Marketing Pilgrim

When I scan thru the headlines on my RSS aggregator, I’m quickly trying to determine if the post is worth exploring further. I do that with everyone of the some 150+ feeds I subscribe to, except for one.

When ever Kim Krause-Berg posts to her blog, I instinctively click straight thru to the site. I know that when I get there, I’ll be better for reading what ever she has to say.

Today’s offering is no different. While many are trying to define blogging, Kim comes up with the perfect analogy. Blogs are like an order of french fries with ketchup. Different people have different ways of taking their order, but its all still fries with ketchup.

CNN is reporting breaking news…

“Federal judge says he will require Google to turn over some data to Department of Justice.”

UPDATE: AP news adds…

U.S. District Judge James Ware did not immediately say whether the data will include search requests that users entered into the Internet’s leading search engine.

It looks almost certain that Google will be forced to share some small sampling of search requests with the DOJ, so they can ascertain how likely it is children will be exposed to pornography.

We’ll update as we hear more.

A new study by the Center for Survey Research at the University of Connecticut suiggest 65% of Americans oppose government monitoring of search behavior with 50% saying search engines should not turn over any information to the government.

That means either half the country is simply against “big-brother” snooping, or they’re well aware of what they’ve been searching for in the past.

Thanks to Cindy!

Google continues is roll-up of cool technologies with news that it has acquired @Last Software, makers of SketchUp.

SketchUp offers an easy-too-learn 3D (CAD) software which is already available as a plugin for Google Earth.

So how did this latest acquisition come about? According to the founder…

“We got to know a bunch of Googlers while we were building the Google Earth Plugin for SketchUp, and it quickly became apparent that we could really stir things up together. At first, it was kind of hard to imagine; after all, we’d been blazing our own trail for so long. But after we kicked it around awhile, it started to seem right. One thing led to another, and here we are.”

DMNews has word of a new search engine that utilizes pattern recognition. With 3D-Seek, simply use the blank “canvass” interface to draw the product you are looking for.

While the creators of the new search engine 3D-Seek already envision a day when ordinary consumers will be able to sketch a specific plumbing joint and find a match in an online catalog without needing to know the item’s name, part number or keyword…

That sounds very cool. How about sketching the shape of a building and having a map and satellite image displayed in the search results? Or taking a photo of that nasty rash on your arm and having it compared to medical photographs for a match? The possibilities – if indeed the technology works – are endless.

Great news for Oodle, they’re getting a competitor in the form of new classified search engine, Vast.com.

How can this be good news for Oodle? I’m a big fan of theirs but have seen how difficult a task it is to spread the word that classified search is going to be valuable in the future. With the launch of Vast, we now have validation that classifieds are going to be a hot topic in the next few years.

Competition is good in any industry. It ensures you keep innovating while spreading the cost associated with bringing awareness to the masses.

One of the top resources we listed in our online reputation monitoring guide was Memeorandum (which includes the excellent tech.memorandum). Well, the Meme’ guys must have been reading Valleywag a little too often, because they have decided what the web needs is a new aggregator for celebrity gossip.

Enter WeSmirch, in a lovely shade of pink, to keep you updated on the most popular scandal and gossip.

Via Danny.