Wednesday, April 21, 2004
ResourceShelf: "Web Search--Yahoo
New, More Yahoo Search Shortcuts
Shortcuts continue to proliferate in the web search world. I just discovered this page that lists all of Yahoo's shortcuts and noticed a few new ones (at least they are new to me). Using the proper 'shortcut' term (in some cases you don't even need to add any extra terms to your query) will place a potential answer and/or links to find more info at the top of the results page. It would be wonderful if the search companies would query busy reference librarians to help create new shortcuts.
What's New
+ Encyclopedia Lookup
Use the term 'facts' after your search term. For example: Tasmania facts. Content comes from the Columbia Encyclopedia.
--
+ Synonym Finder
Use the prefix Synonym (search terms) For example: Synonym tired. Content from the Roget's II: The New Thesaurus.
--
+ Hotel Info
Use the term Hotels after the location. For example: Seattle hotels
--
Traffic Reports
Use the term Traffic after the location. For example: Baltimore traffic
--
A review of the shortcuts page also shows that Yahoo now offers many of the shortcuts that Google offers. These include airport info, aircraft number registration info, package tracking, patent search, UPC Codes, and VIN (vehicle identification number) info. Yahoo also recognizes ISBN's and will produce a link allowing you to compare prices for the book via Yahoo shopping.
See Also: Ask Jeeves Launches Famous People Search
Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post "
New, More Yahoo Search Shortcuts
Shortcuts continue to proliferate in the web search world. I just discovered this page that lists all of Yahoo's shortcuts and noticed a few new ones (at least they are new to me). Using the proper 'shortcut' term (in some cases you don't even need to add any extra terms to your query) will place a potential answer and/or links to find more info at the top of the results page. It would be wonderful if the search companies would query busy reference librarians to help create new shortcuts.
What's New
+ Encyclopedia Lookup
Use the term 'facts' after your search term. For example: Tasmania facts. Content comes from the Columbia Encyclopedia.
--
+ Synonym Finder
Use the prefix Synonym (search terms) For example: Synonym tired. Content from the Roget's II: The New Thesaurus.
--
+ Hotel Info
Use the term Hotels after the location. For example: Seattle hotels
--
Traffic Reports
Use the term Traffic after the location. For example: Baltimore traffic
--
A review of the shortcuts page also shows that Yahoo now offers many of the shortcuts that Google offers. These include airport info, aircraft number registration info, package tracking, patent search, UPC Codes, and VIN (vehicle identification number) info. Yahoo also recognizes ISBN's and will produce a link allowing you to compare prices for the book via Yahoo shopping.
See Also: Ask Jeeves Launches Famous People Search
Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post "
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
The Onion | Yahoo Launches Soul-Search Engine:
"SUNNYVALE, CA - Hoping it will push them to the top of an increasingly competitive market, Internet portal Yahoo has added soul-search capabilities to its expanding line of search tools, company executives announced Monday.
'Capable of navigating the billions of thoughts, experiences, and emotions that make up the human psyche, the new Yahoo soul-search engine helps users find what's deep inside them quickly and easily,' Yahoo CEO Terry Semel said. 'All those long, difficult nights of pondering your place in this world are a thing of the past.'"
"SUNNYVALE, CA - Hoping it will push them to the top of an increasingly competitive market, Internet portal Yahoo has added soul-search capabilities to its expanding line of search tools, company executives announced Monday.
'Capable of navigating the billions of thoughts, experiences, and emotions that make up the human psyche, the new Yahoo soul-search engine helps users find what's deep inside them quickly and easily,' Yahoo CEO Terry Semel said. 'All those long, difficult nights of pondering your place in this world are a thing of the past.'"
Friday, April 16, 2004
Old News - Blog related:
Online Publishers Association: Intelligence Reports: "Blog Roundup: Blogads cashes in; Enderle on superbloggers
Think of weblogs as the Cinderella at the Big Dance. Long touted as an underdog form of online expression, more big-name publishers are experimenting with the format, and some independent blogs are going commercial. One political candidate, Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Ky.) even traces a recent campaign victory to blog ads that helped raise money for TV and print ads. Plus, the Blogads network now places ads on 200 blogs, while taking a 20 percent fee, according to the Wall Street Journal. While some top bloggers such as Daily Kos and Josh Marshall do decent business with ads, the blog ad space still is in its infancy. 'Blogs haven't hit the radar yet,' IAB's Stu Ginsberg tells the Journal.
Meanwhile, Nick Denton's Gawker Media continues to publish blogs on the cheap, including a Washington insider blog called Wonkette. While these blogs are adept at getting publicity with their attitude and scooplets, Slate's Jack Shafer says they leave him sick at heart. 'I wish Gawker and Wonkette could be persuaded to slow down and think, ...to express a genuine enthusiasm from time to time,' he writes. Rob Enderle writes that traditional publishers need to combine their strength of added perspective and experience with a blogger's speed-of-delivery to create a 'superblogger.' Meanwhile, NYTD's Martin Nisenholtz told Wired that blogs were not the transformative application online journalism needs. 'Even if they don't develop into a virtuous cycle that enables a professional class to work in blogs,' he said, 'they can live on in a vibrant, amateur context.'
>> Blogs Grow Up: Ads on the Sites Are Taking Off (WSJ; paid subscription required)
>> The Heaving Pukes Who Write Gawker and Wonk
>> Superbloggers and the Future of Big Media (TechNewsWorld)
>> Putting Blogs in Their Place (Wired)"
Online Publishers Association: Intelligence Reports: "Blog Roundup: Blogads cashes in; Enderle on superbloggers
Think of weblogs as the Cinderella at the Big Dance. Long touted as an underdog form of online expression, more big-name publishers are experimenting with the format, and some independent blogs are going commercial. One political candidate, Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Ky.) even traces a recent campaign victory to blog ads that helped raise money for TV and print ads. Plus, the Blogads network now places ads on 200 blogs, while taking a 20 percent fee, according to the Wall Street Journal. While some top bloggers such as Daily Kos and Josh Marshall do decent business with ads, the blog ad space still is in its infancy. 'Blogs haven't hit the radar yet,' IAB's Stu Ginsberg tells the Journal.
Meanwhile, Nick Denton's Gawker Media continues to publish blogs on the cheap, including a Washington insider blog called Wonkette. While these blogs are adept at getting publicity with their attitude and scooplets, Slate's Jack Shafer says they leave him sick at heart. 'I wish Gawker and Wonkette could be persuaded to slow down and think, ...to express a genuine enthusiasm from time to time,' he writes. Rob Enderle writes that traditional publishers need to combine their strength of added perspective and experience with a blogger's speed-of-delivery to create a 'superblogger.' Meanwhile, NYTD's Martin Nisenholtz told Wired that blogs were not the transformative application online journalism needs. 'Even if they don't develop into a virtuous cycle that enables a professional class to work in blogs,' he said, 'they can live on in a vibrant, amateur context.'
>> Blogs Grow Up: Ads on the Sites Are Taking Off (WSJ; paid subscription required)
>> The Heaving Pukes Who Write Gawker and Wonk
>> Superbloggers and the Future of Big Media (TechNewsWorld)
>> Putting Blogs in Their Place (Wired)"
Clustering will soon be working in the VisIT search window. Once we've refined it a little more, we intend to expand our beta testing program to more users. If interested, please contact me at kauwell@uiuc.edu (and mention you heard about the beta program at Visual Knowledge).
Yahoo! Q1 Earnings Soar On Strength Of Online Advertising
By Michael Shields
"In the most successful quarter in its short history, Yahoo! late Wednesday blew away even the most optimistic analyst expectations, reporting first-quarter revenues of $540 million and profits of $101 million for the period ending March 31. Yahoo!'s first-quarter revenues were up a whopping 91 percent compared to the year-ago period."
By Michael Shields
"In the most successful quarter in its short history, Yahoo! late Wednesday blew away even the most optimistic analyst expectations, reporting first-quarter revenues of $540 million and profits of $101 million for the period ending March 31. Yahoo!'s first-quarter revenues were up a whopping 91 percent compared to the year-ago period."
Google Gmail - User Review and Preliminary Impressions the Search Engine Journal
"Google calls messages "conversations", and this is not just a conceit. A message thread is preserved as a unit in all of Gmail's views. Each thread is by default collapsed to a single row, with on its subject and "snippet" viewable. In this mode it can be labelled or managed (deleted, archived, etc), and working with a collapsed conversation feels much like working with a single message. Clicking on the title of a collased conversation brings up a stacked message view, and clicking on the title of any messages expands it. Conversations can also be printed in expanded form (though this was one of the features that does not appear to be working (at least in Mozilla) yet.
Other mail programs have tried to execute this feature, and none have done it well yet. Gmail seems to have cracked this nut."
"Google calls messages "conversations", and this is not just a conceit. A message thread is preserved as a unit in all of Gmail's views. Each thread is by default collapsed to a single row, with on its subject and "snippet" viewable. In this mode it can be labelled or managed (deleted, archived, etc), and working with a collapsed conversation feels much like working with a single message. Clicking on the title of a collased conversation brings up a stacked message view, and clicking on the title of any messages expands it. Conversations can also be printed in expanded form (though this was one of the features that does not appear to be working (at least in Mozilla) yet.
Other mail programs have tried to execute this feature, and none have done it well yet. Gmail seems to have cracked this nut."
Study Finds Internet Yellow Pages References Hit 1.6 Billion in 2003
"Internet Yellow Pages references were approximately 1.6 billion in 2003. The study, done for the Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association, also found that 62 percent of users looked at more than one ad and that 86 percent of users made a purchase or intended to make a purchase after consulting the Yellow Pages.
The most-referenced Yellow Pages headings include:
1. Restaurants (Fast Food and other) - .34 billion
2. Physicians & Surgeons (Specialist and Non-Spec.) - 1.16 billion
3. Automobile Parts New & Used - 601 million
4. Automobile Repairing & Service - 496 million
5. Pizza - 418 million
The fastest-growing Yellow Pages headings include: Attorneys/Lawyers, Cable Television, Carpet & Rug Cleaners, Cellular Telephone Equipment & Supplies, Child Care/Day Care Centers, Contractors, Electric Contractors, Employment Agencies, Hearing Aids, Motels, and Mortgages"
"Internet Yellow Pages references were approximately 1.6 billion in 2003. The study, done for the Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association, also found that 62 percent of users looked at more than one ad and that 86 percent of users made a purchase or intended to make a purchase after consulting the Yellow Pages.
The most-referenced Yellow Pages headings include:
1. Restaurants (Fast Food and other) - .34 billion
2. Physicians & Surgeons (Specialist and Non-Spec.) - 1.16 billion
3. Automobile Parts New & Used - 601 million
4. Automobile Repairing & Service - 496 million
5. Pizza - 418 million
The fastest-growing Yellow Pages headings include: Attorneys/Lawyers, Cable Television, Carpet & Rug Cleaners, Cellular Telephone Equipment & Supplies, Child Care/Day Care Centers, Contractors, Electric Contractors, Employment Agencies, Hearing Aids, Motels, and Mortgages"
Thursday, April 15, 2004
CTV.ca | CTV News, Shows and Sports - Canadian Television
"Amazon.com quietly launches Web search option
Associated Press
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Joining an increasingly crowded field, online retailer Amazon.com quietly launched an search service to help Web surfers find information - including products from its store - on the Internet..."
Try A9 at: A9.com > Search Technologies
"Amazon.com quietly launches Web search option
Associated Press
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Joining an increasingly crowded field, online retailer Amazon.com quietly launched an search service to help Web surfers find information - including products from its store - on the Internet..."
Try A9 at: A9.com > Search Technologies
Google Debuts Expanded Local Targeting Capability
By Tobi Elkin
"Google today added a city and regional location targeting capability to its AdWords product that will enable advertisers to specifically target potential customers via an address-based radius feature, or by identifying latitude and longitude points. The capability is available in the United States and Canada, as well as six European countries. In addition, Google said it's debuting a customized targeting option that will allow advertisers to create their own areas; the option is offered on a global basis..."
By Tobi Elkin
"Google today added a city and regional location targeting capability to its AdWords product that will enable advertisers to specifically target potential customers via an address-based radius feature, or by identifying latitude and longitude points. The capability is available in the United States and Canada, as well as six European countries. In addition, Google said it's debuting a customized targeting option that will allow advertisers to create their own areas; the option is offered on a global basis..."
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Will AOL start to offer more of its content free of charge and rely more on advertising dollars (i.e., search ads)? Will they be spun off from Time Warner? Will MSN buy them?
USATODAY.com - AOL to offer content to non-subscribers
MediaDailyNews 04-14-04
USATODAY.com - AOL to offer content to non-subscribers
MediaDailyNews 04-14-04
Google Bombing now works with Yahoo! too.
In another example of how Google (and now Yahoo!) can be fooled by the link structure of the Web, a law student recently associated the word "waffle" with John Kerry's website, johnkerry.com. After only 8 days, Yahoo! was delivering John Kerry's site as the number one search result for the term "waffle". While this is a good indication of how fast Yahoo's new crawler is, it also shows the inherent failure of depending on links alone to determine relevancy. Google will soon follow and dismisses the problem by saying that "waffle recipe" is a much more common search term than "waffle" so, not many actually users will see the wrong result. I imagine Google just gave many folks the idea to add waffle recipe to their sites that link to johnkerry.com. I would also assume that folks are adding terms like "Belgium Waffles", "Waffle Syrup" and "Waffle House". This problem is often unreported or unnoticed by Google users but can be very frustrating. Prior to the Super Bowl, I was trying to find information related to the playoffs and could only find betting sites using Google that were obviously a link farm.
In another example of how Google (and now Yahoo!) can be fooled by the link structure of the Web, a law student recently associated the word "waffle" with John Kerry's website, johnkerry.com. After only 8 days, Yahoo! was delivering John Kerry's site as the number one search result for the term "waffle". While this is a good indication of how fast Yahoo's new crawler is, it also shows the inherent failure of depending on links alone to determine relevancy. Google will soon follow and dismisses the problem by saying that "waffle recipe" is a much more common search term than "waffle" so, not many actually users will see the wrong result. I imagine Google just gave many folks the idea to add waffle recipe to their sites that link to johnkerry.com. I would also assume that folks are adding terms like "Belgium Waffles", "Waffle Syrup" and "Waffle House". This problem is often unreported or unnoticed by Google users but can be very frustrating. Prior to the Super Bowl, I was trying to find information related to the playoffs and could only find betting sites using Google that were obviously a link farm.
