The Google “dark fiber” rumor has been quiet for a few months, so the perfect time for the UK’s Times to resurrect it.
By purchasing the dark fibre, Google would in effect be able to acquire a ready made internet network that they could control.
Late last year, Google purchased a 270,000sq ft telecom interconnection facilities in New York. It is believed that from here, Google plans to link up and power the dark fibre system and turn it into a working internet network of its own
Mike Grehan’s recent column follows-up on his request for readers’ thoughts on budgeting SEO for small businesses. It seems like he received a lot of different responses, including mine.
Anyone know the Germam translation for “up the creek without a paddle”, cos that is exactly where BMW.de finds itself after being caught using SEO spam byMatt Cutts.
Thanks to Anthony!
UPDATE: Google allows BMW.de back in the index.
Gawker recently launched ValleyWag, a gossip blog for the Silicon Valley area. One of their first stories? They went where other journalists and bloggers feared to tread – lest they have their PageRank removed in the middle of the night.
Andy Rutledge believes he’s come up with a better looking interface for the Google homepage.
Some of his critiques…
Everything on the page is grouped together, right in the center …all except for the links at the top right. Why should they go there? What sense does it make and why are those links special so as to deserve such different treatment?
His re-design…
The search categories and form interface are wrapped in a friendly looking light colored container and the categories utilize an attractive, subtle yet conspicuous “selected� indication. The search modification links are in close proximity, but outside of the interface box. This properly associates them with the search mechanism without allowing them to interfere visually to any great degree.
It seems that just about any Google rumor is valid, even when the company denies it. We suggested the Google Cola is next, based on the fact that they have vending machines in the ‘plex.
That got Barry Schwartz and I thinking….what would a Google Cola look like? What would be the ingredients? Would there be people trying to reverse engineer it? Would GCM’s (Google Coke Marketers) claim that by adding their secret additive you could enhance the taste?
Head over to Search Engine Roundtable’s forums and offer your thoughts or post to your blog and let me know where to find it – we’ll link to you. 
Update: Nathan offer’s his hilarious thoughts, including – “Google Cola will be unveiled as an aggregator of everyone else’s cola. Google will, of course, not ask for permission.”
If popularity is a sign of who’ll win this week’s Super Bowl, the Steelers should have it in the bag, according to new search data from AOL Search.
The predicted close match-up on the field between Pittsburgh and Seattle is much more lopsided online, with the Steelers receiving twice as many searches as the Seahawks.
Top Super Bowl-related Searches on AOLSearch.com
1 Super Bowl
2 Pittsburgh Steelers
3 Seattle Seahawks
4 Super Bowl Tickets
5 Pittsburgh Steelers Songs – scary
6 Jerome Bettis
7 Ford Field
8 Rolling Stones – which team does he play for?
9 Ben Roethlisberger
10 Troy Polamalu
by 
