by
0 Comments

Still Looking for Acquisition Approval

posted on February 4, 2008

This post is certified to be 100% Microsoft/Yahoo free. If you’re looking for coverage of Microsoft and Yahoo, this ain’t it.

I’m tired of hearing about it. You’re tired of hearing about it. And yet it’s still dragging on: Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick. Yes, a mere eight months after it was first announced, the merger won approval from the US’s FTC, but GoogleClick is still under the scrutiny of the European Union.

As we reported last month, the EU doesn’t seem terribly inclined to rubber stamp the deal, judging from the reported witness list:

While four of the five FTC commissioners approved the GoogleClick deal, the EU has summoned FTC Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour, the only member of the commission to vote against the deal, as well as Executive Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center Marc Rotenberg.

by
8 Comments

AOL Buys Goowy Widget Creator

posted on February 4, 2008

After Yahoo got a bid from Microsoft, I wonder what will happen with AOL. Will they be next in line to be acquired? Today they were the ones acquiring. AOL has been partnering with widget making company Goowy since early last year. Now they have acquired the company. The purchase price has not been made public.

I keep wanting to say Groovy but I assume the name is really a way of spelling GUI as in “graphical user interface.” Goowy is best-known as the parent company of yourminis, a widget maker and widget search engine.

Goowy facilitated widgets for myAOL. They are based in San Diego and founded in 2004. In 2006 they got funding from blogger, billionaire, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

by
4 Comments

Pilgrim’s Picks for February 4 – MSFT/YHOO/GOOG Edition

posted on February 4, 2008

As much as I’d love to tell you there’s more to life today than just the Microsoft bid for Yahoo, there really isn’t. I looked through 1000+ feed items and these are the ones that will bring you up to speed.

1. Microsoft’s General Counsel, Brad Smith, has responded to Google’s blog post suggesting MSFT/YHOO would create a monopoly.

The combination of Microsoft and Yahoo! will create a more competitive marketplace by establishing a compelling number two competitor for Internet search and online advertising. The alternative scenarios only lead to less competition on the Internet.

by
25 Comments

Using “Google” in Place of “Hypocrite”

posted on February 4, 2008

Have you ever been accused of being a google?

While Google focuses its efforts to prevent us using its name as a verb–as in, I “googled” their company–it might find that we start using “google” in place of “hypocrite.”

Why?

Because, Google has just posted an official statement on the Microsoft bid for Yahoo, on its official blog. In its response, Google’s David Drummond has the audacity to suggest that we should all be concerned about the potential for Microsoft to monopolize the internet.

Could Microsoft now attempt to exert the same sort of inappropriate and illegal influence over the Internet that it did with the PC? While the Internet rewards competitive innovation, Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies — and then leverage its dominance into new, adjacent markets.

by
6 Comments

Linky Goodness, February 1

posted on February 1, 2008

If you’re reading this, it’s probably either late Friday or early Monday. So, for your convenience at the end of the week (I didn’t say which end!), here are some awesome headlines!

by
8 Comments

Google Laying the Groundwork for Identifying Latent Social Networks

posted on February 1, 2008

google social graph api graphicHours after VentureBeat kicked off the latest round of social search speculations, Google announced the Social Graph API. The API could use information contained in files and links on a site (including FOAF and the XFN relationships meta data, which you may already be using) to identify social relationships between the people behind websites.

Like other meta data, this information is not generally available to visitors to your website (unless they view your source code). However, Google is quick to note that this data is already public and clarify that they will not be using private profiles or social networks to find relationships between people.

The XFN meta data can indicate relationships from everything to casual acquaintances to familial relationships to crushes. (But, uh, you might want to be careful about publishing that kind of info on your website.)

by
20 Comments

We Won a SEMMY for Reputation Management

posted on February 1, 2008

2008 SEMMY WinnerIt was already an honor to be nominated for a SEMMY, and a privilege to help judge one of the categories. I’m even more thrilled to learn than one of my articles was voted the 2008 Winner for Reputation Management.

My "Buzz Monitoring: 26 Free Tools You Must Have" article picked up 50% of the publics vote, with my "Own Your Google Reputation with these Ten Suggestions" picking up 31.25%.

My sincere thanks to the judges, and everyone that voted for my article. I’m excited to win in a category–reputation management–that is near and dear to my heart.

A big shout out to all of the winners–especially my overall pick, which was Rand’s SEO piece–and thanks to Matt McGee for hosting The SEMMYs.