and sign ups where temporary stopped. The other recent launch of Google Analytics which integrates with Google’s flagship, Google AdWords, had the same trouble; its initial launch had too much demand for the beta system. Google Page Creator allows for users to build individual pages, that are individually managed and part of the 100 megabyte space provided. Google has become one of the top two Blog creators with Blogger.com, which would in theory be a close sister to Google Page Creator.

Google Page Creator is much easier to use than the similar application from Yahoo, and a whole lot faster and intuitive than Microsoft Front Page, which Microsoft is apparently preparing to drop and which was considered the simplest web-design program, up until now. – Playfuls.com

Google has clearly continued to move into a wide variety of products, most of them involving the creation of content or dissemination of information. All of which are powering continued advertising sales on there network, which accounts for 99% of there revenue.