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Permalink for 'Search_Engine_Roundtable/2010/03/11/Three_New_Bugs_With_YouTube'

There are three known and confirmed bugs with YouTube. They include not being able to save changes being made to videos, and issues playing and sharing videos in YouTube Groups and Orkut. Here are the three threads created by Liz from the YouTube team:

(1) Known Issue: "Save changes" button doesn't appear on "Edit video" page:

We've seen a lot of reports from you indicating that on the "Save changes" button isn't appearing for you on the edit video page for your uploads (my_videos).
I've reported this situation to our team and they're working on a fix so that you're able to save the edits you make to your videos again without running into this issue.

(2) Known Issue: bug playing videos in YouTube Groups:

We've seen many of you report that videos you've submitted to a YouTube Group are not playing on the page. A grey box appears in place of where the video should appear in the player and sometimes an error message is displayed stating that the video is no longer available. The video is in fact still available (from the uploader's channel and in search), but its just showing as unavailalbe in the Group setting.
This situation has been reported to our Team here in San Bruno, and our engineers are currently investigating the issue and working on a fix.

(3) Known Issue: issues with YouTube videos on Orkut:

Just wanted to let you know that our Team is aware of the issue with sharing YouTube videos to Orkut. Many of you have reported here in the forum that when sharing one of your uploads to YouTube on Orkut, Orkut produces an error message saying that your video doesn't exist / isn't found. Ah!
I've reported this to our engineers and they're currently working with the folks over at Orkut to try and resolve the situation. A big thanks to you all for letting us know about this issue, and we really appreciate your patience as we're working on a fix. Hopefully you should be able to enjoy YouTube videos on Orkut soon.

So those are the three issues.

Forum discussion at YouTube Help Forums.

Google Help Forum Search Adds 3rd Party Content

Posted: March 11th, 2010, 2:26pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

All of the content published on this site is sourced via discussion forums, that is what makes this site unique from the thousands of other SEO blogs out there. Much of that content is sourced from the Google help forums. So when Google changes something in their help forums, I typically notice.

One thing Google recently changes was the help forum search feature. Now, Google is including content in the help forum search that is from external web sites, not owned or maintained by Google. For example, a search at the Google Analytics Help forum returns several results that are from third party web sites. Here is a screen capture:

Each web site that is not maintained by Google is clearly labeled as such, with a message that reads:

The site you are about to visit is not maintained by Google Inc., but its content might be helpful.

There is then a way to "Report Abuse" on a site listed here.

What I find interesting is that Google labels their own blogs as "not maintained by Google," when indeed, it is maintained by Google. But it does differentiate between what is "user content" versus Google content - so I find that interesting.

A hat tip goes to PizzaSEO.com for letting me know about this new feature.

Chuck Norris Turns 70 Today, No Google Doodle?

Posted: March 10th, 2010, 3:14pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google and Chuck Norris have a long history. If you go to Google.com and search for [find chuck norris] and hit, "I'm feeling lucky" button you will be taken to this result that reads:

Google won't search for Chuck Norris because it knows you don't find Chuck Norris, he finds you.

So it is surprising to see that on the 70th birthday of Chuck Norris, Google doesn't have a special Google Doodle up. Chuck Norris was born on March 10, 1940 and 70 years later, I would have thought he would deserve a special Google logo.

I am not the only one who feels he deserves a logo. There is a large Google Web Search Help thread with complaints from Chuck Norris fans. In all honesty, I find this all very humorous.

Happy 70th Chuck!

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Googlers Testing TV Search Android Enabled Devices With Dish Network

Posted: March 10th, 2010, 2:40pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Android powered TV search boxes are being tested by Googlers, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Google Inc. is testing a new television-programming search service with Dish Network Corp., according to people familiar with the matter, the latest development in a fast-moving race to combine Internet content with conventional TV.
The service, which runs on TV set-top boxes containing Google software, allows users to find shows on the satellite-TV service as well as video from Web sites like Google's YouTube, according to these people. It also lets users to personalize a lineup of shows, these people said.

Greg Sterling at Search Engine Land has some analysis around the news. A WebmasterWorld thread has some feedback from webmasters.

Might be fun if "on demand" but not all that fun if just a list of "what's on". Meanwhile several tv schedule sites give me the same thing.

I predict the TV will be just another web-providing device, and people will watch as much web-content as cable-content. Point in hand, the RSS agregator built in the latest TiVo. Basically, you can make your custom RSS-fed TV channel with that.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Maps Adds Bike Directions & Route Layers

Posted: March 10th, 2010, 2:35pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A long time requested feature, bike directions, have been added to Google Maps. Both the Google Blog and Google Lat Long Blog have details about the addition.

First, here is a video demo:

Dark green indicates a trail;
Light green indicates a dedicated bike lane along a road;
Dotted green indicates roads without bike lanes but are more appropriate for biking, based on factors such as terrain, traffic, and intersections.

To try it out, go to [maps.google.com] and to submit more biking routes or report issues, go here.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Public Data Explorer, Private Data Soon?

Posted: March 9th, 2010, 1:52pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google announced a new feature named Google Public Data Explorer. What it does is allow you to mash up data from the public sectors into neat charts and graphs.

Google explains:

With the Data Explorer, you can mash up data using line graphs, bar graphs, maps and bubble charts. The visualizations are dynamic, so you can watch them move over time, change topics, highlight different entries and change the scale. Once you have a chart ready, you can easily share it with friends or even embed it on your own website or blog.

A WebmasterWorld thread mocks the announcement, where one member said:

Next up, Google unveils "Private Data Recorder" which makes large datasets of private information easy to explore, visualize and communicate.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt: "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." ... "But if you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines, including Google, do retain this information for some time. And [...] we're all subject, in the US, to the Patriot Act, and it is possible that that information could be made available to the authorities."

Kind of funny - but heck, this isn't too far off, we have Google sourcing traffic data from your mobile device for use on Google Maps traffic layer.

In any event, this is neat stuff.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Maps Avoid Tolls Feature May Cost You

Posted: March 5th, 2010, 12:48pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are some reports at the Google Maps Help forum that the "avoid tolls" feature for Google Maps driving directions does not always work right.

The issue spans as far as Australia and as close as Pennsylvania.

Brian B., a Googler, from the Google Maps help forum said:

Just wanted to give an update here that there are folks looking into this "avoid tolls" issue, and I'll post an update here when there's a resolution.

I am not sure when or if it has been fixed, but at least Google is aware of it.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Wins Patent For Geo-Targeting Ads

Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 12:28pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Venture Beat reports Google has won the patent for using location in an advertising system, or something called geo-targeting. Let me quote the article:

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded the search giant a patent for using location in an advertising system last Tuesday, which is the emerging business model for most consumer-facing location startups today.
Filed six years ago, the patent is fairly broad. It covers using location for targeting, setting a minimum price bid for an ad, offering performance analytics, and modifying the content of an ad.

However, the location-based ad patent may give Google a nice big stick as it goes head-to-head with Apple in the world of mobile advertising. Both companies have acquired or agreed to acquire a mobile ad network in the last three months; Google agreed to buy Admob for $750 million in November, while Apple bought Quattro Wireless in January. Google actually bucked a patent Apple owns last month, when it added multi-touch functionality to its Android operating system. Perhaps this is the card the search giant had up its sleeve.

Greg Sterling asked, Has Google Just Patented Geo-Targeting? Seems like they have, on some level. Which is why the WebmasterWorld thread discussing this, seems to be somewhat cynical about patents in general.

Webwork said:

To me, the hypothericals aren't far removed from the granting of rights of exclusivity to a company that "creates" a system for changing behavior (show ads) based upon IP->geolocation tracking.
Where's the invention . . in this invention? If you have an idea that my IP address is near Philly is delivering connected with Philly businesses "inventive"? Inventive so much so that "the discovery/invention" is worthy of the rights of exclusivity?

Software patents really need to be scrapped. Almost every patent relates to a simple mechanism or concept that a person with half a brain (such as myself) can come up with almost automatically when presented with a similar problem.

The patent litigation world is a business in itself, I agree, something needs to be done. Although, I am not sure exactly what.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

How Does One Remove Info From Google's Chile Earthquake Person Finder

Posted: March 1st, 2010, 10:37am CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A few days ago, there was a tremendous tragedy in Chile, a massive earthquake. Google put together a tool to help family and friends locate missing people due to this earthquake. The tool is located at [chilepersonfinder.appspot.com].

At this tool, you can either submit a case of a missing person or search for a case of a missing person. There are currently about 35,700 records, or missing people in the database, some accounted for and some not.

Two people asked how they can remove a person they added to the list, after that person has been found? The thread of these questions are at a Google Webmaster Help thread. The people ask:

I would also like to know how to delete my personal information now that my person has been found, even if the profile remains up.

John from Google said you can update the status in the application under "Status of this person" and set it to perhaps "I have received information that this person is alive" and provide the information that you have. But that is not exactly what these people want to do, they want to delete their personal information, as the person who submitted the information.

John said:

I'll check with the team to see what can be done in a situation like that.

So far, there is not update on how to do that.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Google 302 Redirects Secure iGoogle To Unsecure iGoogle

Posted: February 26th, 2010, 9:29am CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you visit https://www.google.com/ig, it will redirect you to [www.google.com], without the https for secure. Yes, Google is making sure no one can access the secure version of iGoogle.

Here is a server header check from SEO Consultants:

#1 Server Response: https://www.google.com/ig
HTTP Status Code: HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: http://www.google.com/ig
Cache-Control: private
Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:29:08 GMT
Server: igfe
Content-Length: 221
X-XSS-Protection: 0
Redirect Target: http://www.google.com/ig

There are several complaints about not being able to access the secure version of iGoogle at the Google Web Search Help forums. Paul from Google explained why this is the case. In short, the gadgets on the secure iGoogle were not always secure, which led to confusion. Here is the detailed explanation:

As you noticed, we've recently started redirecting any users who attempt to visit an iGoogle page using "https" to an "http" page. The "https" on the iGoogle page that some users visited may have caused these users to believe that any activity performed on their page was protected by https, when in fact only gadgets that are built to support https provide the corresponding encryption protection to users. We made this change to clarify that only activity using gadgets that support https is transmitted over a secured https connection on iGoogle.
For example if you're using Google's official iGoogle gadget for our free email service, Gmail, you can continue to use it with https protection unless you have turned off the default setting on your Gmail settings page.

Valid excuse, but what would be nice (I know it is more work) would be to give gadget developers a way to create https enabled apps. If they are enabled, they work on the secure iGoogle, if not, Google explains why they are not working on the secure iGoogle.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

EU Probes Google Search Penalties

Posted: February 25th, 2010, 1:42pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Upset you were penalized by Google? You are not the only one. Tons of sites are penalized by Google each day, on some level. But this time the European Union is opening an antitrust investigation to make sure Google is not penalizing web sites for their own gain.

Over the years, Google has got into business lines that compete with normal webmasters. From web analytics to selling mortgage leads, Google on some level, competes with the sites they rank, unbiasedly, in the search interface that made them so popular.

The Telegraph reports:

The European Commission has launched an anti-trust investigation against Google after three online companies alleged that the internet giant’s search functions were penalising their businesses.
The investigation comes under the Lisbon Treaty’s “abuse of dominant position” powers and is the first time that Google has been targeted by the European Union.

Foundem claims that Google lifted the “penalty” in December, resulting in an increase in traffic from Google searches of “10,000pc overnight”.

Foundem is owned in part by Microsoft and Ciao is owned by them, which is why Greg Sterling suggests that Redmond is the puppet master behind this investigation. Greg does an excellent job taking you through many of the points and angles of such a claim. The Google EU policy blog also comments:

Though each case raises slightly different issues, the question they ultimately pose is whether Google is doing anything to choke off competition or hurt our users and partners. This is not the case. We always try to listen carefully if someone has a real concern and we work hard to put our users’ interests first and to compete fair and square in the market. We believe our business practices reflect those commitments.

Google comments specifically about Foundem and Ciao as well.

As you can imagine, something like this drives a lot of SEO and webmaster discussion.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Xerox Wants To Copy Some of Google's Money

Posted: February 24th, 2010, 12:09pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I covered the news that Xerox is suing Google & Yahoo over an alleged patent infringement. In short, Xerox has two patents they feel Google and Yahoo is using, in some form, and they want money.

Xerox is known for their copy machines, by the way and that business, as I understand it, is not doing too well. For more about the law suit, see my article linked to above.

Here are comments from WebmasterWorld on the lawsuit:

There are two sides to every side of the story.

Wreaks of Xerox trying to do a cash grab.

xerox ... isn't that a printer company?! ;-)

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Note: I just landed in Jerusalem, after an 11 hour flight. I am typing as fast as I can, so please excuse typos, grammar and any non-sense.

YouTube Update: Bulk Uploader Discontinued & Misc Bugs

Posted: February 23rd, 2010, 2:11pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are several new things going on with YouTube and since I am a big time YouTube director (kidding), they interest me.

(1) The YouTube Bulk Uploader tool will be taken down shortly. Liz from the YouTube team explained that Google is improving their normal updated to support Google Gears. She said:

In order to consolidate engineering efforts, the team has decided to retire the bulk-uploader and concentrate on improving the regular uploader moving forward. Please note that the regular uploader also lets you upload up to 10 files at the same time.
We suggest that you use the following link to upload your video files:
http://upload.youtube.com/my_videos_upload?restrict=gears

Make sure that you have Google Gears installed - you can get Google Gears by visiting: gears.google.com

(2) AudioSwap feature is causing a black screen in the videos. This is a known issue that should be resolved now, if not, let them know.

(3) Some YouTubers that are trying to upload are not succeeding. There is another known issues thread that is discussing just that. Liz said:

Some of you may have experienced recent upload processing delays, and then the file you're trying to upload eventually fails. This is a known issue and our engineering team have been working on resolving the situation. For those of you who were impacted and the video failed to upload to the site, we recommend re-uploading your file.

The team is working on a fix so that the files will not fail in the future and you should also receive clearer messaging explaining what occurred.

(4) If your account was hijacked or compromised in some way, Liz announced there is a new way to report the issue. A new document details the steps on how to contact Google/YouTube about hijacked accounts. Liz said:

The information you provide in the form will go directly to the Team here and we will investigate the matter. Once we've looked into the case, you will receive an email update letting you know your options and whether we were able to help you retrieve the account.

There you have it, four quick YouTube bytes for you.

DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) To Replace Google Ad Manager

Posted: February 23rd, 2010, 2:03pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google announced a new product named DoubleClick for Publishers. In short, this is ultimately going to replace Google Ad Manager, a product we use here to manage and deliver our ads.

More tools is nice - but we will see when I get migrated over to it, how smooth that is and how much I, the publisher, benefits from it.

This is from the announcement:

DFP comes in two flavors, tailored for different publishers' needs: DoubleClick for Publishers, for the largest online publishers, and DFP Small Business, a simple, free version designed for growing online publishers. We'll be upgrading current DART for Publishers publishers to DoubleClick for Publishers over the next year as we continue to add features and modules, and we'll be moving Google Ad Manager customers to DFP Small Business in the coming weeks.
To reflect our continued investment in DoubleClick's products, as well as the central role of DoubleClick's technology products within Google's display advertising business, we're also today unveiling some changes to the DoubleClick logos — including typeset changes, incorporating a new "by Google" theme and retiring the "DART" brand.

A WebmasterWorld thread has some comments from publishers:

Yet another way to track what you do when you do it and ... .dare I say it who you do it with....

They cater to the advertiser, ignoring the User's privacy. Period. Due to the fact they own Doubleclick. Try watching major TV stations over the NET without coooooooockie/URI of Doubleclick.NET blocked...

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Beware: Fake Google Job Resume Status Emails Contain Viruses

Posted: February 22nd, 2010, 2:29pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Web Search Help reports several users receiving an email from resume-thanks@google.com thanking them for submitting their resume to Google. The issue is, the email is fake.

Emails from resume-thanks@google.com containing the subject "Thank you from Google!" are fake. They also contain a virus and they ask you to open the virus. Here is a copy of the text of the email:

We just received your resume and would like to thank you for your interest in working at Google. This email confirms that your application has been submitted for an open position.
Our staffing team will carefully assess your qualifications for the role(s) you selected and others that may be a fit. Should there be a suitable match, we will be sure to get in touch with you.

Click on the attached file to review your submitted application.

Have fun and thanks again for applying to Google!

Google Staffing

So whatever you do, do not open that attachement.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Are You "Google Pagerank Certification"? I Hope Not

Posted: February 18th, 2010, 2:33pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A WebmasterWorld thread reports that one person spotted a product that is being sold under the claim that it is "Powered by Google PageRank Certification" of "PR=6." You say what? Yes, a product is claiming it has PageRank certification from Google with a PR of 6.

The product is on a site called ExamSoon.com and here is a screen capture:

How funny for those who know this is a joke or just there to fool some one. But to those unaware - there is no such thing as Google PageRank certification.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Google Open Sources "Living Stories" Concept

Posted: February 18th, 2010, 2:18pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google is open sourcing the Living Stories news article concept at Google Code. What is a living story? Well, instead of writing an article for each new event that happens on a certain topic, you update an existing story with the latest information. If you think about it, there are tons of articles out there on the web, that are stale, outdated and often useless. Having a single, constantly updated story, makes more sense, at least for web consumption - according to Google.

Google ran this experiment with some papers and decided to make it available to all. First, here is a video explaining it:

They are even incorporating it more in the new Google News design.

Fred from Google wrote in the Google News Help thread about it. He said:

The Living Stories project was originally the result of a one-time collaboration between Google, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Our goal was to innovate on existing presentations of journalism that take greater advantage of technological capabilities on the Web.
The general response was excellent. Since we launched this proof-of-concept test on Google Labs in December, 75% of people who filled out our feedback form said they preferred the Living Stories format to the traditional online news article. Users also spent a significant amount of time exploring stories. That tells us that there's a strong appetite for great journalism displayed in a compelling way.

In addition to the positive input from users, we've also heard from publishers interested in telling their own stories through the format. That's why we released Living Stories to the public to see what you can do with it. In February 2010, we open-sourced the code so all developers can build their own Living Story pages. (You can also use this Help Forum to ask and answer general support questions.) In coming months we're going to look into creating software tools that make Living Stories even easier to use for news organizations. Until then, we can't wait to see what fascinating works of journalism developers, reporters and editors, working together, create using the open-sourced Living Stories code.

You can get the Living Stories code here:
http://code.google.com/p/living-stories/

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

YouTube Warning IE6 Users To Upgrade Browsers

Posted: February 18th, 2010, 2:09pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

We knew Google was dropping support for IE6 and other older browsers, starting in March for some of their software. But what I did not know was that this would impact YouTube.

A YouTube Help thread reports that some users are receiving warnings that their browsers will no longer be supported by March 13th.

The YouTube help document linked to explains which browsers will be impacted. Yes, Internet Explorer version 6, IE6, will be on the chopping block. Google's YouTube says the following browsers will no longer be supported:

Any browser older than Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0
Any browser older than Mozilla Firefox 3.0
Any browser older than Google Chrome 4.0
Any browser older than Safari 3.0+

Ready or not, IE6 is dying - so just upgrade already to a new browser. Of course, Google would like you to use Google Chrome, but there are plenty of alternatives.

Forum discussion at YouTube Help.

Get Your Google Maps Replacement Decals

Posted: February 15th, 2010, 2:36pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A couple months ago, Google mailed businesses Google Maps decals that they can proudly place in their store windows. There was some early confusion about how they worked and some bugs that caused a bit of a panic amongst business owners, but overall, things on this topic have quieted down a bit.

Nowadays, one of the more frequent requests I see on this topic is that some businesses want replacement decals for either lost or damaged decals. Google promised there would be a way to order replacement decals, and a few weeks ago, they fulfilled that promise.

Google Maps Guide, Cecelia, explained in a Google Maps Help forum, how to get your replacement decals or report a broken QR code. She said:

Hurray, we have a form to report lost, stolen Favorite Places decals. You can also use this form to report a broken QR code.
Please note a couple of things about this form.
- This form is only for users who have already received a decal, and need a replacement. This form isn't a way to request a decal for the first time.
- We can't guarantee when you'll receive a new decal. Timeframe will depend on the number of requests we receive.

So....here's the form!

maps.google.com/support/bin/request.py?contact_type=decal_request

Thanks for your patience!
Cecelia

So if you need a replacement decal or you have a bug with your QR code, use this form to contact Google.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google, The Internet Service Provider

Posted: February 11th, 2010, 2:27pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google announced they are going to try to become an ISP, a fast ISP, with gigabit fiber routing directly to your home. Greg Sterling has a lot of history on how and why this is happening.

I was asked why this is happening by some real reporters and I will link to their story later, when it goes live. In short, it is about getting more people to click on more Google ads.

We have threads on the topic at WebmasterWorld and Google Web Search Help. Probably my favorite comment is the first one at WebmasterWorld:

What's next with Google? Change your muffler?

Outside of that, there are some serious concerns about this project. Concerns on the business side, infrastructure side, privacy side and webmaster side. If I had more time, I'd write up a five page document on those concerns, but most of you are bright and can read my mind by now.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and Google Web Search Help.

Update: Here is that USA Today piece with some quotes from me.

Google Buzz...

Posted: February 10th, 2010, 3:16pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

So Google launched Google Buzz yesterday at buzz.google.com. It is being rolled out now, I am some limited access now, but it is fun to play with. I will not write about what it does, there is exhaustive coverage about Buzz already, read it at Techmeme.

I did start a buzz topic which has a number of comments already, so check that out. Also, my buzz conversations should be linked up on my Google Profile - and you may be able to follow me there as well. So go do it.

Here is a short video explaining Google Buzz:

One thing that they said at least twice in yesterday's press conference about this service is that Google Buzz content will be "indexed immediately," in real time and available in Google web search results.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld, DigitalPoint Forums, Google Mobile Help & Google Webmaster Help.

3 Months Later, Google Finally Fixes RSS News Feed Issue

Posted: February 9th, 2010, 2:49pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Six months after the Google News RSS feed validation issues were reported in Google News Help forums, Google has fixed the issue.

The first report came in a Google News Help thread on August 7, 2009. Yesterday, on February 8, 2010, Inbal from Google, said the issue was resolved. Inbal said:

This issue should be fixed. If you're still seeing issues, please send us the exact steps you're taking as well as the OS/Browser you're using. Finally, if you could either send a screenshot via a link or via the Report an Issue contact form, that should help us look into this further.

I am not sure why it took over 6 months to fix, but now it is resolved.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Donate Your Google AdSense Earnings To Haiti

Posted: February 8th, 2010, 2:44pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Since the devastating disaster in Haiti, companies and individuals are looking for creative ways to help. Several AdSense publishers asked via WebmasterWorld and Google AdSense Help if there are ways to donate their AdSense income.

Last Thursday, the Google AdSense blog announced a way to do just that. Google said, "you can donate a portion or all of your entire unpaid balance as of the end of January. Whether you have a balance of $0.10 or $100 in your account, we invite you to participate within the next week."

To do so, you need to fill out a donation form. The donation form, if you are logged into your AdSense account, will pre-fill your AdSense unique IDs.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and Google AdSense Help.

Google's Mysterious 1e100.net Ruling the Web

Posted: February 8th, 2010, 2:31pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Back in December, I spotted a WebmasterWorld thread with a webmasters asking why Google is pulling in commands from 1e100.net, as opposed to Google.com. At first, I thought it was nothing and let the thread go.

But now, it appears that this is a significant domain. Back then, Tedster, the administrator at the forum said:

Some thoughts about the domain name itself. Google probably wanted to use 10e100, since that character string means 10 to the 100 power - in other words, a googol. Not sure why they settled for 1e100, because that only comes out to a measly 1.

The Register today reported that this domain, 1e100.net, "is now visited by nearly three per cent of all net users, making it the 44th most visited domain on the interwebs." The Register asked Google about this, and reported back:

Asked for comment, Google merely said the domain is used to "identify the servers on our network," and it hinted that such identification involves reverse DNS lookup - the process of determining which domain name is associated with a particular IP address. Reverse DNS is often used by anti-spam services to verify email senders, but it's also used a general means of ensuring a network is working as it should be working.

Might just be one of those geek factors, Google is so well for.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google News Tests a New Design

Posted: February 5th, 2010, 2:57pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are several threads at the Google News Help Forums with reports that Google News has updated their home page.

I personally do not see the new home page, and I can't track down a picture of it. If you see one, please post a comment with a link to a picture. Here is the best description of the new layout that I can find:

The format of news.google.com inexplicably changed on one of my PCs, and I don't like it. The version that I don't like focuses on only one category of news at a time, such as Top Stories. In order to get any news in other categories such as World, U.S., Sports, etc., you have to click on that category. The only other categories shown on this page are "Recent," "Spotlight," and "More News." I prefer the old format. I know that it's still available because when I load Google News on two other PCs, this old, familiar format appears. Here's a description of it: At the top left of the page is Top Stories with 3 headlines. Directly to the right of Top Stories are six or eight links to some of the top headlines from Google News; usually about nine links to names in the news; and lastly, links to Living Stories. Also appearing in the old format (underneath Top Stories) are the following categories with usually about three headlines per category: World, U.S., Business, Sci/Tech, Entertainment, Sports, Health, and Spotlight. At the bottom of the page is Google Fast Flip. In the old format, if you want to view more than the three top headlines highlighted in a given news category, all you have to do is click on the category name, and you are taken to another page with more news stories for that category. Can someone please tell me how to return to the old format? There must be some way of resetting or formatting the web page because, as I mentioned, I'm still able to use the old format on two other PCs.

I will keep looking for a picture, but Google basically confirmed the test is happening. Inbal from Google said:

At Google, we run anywhere from 50 to 200 experiments at any given time on our websites all over the world. Right now, we are running a small test of a new Google News homepage design. More information about how Google runs experiments can be found at:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/search-experiments-large-and-small.html

We'd love to hear your feedback. Please let us know what you think at:

http://www.google.com/support/news/bin/request.py?contact_type=report_news&source=redesign

Regards,

The Google News Team

Forum discussion at Google News Help Forums.

Google Maps Accidentally Removes Send to Garmin GPS Feature

Posted: February 4th, 2010, 2:55pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Maps Help thread reports that Google accidentally removed the send feature to Garmin GPS. Here is an old video that shows how that worked:

The bug was first reported on January 31st and a Googler replied a day or so ago, saying:

I wanted to let you all know that the Maps team is aware of this issue and is working to fix the feature soon. I know this is an important feature for several users and I can assure you that it's not our intention to remove it from Google Maps.
I'll post an udpate here when I hear more news!

It is still not fixed, as far as I can tell. In any event, Google will likely be adding it back soon.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

YouTube Video Uploading Delay

Posted: February 4th, 2010, 2:48pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, there were several reports on You Tube Help forums that uploading videos to YouTube would have a delay.

Liz from YouTube support posted a notification about the issue. She said:

We're seeing many of you reporting that you're having trouble with uploads- your uploads are not processing completely and are getting stuck before going to live.
Our team is aware of the issue and has a fix in the works. Uploads should return to normal soon.

In the meantime, please be aware that trying to re-upload your video will not resolve the situation. Your original upload will go through and complete processing, its just somewhat delayed and will take longer than usual to go live (as you've noticed).

We appreciate your understanding, and as always, thank you all for your reports alerting us of this situation.

So, upload the video as you would, but don't worry, the videos will be published eventually. There is no need to reupload your videos.

Forum discussion at You Tube Help.

Blue Pale Stars on Google News Confuses Users?

Posted: February 2nd, 2010, 3:02pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, Google announced a new feature for Google News. The feature lets users "star" news items. You can "star" news clusters by clicking on the blue pale stars.

Here is a picture:

What does starring news items do?

(1) It lets Google know that you're interested in that subject.

(2) When there are significant updates, Google will alert you by putting the headline in bold so you can get more information.

(3) You can also follow your 20 most recent starred stories in the "Starred" section of Google News.

It also confuses some people. A Google News Help thread had one person ask:

Why are there pale blue stars in front of main stories?
Nothing is wrong: I'm just puzzled.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Google Says Goodbye to Internet Explorer 6

Posted: February 1st, 2010, 2:08pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google announced they will be phasing out support for Internet Explorer 6 browsers on their apps. Google said:

Many other companies have already stopped supporting older browsers like Internet Explorer 6.0 as well as browsers that are not supported by their own manufacturers. We’re also going to begin phasing out our support, starting with Google Docs and Google Sites. As a result you may find that from March 1 key functionality within these products -- as well as new Docs and Sites features -- won’t work properly in older browsers.

Of course, there are so many companies that only run IE6 on their computers. Plus there are tons of home bound computers that use it. By Google dropping IE6 support when users are trying to access their software, it may force users to upgrade to a newer browser. Guess which browser Google will recommend?

A WebmasterWorld thread has lots of discussion around this move. Some can't believe people still use the old browser. Some people say their company forces them to use it. Some can't wait for IE6 to die so they can stop testing for it. Some ask, whey Microsoft isn't doing a better job moving people off IE6 and onto IE8 or a newer browser.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Complaints: Google Maps Users Hit With Porn Email?

Posted: February 1st, 2010, 2:02pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Over the weekend, there were four reports of Google Maps users complaining that they received spam emails, containing pornography, from Google. The complaints come via a Google Maps Help thread and to be honest, it is not clear what exactly is happening. I know that Google is not sending out pornographic emails, but is someone targeting Google Maps local listings with spam? Why are these users complaining?

The first complaint came in on Saturday and read:

I just got a porn spam email sent via Google Maps. How did that happen? How did they find me? I DO NOT want to be on Google maps and I certainly DON'T need spammers emailing me from there. How do I stop this?

Maybe a spammer is using the email link feature, and somehow using a Google Maps URL to redirect unsuspecting users to pornographic sites? This happens often with Google Sites URLs.

There are more details, with email headers - which shows me the emails don't appear to be coming from a Google server - in the threads.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Drops Aboriginal Flag from Doodle Winner Due To Copyright

Posted: January 28th, 2010, 3:18pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google ran a Doodle4Google competition in Australia and Jessie won with this Doodle:

When they posted the Doodle on the Google.com.au web site, it was missing the Aboriginal Flag. Here is a picture:

I mentioned this in passing in Google's Kuwait Doodle mistake. But now, Google came to the Google Web Search Help forums explaining the issue. Jaime from Google said:

Thanks for voicing your concern here in the forum. Just to make sure everyone is aware of what took place I wanted to explain here that due to the Aboriginal Flag having copyright, we requested permission from the Aboriginal Copyright owners to display the original doodle with the flag on the Google homepage. They declined the permission and as such, in consultation with Jessie, we had to gently alter the doodle so we could proudly display her wonderful artwork - of which we are very proud.

It is a shame Google was unable to get rights to show the flag there. But Jessie seemed like a good sport!

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google A Month Early On Kuwait's National Day

Posted: January 26th, 2010, 2:37pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google had a Doodle slip up this morning, as first reported by Michel. Google posted the National Day logo on Google Kuwait this morning. It was live for over five hours before anyone reported it. The issue is, it was posted a month prior to the official National Day of Kuwait, which takes place February 26th.

Here is the logo:

Google took down the logo about 15 minutes after TechCrunch posted the story.

There were a couple Google Web Search Help threads complaining about Google posting this logo on the wrong day.

Speaking of Google logos, there are some complaints about the Google Australia doodle at Google Web Search Help as well.

In any event, can anyone speculate what Google Kuwait's National Day logo will be this year? :)

Forum discussion Google Web Search Help.

Google Maps Can't Handle Two Plus Businesses With Same Phone Number

Posted: January 22nd, 2010, 2:32pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Remember, a few months ago, I wrote how some Google Maps reviews were being posted on competitors Google Local Business listings? In summary, a Doctor was complaining that his competitors were obtaining his reviews, even though his business has a different name.

What I did not see then was that his competitor(s) have the same phone number as he does. Yes, there are many doctors share an office and the office staff with their competitors to cut costs. I honestly see this all the time in New York, where I live. You call a Doctors office and the same person who answers the phone for your doctor, would answer the phone for another doctor.

So these doctors are at the same location, offer the same medical expertise, compete with each other and even share a phone number. I honestly did not know the doctors don't have their own numbers. But I guess in some cases (possibly many cases) this is the fact, competing doctors share a phone number.

Because of this issue, Google is placing the reviews from one doctor to an other. Google's Joel explained:

It's a difficult problem to solve. I'm not saying we're doing the right thing in every case, but I am trying to give you guidance on how to satisfactorily resolve the issue on your end. If this is a distinct competitor, it seems to make sense to have a separate phone line. Even if the front office is shared.

In response to that, the doctor replied:

I appreciate your help up to this point, but I hardly think suggesting your paying advertisers change their business practices to accommodate your company's inability to fix a problem is appropriate. I hope this is not a signal that Google is changing into just another corporate giant, stepping on the heads of small businesses.
Sorry to be harsh, but these reviews were entered under my name in your system and then changed to a different name. I find it hard to believe that this is unfixable.

From a technology point of view, I see the issue but from a users point of view, this is serious.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Continues The Cash Drive: Revenue Up, Profits Up, Everything up (GOOG)

Posted: January 22nd, 2010, 2:03pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Last night, Google announced their 4th quarter earnings. Guess what? They beat expectations and overall, everything was up. Greg Sterling posted the key highlights and nice graphs:

Revenues – Google reported revenues of $6.67 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009, representing a 17% increase over fourth quarter 2008 revenues of $5.70 billion.
Google Sites Revenues – Google-owned sites generated revenues of $4.42 billion, or 66% of total revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2009. This represents a 16% increase over fourth quarter 2008 revenues of $3.81 billion.
Google Network Revenues – Google’s partner sites generated revenues, through AdSense programs, of $2.04 billion, or 31% of total revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2009. This represents a 21% increase from fourth quarter 2008 network revenues of $1.69 billion.
International Revenues – Revenues from outside of the United States totaled $3.52 billion, representing 53% of total revenues in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to 53% in the third quarter of 2009 and 50% in the fourth quarter of 2008... Revenues from the United Kingdom totaled $772 million, representing 12% of revenues in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to 12% in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Paid Clicks – Aggregate paid clicks, which include clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of our AdSense partners, increased approximately 13% over the fourth quarter of 2008 and increased approximately 9% over the third quarter of 2009.

You can watch the investors call on YouTube.

Here are some comments from members of WebmasterWorld on this financial news:

Hah, mere pocket change.

That's about 300-400 million net profit off Adsense. Not bad for a program that serves ads.

There is more analysis of the announcement in the thread.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Maps Bugs: Terrain View Missing Labels & LBC Categories Wrong

Posted: January 20th, 2010, 3:02pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are two bugs to report in the Google Maps space. The first is that the Google Maps Terrain view has removed the country labels from the maps. The second is that categories are being added to business listings without them being added by the business owner in the local business center.

The maps terrain issue was reported in the Google Maps Help forum. Here is a picture of what I see in the terrain view. As you can see, the country labels seemed to have disappeared:

Brian from the Google Maps team said, "Thanks for reporting. I made sure this issue was escalated to the appropriate folks and I'll post an update here when I see it."

The other bug has to do with the Google Local Business Center. Some are reporting that unwanted categories are being applied to their business listings automatically. A different Google Maps Help thread is tracking this issue. Google Maps employee, Linda said, "Thanks for starting this thread. I will gather some information and get back to you all soon."

Hopefully both of these bugs will be resolved shortly.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

iGoogle Porn: Still An Issue?

Posted: January 19th, 2010, 2:19pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Back in May 2009, we first reported of issues with pornography on iGoogle. Ever since then, there have been issues that popped up here and there. That is the overall issue with having user generated content (i.e. user generated gadgets).

The latest batch is in the form of "live cams" and the issue was submitted to Google Web Search Help forums recently, in an older thread. This batch comes up for a search on to do list in the iGoogle Directory. They were also submitted by the same user, Mandy. Here are some safe pictures:

There are several more and they all seem to be in the form of cams. I have a good blocking system here for this type of stuff, so the videos won't render on my computer. Here is a safe picture, what I find funny is that it is being monetized by Google ads.

In any event, Google was notified about this issue. Paul from Google said:

Thanks for letting us know -- we're investigating this now. I really appreciate your taking the time to bring these to our attention.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google Maps Street Views Embed Broken For Some

Posted: January 18th, 2010, 2:53pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Maps Help thread has reports of some map developers having issues embedding the street view versions of Google Maps on their web site.

The issue was first reported 9 days ago by a guy who runs StreetViewing.com. The old embeds are no longer working for him, so now he has to go in and replace all of those with the new code. That can take a lot of time.

Brian from the Google Maps team actually confirmed the issue on Friday and said he notified the team. Brain B from Google said:

Just wanted to hop in here and assure everyone that the team is looking into this issue. When I have information to share, I'll post it here.

Thanks for all of the detailed reports.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Add Real Time Content to Your Google Maps Listing

Posted: January 18th, 2010, 2:32pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The Google Lat Long Blog announced businesses can now add real time information to their business listings. How does it work? It is honestly a bit tricky.

You would think you would "Edit" your business listing in Google Local Business Center. But no, instead you click on the "View report" link under the statistics section of that page. Then you are presented with a box to add a quick real-time message to your business listing (Places Page) on Google Maps.

On the top right of the statistics page is this box where owners can add information:

Here is me adding some info that may expire soon:

And here is that information showing up on my business listing in minutes:

Clearly, if you have a very active Google Maps listing, this can come in handy.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

Google China's Office Becomes a Shrine

Posted: January 14th, 2010, 2:04pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you happen to visit Google China, you may notice that there are people who are placing flowers and candles by their Google sign outside the building. There are actually a ton of pictures of this being done inside and outside of the Google China office on Flickr.

Here is one picture taken from DigitalPoint Forums.

This is clearly the reaction by some Chinese searchers on Google's decision to back out of China if China continues to censor them.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

100 Listings Per Google Local Business Center

Posted: January 13th, 2010, 2:26pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Ever wonder if there is a limit on the number of business listings you can have in your Google Local Business Center? A Google Maps Help thread has Maps Guide Linda saying that limit is currently 100 listings.

Linda said:

100 individual listings is the maximum number we permit in Local Business Center accounts.

But what if you have more than a 100 offices? That is what one person wanted to know. He said:

Thanks for the quick reply! What do I do if we have 800 offices we want to include? Can I open multiple Google accounts with the same email address, but using different passwords? If not, what are my choices?

I assume that would work but is this the right way to handle it?

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google SafeSearch May Block Graphic Dental & Surgery Images

Posted: January 12th, 2010, 2:32pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Webmaster Help thread has the owner of NYCDentist.com (great domain by the way) complaining his images are being blocked by Google's SafeSearch filter.

He said:

I personally write and publish NYCdentist.com, which offers over 2,500 pages of free content in academic dentistry. The content shows dental procedures including surgery in detail based upon visitor choices. There is NO sexual content in all 2,500 pages

I didn't know this, but it does make sense, Google may block "particularly graphic or violent" images. And if you look at some of the images on that site, I think some of you may get a bit queazy in the stomach. But what is interesting to me, is that the dentists don't see it that way. I have a dentist right next to me in my office building. He borrowed my camera once to take before and after pictures. I had to email those pictures to him afterwards and let me tell you, they were extremely graphic!

In any event, Googler, Susan Moskwa said:

I'll pass this along, but FYI SafeSearch filters non just sexually-related content, but also stuff that's particularly graphic or violent. Some of your surgery photos may be graphic enough that they fall under our filtering criteria. I'll try to get some more feedback on this from the Image Search team. Thanks for reporting this here.

So technically, I am not sure where this would fall - but personally, I would not like to see these images come up for a search on [teeth].

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Baidu's Domain Name Snatched by Hackers For Four Hours

Posted: January 12th, 2010, 2:09pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Search Engines

Imagine going to Google.com and seeing that it has been hacked and taken over by hackers? That is what happened to Chinese searchers, with their favorite search engine, Baidu. @mranti snapped a picture of the Baidu home page, when it was hacked:

The news can be found on Techmeme, but in short, it seems like they took over Baidu's domain name for about four hours. Now, when I go to Baidu.com it redirects me to http://202.108.22.5/, which is a server operated by Baidu.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Webmaster Tools Sends Out Google Ad Planner Ad?

Posted: January 12th, 2010, 1:55pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Back in 2007, Google released a message center in Google Webmaster Tools. It was used for penalty notifications, hacks, exploits, bandwidth issues, and many other webmaster oriented technical issues.

Today, I log into my Google Webmaster Tools account to find, what appears to me, as Google Ad Planner advertisements. Now, I am a big fan of Ad Planner, it is a really neat, free tool. But it just didn't seem incredibly webmaster related, on the technical side. I received about six of these "messages", each for a different site.

Here is what they said:

Increase Your Website's Visibility with AdvertisersJanuary 7, 2010
Dear Webmaster Tools User,

If your website accepts advertising, we invite you to increase your site's visibility with advertisers in Google Ad Planner, a free media planning tool used by tens of thousands of media planners and buyers. This is done through the Google Ad Planner Publisher Center, a section within Ad Planner that lets you take charge of your site profile.

THREE STEPS TO VIEW YOUR SITE PROFILE

To see how your site profile looks in Google Ad Planner, follow these steps:
1. Visit www.google.com/adplanner
2. Type your site's URL into the blue box that says "View a site listing"
3. Hit "enter" to get to your site's profile
If your site profile is not complete, don't worry, we have lots of ways for you to add information to the profile.

EIGHT WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR SITE PROFILE

Use the Google Ad Planner Publisher Center at www.google.com/adplanner/publisher to make your profile more complete. For example, you can claim your domains or subdomains, write a site description, provide a URL for advertising, and update your site's content categories and ad specifications.

You can also opt-in your site's Google Analytics data, invite additional users to edit and maintain your site, and promote your profile with a Google Ad Planner Site Badge.

GET STARTED

Sign in with your Google Account today at www.google.com/adplanner/publisher to get started.

-- The Google Ad Planner Team

I have some pictures here and here.

Again, this is likely useful information, but just doesn't seem all that technically relevant to the Google Webmaster Tools area.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Tools.

Google Flooding Web With Nexus One Ads?

Posted: January 11th, 2010, 3:00pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A WebmasterWorld thread has both publishers, advertisers and searchers complaining about the number of ads they see for the Google Nexus One phone on the internet. Yes, it is no surprise the Nexus One ads are shown on the Google home page. But they are all over every AdSense spot I can find. Of course, not 100% of the time, but extremely often.

Here are two pictures of the ads:

Incredibill, the moderator of the AdSense WebmasterWorld forum said:

I couldn't believe I was actually adding "google.com" into my competitive ad filter.

Have you gone to that extreme?

I wonder if I put a Google AdSense unit below this line, if it will show a Nexus One ad? It is contextual relevant, no?

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Playboy on Google News Fast Flip

Posted: January 11th, 2010, 2:40pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google just recently added the Fast Flip feature to the News home page. Some love it and some hate it, but should Google be showing topless women from Playboy in the Fast Flip news feature? That is what someone asked at a Google News Help thread.

If you go to Google News Fast Flip and click on "most viewed" and scroll a bit, you will see Iga/Eva topless. Here is a picture:

Should that come up on the Google News home page? Should it come up in Fast flip?

The searcher in the thread said:

New feature 'fastflip' started last week and front page of playboy showed up, topless woman in underwear. How do we disable fast flip? Parental control software is not catching it yet. Thanks

I assume as Google gets their feet wet with Fast Flip they will get better at censoring out adult-oriented news items.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Google Adds News Flip to Google News Home Page

Posted: January 11th, 2010, 2:12pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google has added the news fast flip feature of Google News to the bottom of the Google News home page.

If you go to Google News and scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see this just added to the bottom:

A WebmasterWorld thread has discussion around this feature. One person liked it so much, they want it on the Google web results, not just news results. Another person said he hated it, so he hit the "X" to remove it right away.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

What Time Is It In Bangladesh? Google & Yahoo Disagree With Bing & Ask

Posted: January 8th, 2010, 2:04pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Search Engines

When you ask someone what time is it, you normally don't have to second guess them. But when it comes to asking Google, Yahoo, Bing or Ask.com what time is it, you have to second guess them.

If you search [bangladesh time] at the four search engines, you will have Google and Yahoo telling you one time, while Bing.com and Ask.com telling you a different time. Who do you believe?

Google & Yahoo:

Bing & Ask.com:

So who is right?

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google Sends Me & Others Wrong Local Business Center Reports

Posted: January 7th, 2010, 2:59pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

This is a pretty bad slip up by Google. The Google Maps and Local team seemed to have sent out a batch of updates on how well a business's Google Maps listings are doing, but to the wrong businesses.

Last night, just before 10pm (EST), I received an email from Google about how well my local business listing is doing in Google. The issue was, it was not for my business! It was for a place called Polk Mechanical based in Texas. That is exactly 1,576 miles away from my business's location and would take me a full day to drive to, according to Google Maps.

Here is how well Polk Mechanical is doing in Google Maps:

I am not the only one who saw this. There is a report of it in Google Maps Help forum, David Dalka got one, so did Mike Blumenthal and Danya Henninger.

I emailed Google about this and I hope to get an understanding of why this happened.

The data shared by Google here is not all that sensitive, but it is still data.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Update: Google sent me a statement, it reads as follows:

As you're aware, we send a monthly newsletter to our Local Business Center users, featuring product news and a glimpse at the Dashboard statistics which show the traffic Google properties drive to their listing. Shortly after sending the newsletter to a small portion of our users last night, we discovered that some emails included incorrect business listing information. We promptly stopped sending any further emails and investigated the cause, which we found to be a human error while pulling together the newsletter content. We'd like to sincerely apologize to all the business owners impacted and assure all our users that we're working hard to ensure that nothing similar will happen again.

Update #2: Google sent an automated apology to those who received other companies information:

Google Maps To Allow Businesses To Request Replacement Decals

Posted: January 7th, 2010, 2:17pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google Maps Guide, Cecelia wrote in a Google Maps Help thread that Google will be enabling Google Local Business Favorite places to reorder lost or damaged Google QR code decals.

Ever since Google has been sending these out, I have seen threads from business owners asking how they can get replacement decals. For one reason or another, these people have lost or damaged the decals, and had no way to replace them.

Cecelia said in the thread:

We're working to create a way for you to request a new Favorite Places decal if something happened to the original one. In the meantime, please hold tight and know we're working on this.

Seems like it is coming soon, probably within the Google Local Business Center. When it does go live, we will let you know.

She also answered a frequently asked question:

Can a business which didn't receive a decal request one?
No, it is not possible for a business to request becoming a Favorite Place. Businesses can sign up for Local Business Center to become eligible and if they meet our criteria, they may receive a decal in the next wave.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help

Google Custom Search Engine Management Bug

Posted: January 6th, 2010, 2:17pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

For those of you who use the Google Custom Search Engine (Google CSE), you may have run into an issue with modifying the settings for your custom search engine this morning and yesterday.

A Google Custom Search Help thread has confirmed reports of a bug that prevented users to maintain their Google CSE. There are several reports of the issue in that forum, but here is one report:

Today (january 06, 2010) when i access the URL http://www.google.com/cse/manage/all?auth=[BIG AUTH KEY HERE] to manage my custom search engine, i get 'Server Error':

We're sorry.

The service you requested is currently unavailable.

Also the XML with the custom search results doesn't work. I have a Business Acoount attached to my search engine. Thanks!

Google employee, Prathap Reddy, confirmed the issue and wrote:

We are aware of the issue; We are working very hard to fix this as early as possible.
This is an intermediate issue and will be addressed as early as possible.

I personally tried it myself and it seems to work fine. I guess at the time I tried it, it was working.

Forum discussion at Google Custom Search Help.

Yep, Googlers Working on January 1st, New Years Day

Posted: January 4th, 2010, 1:51pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Many of those in the SEO, SEM, Web Design and related businesses find themselves working on holidays such as New Years and Christmas. I think it is more about the self-employed mentality versus it being computer related. Of course, computer related jobs tend to be good to work at any time. In any event, it is nice to know that you are not the only one working on these days. That is why we have Twitter and such. :)

I tend to report every year that I spot Googlers working on these holidays. Googlers were working on this past Christmas and they, JohnMu, was working on New Years day.

I spotted John posting not in just the Happy New Year thread but also in a couple webmaster related threads.

This is not new to John or Googlers, they did it New Years 2009 New Years 2008. Also Christmas 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006.

Happy New Year all!

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Reporting Google Maps Business Listing Spam to Google

Posted: December 30th, 2009, 2:20pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Mike reported how Google likes you to report Google Maps business listing spam to them. Google Maps, especially the local business center, has been a target for spammers in the past couple years. Google has tried numerous ways to have people report spam to them.

I guess recently, Google changed it to ask people to report a problem with the business listing via the "report a problem" link either on the map itself or on the business's place page. As Mike said, Maps Guide Cecelia noted that the "time frame [for spam removal] most likely varies based on the number of reports we receive."

To report spam on a business's places page, you go to the "more info" link on the search results of that listing and then click on the "more" link. The more link will open up options, such as "report a problem":

After you click the "report a problem" link, a form pops up asking for more information:

Forum discussion at Sphinn.

Google Movie Search Returns Weird 9-11 Message

Posted: December 29th, 2009, 2:48pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A search in Google for [movie: nine nyc] directs you to a Google Movie results page. It shows you the typical movie theaters in that area and movie times, as you would expect. However, it also shows "Showtimes for September 11 attacks" in the blue bar under the search box.

That, to me, is incredibly weird. Here is a picture:

Also, others are reporting a search in Google for [movie: nine ny] directs you to a Google Movie results page. It shows you the typical movie theaters in that area and movie times, as you would expect. However, it also shows "Showtimes for US Airways Flight 1549" in the blue bar under the search box.

The US Airways Flight was the one that safely emergency landed in the Hudson River in New York.

I am not sure why these weird, cryptic messages are coming up in Google Movie search.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

60% of U.S. Government's Data on Google Servers? Nope

Posted: December 28th, 2009, 2:25pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Sherri Davidoff posted an article named Our Google Government after seeing one of those Google Docs ads on a site. The ad reads, "Over 60% of the U.S. state governments have gone Google." Here is a picture of it:

Of course this worries many, including myself. But you have to understand that while maybe 60% of the U.S state government has "gone Google" it doesn't mean that the U.S.'s most sensitive data is on Google's servers. It is possible that some small government offices have switched to Google Apps for email or document management. But to house sensitive intelligence on a hosted Google owned server? That has not happened.

How am I so sure? Well, I am not. But I recently watched a 60 minute show (or something like it, I forget, it was a few months back), which was about how countries are hacking into other countries to steal intel and money from each other. One of the concerns was using Google to host the information. A top government official said that while many governments use Google for everyday use, the most sensitive information is stored on government built and maintained hardware and software.

In fact, the official said that they cannot trust hardware or chips made in some countries because they have seen cases where those chips actually are programmed to secretly send over data from the computer to a remote location. So to trust Google with that information, simply doesn't make sense. And that is what the official said. It costs the government a lot more than it would if they outsourced it to Google, but in some cases, it is not about saving money.

Of course, some U.S. offices might receive sensitive information in their Google hosted applications. And the risk of that increases daily as more data is sent back and forth and more offices "go Google." But this all needs to be kept in perspective.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Did Google Pull Back on Webmaster & Advertiser Support in 2009?

Posted: December 24th, 2009, 2:41pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

As a continuation of Brett Tabke calling out Google for stiffing webmasters over the Christmas gift this year, Brett explains more of why he is a bit upset with Google in 2009. Brett lays out what he believes Google is moving towards and it seems to really upset him and other webmasters. Brett explained:

Google retracts almost every webmasters/siteowner outreach program it had in 2009.
They left the trade show circut. Other than what they had contracted a year earlier, they eliminated their participation in trade shows.
Left their own speakers to pay for their own way to industry conferences. (denying expense receipts).
Eliminated AdWords account support.
Layed off hundreds (thousands according to some reports) temp advertising support reps.
Canceled the Google customer support party (Google dance).
Eliminated the vendor appreciation programs for AdSense and Adwords.

Brett said "Everything Google has done in the last year has screamed, 'AdSense and AdWords markets are maximized or tapped out. Put it into maintenance mode and lets go see where else we can make money.'"

Is it true? Well, Google only held one Webmaster Chat session this year, which was last month, before that, in 2008 and 2007, they held tons of these. It seems like Google limited their sponsorship of conferences in 2009, including not sponsoring PubCon and did limited sponsorships for SMX and SES events this past year (i.e. sponsored sessions) I believe. I also know they cut back on sending representatives to shows, but I do not know the extent of that. They have cut AdWords rep support, laid off temp workers, did not hold the annual Google Dance, cut gifts in exchange of the donations they give anyway, and so on.

However, I did notice a step up in the support forums. They upgraded the support forum software (slowly) and added representatives to them. They added features to Webmaster Tools, posted a ton on the Webmaster Blog, Matt produced tons of support videos and so on. So it does seem like overall, they may have spent a lot less money on webmaster/advertiser relations and focused on the less expensive routes. 2009 was a recession for many businesses, but was Google recession proof? Should they have not made these cuts? I am not really to judge.

I do believe Google will be sending more reps to conferences this year, and that they are less concerned about the economy in 2010 then they were in 2009. Maybe sponsorship of events will grow in 2010? Maybe the Google Dance will come back? Maybe?

I hate to judge how other companies use their money. 2009 was an extremely tough year for many businesses. It seemed to us that Google sailed through the year with no problems at all. But who knows what decisions they made early on to help with that? This is a very sensitive topic but being that Google is a public company, I guess these questions can be asked.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Offends the Dreadlocks Hairstyle

Posted: December 24th, 2009, 2:31pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A search for [dreadlocks] sports one of those Google definitions links at the top right of the page that leads to an 'offensive' categorization of those who have dreadlocks as their hairstyle. The Google Definition of dreadlocks uses it in a sentence as, "He was turned down for a driving job when he refused to cut his dreadlocks."

Now one person takes offense to this and posted his dissatisfaction in a Google Web Search Help forum. He wrote:

While it's true that this kind of thing (unfortunately) does happen, is it crazy to anyone else to be in a dictionary? It'd be like having the definition for Asian American being "He was turned down for the driving job because he was Asian American."

Here is a picture of the definition:

If Google stayed with Answers.com as their definitions provider, they might not be taking flack for this.

Personally, I find these types of posts funny - which is why I am highlighting this one.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

QuickMark iPhone Update Fixes Google Favorite Places QR Code Decals

Posted: December 23rd, 2009, 2:55pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A few weeks ago, I was the first to report about Google decals going to wrong places and then we saw a flood of people complaining about the issue.

It turns out that the primary iPhone app recommended by Google for scanning these decals was made by QuickMark. QuickMark had a bug that was introduced just about the time these decals came out. The bug impacted where users were taken after they scanned a QR code.

The bug was fixed yesterday and it now works perfectly for me. The bug fixes included:

Fix incorrect URL bug
Allow Move & Scale for Take Photo method

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Christians Upset Google Logo Doesn't Say "Merry Christmas"

Posted: December 22nd, 2009, 2:33pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are dozens of complaints from Christian Google users with their dissatisfaction over the wording of the Google Holiday logo. In short, the complaint is that Google is saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." Christians are asking why Google is saying "Happy Holidays" when no other holiday overlaps with Christmas this year. Chanukah was earlier this month and the other holidays don't seem to fall out during Christmas, so why not say it as it is?

Here are pictures that illustrate the 'politically correct' holiday message from Google:

You can see the logos at google.com/logos/holidays-2009.html.

Here is one of the many complaints in the forum:

For the entirety of Google's history (including this year) they put up a variety of Christmas-themed logos between approximately December 22 and December 25, but they say "happy holidays" and not "Merry Christmas"!!
What other holiday occurs between Dec. 22 and 25?? Why must Google be so politically correct? "Merry Christmas" is one of the most popular greetings in the world! This is ridiculous, why is Google forcing me out of the Christmas spirit?

Forum discussion at several Google Web Search Help threads.

Google Sends Out $20 Million Worth of Holiday Presents in 2009

Posted: December 22nd, 2009, 2:07pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

We thought Google was notgoing to give out holiday gifts, and in exchange, inviting publishers to lunch. But starting yesterday, Google began sending out a holiday e-mail card to both advertisers and publishers. The card basically said Google is doing something a bit different this year and instead of giving out presents, they are giving $20 million to charity on our behalf.

Here is a picture of the e-card which leads to google.com/advertising/holiday2009:

Here is a picture of the landing page:

Overall, people are happy with this as their gift this year. We have thread at DigitalPoint Forums & WebmasterWorld.

Want to see the previous years gifts? See 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums & WebmasterWorld.

Introducing The Google Mapping Tool Availability Matrix

Posted: December 21st, 2009, 2:50pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google Maps has tons of features, but some of those features are not available in all regions due to many reasons. In order to help document what is and what is not available in certain regions, Google created a page named the Mapping Tool Availability to help you see which Google tools are available for mapping your area.

Google breaks the page down by several regions including Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Middle East, North America, Oceania and South America. When you open a region, Google shows you a matrix of what features are available in that area, features such as the Local Business Center, Community Edits, My Maps, Map Maker or Building Maker. Here is a screen capture of the North America matrix:

This will come in handy for the folks in the Google Maps forum and for local business consultants.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Removing A Competitor's Google Maps Listing

Posted: December 21st, 2009, 2:22pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A local mover reported in a Google Maps Help thread that his competitor has successfully removed his listing from Google Maps by having hundreds of people report his address as "inaccurate" in the Google search results.

Back in October, Google added a link to the map results found in the results to enable users to mark a business listing as accurate or not and this person is claiming that his competitor was able to use that to remove his listing in Google Maps. He said:

He has now used those same fake user accounts to report my addresses as invalid - probably hundreds of times with the number of ID's that he has. The likely automated trigger at Google goes off and the map spammer with the 40 fake address and hundreds, if not thousands, of fake reviews from from bogus accounts wins the day. It's easy to report a bogus address.

Now, I am not sure if this is indeed possible. You can always try to reproduce it, but that might be a bad thing to try to reproduce.

A Google Maps representative, Maps Guide Linda, did reply to this thread saying:

Thanks for reporting this instance of spam to us. We will effectively deal with this user since they are violating our Business Listing Quality Guidelines. Please take a look at our guidelines yourself to make sure your listings comply.

I am not sure if she is referencing the abuse of the "inaccurate" reporting feature or the abuse of this mover posting dozens of duplicate companies in Google Maps.

So can you use the "is this accurate" link to remove competitors from Google?

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Favorite Places QR Codes Taking Many Customers to Wrong Location

Posted: December 17th, 2009, 2:44pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

On Friday afternoon, I reported My Google Favorite Place Decal Was Hijacked. In short, it turned out the QR code was indeed correct, but if the QR code scanner reads it wrong, it can take you to a different business. Which is what happens when I use certain scanners or if the lighting is poor when I scan using certain apps.

Here is a quick video of how this went down on Friday afternoon:

Now, I am not the only one experiencing these problems. I have spotted at least four threads (I know there are more) with complaints about their QR codes not working.

Let me pull out the various complaints from the four Google Maps Help threads I found:

The card I received in the mail from Google indicating we are a "Favorite Place" takes the user to the wrong business. Hundreds of miles away.

My card takes users to the generic google mobile home page?!?!?!

Same issue, mine goes to the generic google home page.

I got someone with an iPhone to test it out and it goes to info on some store in New York City, not my store, Epic Biking (www.epicbiking.com), in Saratoga Springs UTAH.

Once our Favorite Place decal is scanned it directs to the Double Tree Marriot in Palm Beach Gardens, FL as opposed to our listing Land Rover Palm Beach.

We're having the same exact issue. Except, ours is Starwood Hotels in New York when it should link to OK4WD. I scanned the thing probably a good five or six times too

When I had my issue, Ryan Hayward from Google contacted me immediately. I learned from him that in my case, it was not a data issue on Google's side, but rather an issue with the scanner reading the code incorrectly or missing pieces of the code. From what I understand, the code itself stores data in it, such as addresses, URLs, names and so on. So technically, I do not think Google printed these codes with a specific unique identifier in them for your business to match up in the Google Local Business Center. I think Google printed these codes to have address information and that is all. I can be wrong, but I think this is how it is working.

The overall issue here is that the codes are not working for many many businesses and searchers. It doesn't matter if it is a Google bug or a scanner bug, it is not working for a lot of people and lot of the time.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help threads.

Update: Ryan from Google sent me a note that many of this complaints are due to a QuickMark bug in their latest release. QuickMark sent an update to Apple and they hope it is approved soon. QuickMark wrote about the bug over here.

Ryan added:

Obviously we're not happy that any users are having trouble with applications to scan their decals. We are in close contact with QuickMark, and are planning to notify our Favorite Places decal recipients when the bug is fixed. In the meantime, various other apps should be working fine, and the QuickMark bug only applies to the latest release which came out Dec. 11. Once the new release is live in iTunes' app store, all users will be able to download the update.

Google Invites AdSense Publishers For Christmas Lunch

Posted: December 17th, 2009, 2:21pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

It appears that Google is not giving out holiday gifts this year, as expected. But in a surprise twist, AdSenseAdvisor in a WebmasterWorld thread basically invited all 'good standing' AdSense publishers out for lunch at Google.

First, AdSenseAdvisor explained that she/he doesn't "know about gifts this year," and added that she/he "haven't heard anything" about it. AdSenseAdvisor then goes on to invite AdSense publishers out for Christmas lunch!

AdSenseAdvisor said:

If you're a publisher in good standing with AdSense and you're ever in the Bay Area, shoot me a private message and I'd be happy to invite you to lunch at Google.

So, if you are upset you didn't get a holiday gift from Google and want to go out for lunch with AdSenseAdvisor, you know what to do. Go to the WebmasterWorld and send AdSenseAdvisor a private message.

In related news, WebmasterWorld moderator, martinibuster, said he sent Google a thank you Christmas card. He explained in a WebmasterWorld thread:

I sent the AdSense Team a Christmas Card to thank them for hanging out in this forum, for listening to our feedback, for acting on our feedback. 2009 is the year that the AdSense Team kicked butt on a number of fronts, including rolling out new ways for us to block unwanted ads, decreasing the time for ads to stop showing once we add them to our filters, for being responsive during the several glitches we have experienced and correcting them swiftly.

So if you want to mail holiday cheer to Google, you can send it to:

AdSense Advisor
c/o The AdSense Team
1600 Amphitheater Pkwy
Mountain View, CA 94043

How nice!

Forum discussion at Webmaster World.

Google Doodle Remembers L. L. Zamenhof, Inventor of Esperanto

Posted: December 15th, 2009, 2:42pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you visit Google today, you will see a special logo that celebrates L. L. Zamenhof's 150th birthday. Zamenhof was born on December 15, 1859 and died on April 14, 1917. He is known as the inventor of Esperanto, a constructed language designed for international communication.

Here is Google's special Doodle for his birthday:

Google has a special page just searching for this language at google.com/intl/eo.

Zamenhof was Jewish and died in Warsaw, Poland. You can read his full bio at Wikipedia.

With almost all Google Doodles, there are always complaints. We have two Google Web Search Help threads. One is thanking Google for commemorating L. L. Zamenhof life, while the other is upset Google picked L. L. Zamenhof over the ratification of the U.S. Bill of Rights, which happened on December 15, 1791 (218 years ago).

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google Does URL Shortening: goo.gl

Posted: December 15th, 2009, 2:30pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The big Google shock from last night was that they are launching a URL shortener using goo.gl. Currently, it only works by using the Google Toolbar or within FeedBurner. You cannot simply create a short URL by going to goo.gl, you need to do so via the Google Toolbar or FeedBurner.

Why is Google doing this? They want to make it easier to share within the Toolbar and FeedBurner. Why not use Bit.ly or Tiny URL? Google said they have an infrastructure that they trust is stable, secure and speedy.

I see why SEOs are a bit skeptical. But flip it around. SEOs have been recommending that we build our own URL shorteners ourselves. Heck, I did for RustyBrick, for example we use rb.tc, so rb.tc/barry goes to www.rustybrick.com/barry.

Google hasn't yet opened it up for use outside of the Toolbar or FeedBurner, but trust me, it will be used plenty that way and shared tremendously. Google said, "if the service proves useful, we may eventually make it available for a wider audience in the future." So, how long do you give it? A month, two?

Many just feel bad for the url shortening services out there.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld & DigitalPoint Forums.

Google To Build Phone

Posted: December 15th, 2009, 2:17pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you are living under a rock, you might not have heard this yet, but then why would you be reading this site? The buzz over the weekend was that Google confirmed they will be building and distributing a real Google phone. Right now, Google has Android which is the Operating System for many of the "Google phones" currently out there. But the hardware is developed by someone else.

It appears that Google is designing their own device on the hardware level. Which, I guess, would compete directly with the iPhone - which is what is currently happening with the HTC, Droid and comparable devices.

Anyway, that is all I have to say about this. You can read the news stories on Techmeme and then join the forum discussions.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and DigitalPoint Forums.

Bug When Updating Google Maps Local Listing

Posted: December 14th, 2009, 2:48pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Starting over the weekend, if you tried to update a Google Maps business listing in the Google Local Business Center, you would get a weird error. We have many reports in the Google Maps forums, many.

The error sometimes looks like this:

System Error

We're sorry, but we are unable to serve your request at this time. Please try back in a few minutes.

Try again document.write("|nx3ca hrefx3dx22/local/add/businessCenter?hlx3den-USx26amp;glx3dUSx22 onclickx3dx22history.go(-1); return false;x22x3e

Return to previous pagex3c/ax3e"); | Return to previous page

Google Maps Guide Linda replied to many of the threads with the same message, it read:

Hi,
We're aware of this system error issue and we hope to have this fixed by next week. Please check your account again next week to verify your business listing.

Thanks for your patience.

Best,
Maps Guide Linda

The Google Maps threads include these four help threads, but I believe there are many more.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help Discussions.

You Can Now Block Your YouTube Subscribers

Posted: December 14th, 2009, 2:40pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Liz from YouTube Support announced in a YouTube Help thread that a long requested feature is now available - the ability to block subscribers from your channel.

Why would you want to block specific subscribers? Maybe you got 'pervs' watching your videos? Maybe you don't like certain commentators on your videos? Maybe you are anti-social?

How do you do it?

1. Sign into your YouTube account
2. Go to http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=[YOURUSERNAME]&view=subscribers
3. On this page you'll be able to see the users who are subscribed to your channel and the thumbnail icon from their channel. Below the thumbnail image you'll see a "Block" button.
4. If you click the "Block" button you'll remove the user's subscription to you, and you'll also block them if their account is active on YouTube.

After that, Liz explains:

You'll receive a confirmation asking you whether or not you want to remove the user from your subscribers list first before you actually remove the user. This is just in case you accidentally click the "Block" button. We all know accidents happen.

Here is a picture of the block button:

I won't block you, so feel free to subscribe to the RustyBrick YouTube Channel which is what I use to do my weekly search videos, amongst other videos. I still need to make that page look better, one day - one day.

Forum discussion at YouTube Help.

My Google Favorite Place Decal Was Hijacked

Posted: December 11th, 2009, 7:31pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Update: Google reached out to me and asked me to try a new app to scan it, such as Barcode Scanner for Android of QuickMark for iPhone. I tried it and both QuickMark and Barcode Scanner return my business. So a poor quality QR scanner will return a bad listing. I guess technically, this is not a Google bug.

We are aware of Google Maps listings being hijacked, that is nothing new. But remember Google is sending out favorite places decals? Well, I got mine today and I decided to try it out.

Guess what? When you scan the QR bar code it takes you to a different business!

RustyBrick is my company and here is my Google Place:

Here is a video with proof:

Here is a link to the Citrus Grille which is what comes up after you scan my code.

Here is a video of me "unboxing" the decal today:

I am not sure how Google can fix this? Either:

(1) Send me a new decal with new bar code?
(2) Update their database so they do not have to send me a new decal?

The thing is, I just hope I don't get calls from the Citrus Grille, that would be annoying!

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Vote For The Doodle 4 Google UK Winner

Posted: December 10th, 2009, 2:35pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Voting is open for the UK's edition of the Doodle 4 Google competition. Google has run this competition in both the US and UK for four years now.

This years competition:

We're asking young people aged 5–16 from across the UK to design their own doodle. This year's theme is 'My Hero'. We'd love to see the figures young people look up to represented in their doodles, whether family, friends, people in the community, or world figures. We're interested in the people considered heroes for the 21st century and how entrants represent them using images.

To vote, go to this page. You can vote for each of the four brackets, 5-7 years old, 7-11 years old, 11-14 years old and 14-16 years olds.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Google Images "See Full Size Image" Frame Missing For Some?

Posted: December 10th, 2009, 2:18pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Web Search Help thread reports several users not being able to see the frame at the top of the Google Image searches. I initially thought it had to do with frame busters of some sort, but it seems more wide spread than that. Maybe Google is dropping the framed image feature? I am not sure.

I personally see the frame with the "see full size image" option link:

It really seems to be that this is a frame buster type of thing going on. Frame busting is code that prevents other sites from framing you site in their site, like Google Images does after you initially click on an image result.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google Barcodes The Map With QR Labels

Posted: December 8th, 2009, 3:32pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google also announced that they are sending out stickers to be placed in shop windows that have QR barcodes. The goal is to allow people to scan the sticker and look up more information about that place.

You can see some samples of these businesses in LA over here. How do you get one of these stickers for your business? Well, make sure you are a verified business on Google Local Business Center. Make sure to complete your profile to the T. Then, it is up to Google. TechCrunch reports Google has "PlaceRank" algorithm to determine in which order do businesses get these decals.

Google will be adding these businesses incrementally. "They are selected based on their PlaceRank," says John Hanke, VP of Google Earth, Maps, and Local. PlaceRank is like PageRank for places It tries to figure out how prominent a place is based on factors such as "references on the Web, reviews, photos," says Hanke, "how many people know about it, how long its been around."

Bill from SEO By The Sea covered this PlaceRank algorithm years ago.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Goggles & Other Mobile Announcements

Posted: December 8th, 2009, 3:05pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Part of Google's blitz of announcements yesterday were several mobile announcements including a really neat feature named Google Goggles.

Google Goggles basically lets you snap pictures on your Android mobile device and Google will return search results based on that picture. It works best with landmarks, books, contact information, artwork, places, wines and logos. Here is a video on how it works:

Other announcements include Search by Voice in other languages, such as Japanese, English and Mandarin. Search by Location on Android, and Search by Sight which is Google Goggles.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and Google Mobile Help.

Google Popeye Logo For E. C. Segar's 115th Birthday

Posted: December 8th, 2009, 2:33pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you visit Google today, you will see a logo of Popeye. The logo is to celebrate Popeye's creator, E. C. Segar's 115th birthday. E. C. Segar was born on December 8, 1894. Popeye, the character, was first introduced on January 17, 1929 in a comic strip Thimble Theatre, which was renamed to Popeye later (I believe).

In any event, the logo on the Google.com home page looks like this:

Google typically only shows Google Doodles for light hearted events, such as this. Which is why there was no Doodle for Pearl Harbor yesterday, December 7th. But it did not stop dozens of complaints in the Google Web Search Help Forums.

Forum discussion on Popeye at Google Webmaster Help and DigitalPoint Forums.

Google Custom Search Engine Sitemaps Display Bug

Posted: December 7th, 2009, 2:07pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

For those of you who use the Google Custom Search Engine, like we do here, you may have noticed that it is having issues reading your XML Sitemap file. Yes, with a Google CSE (custom search engine), you can feed it your pages, like you do with normal web search, with your Sitemap file.

If you do that now, you may see an error that reads:

Oops! We were not able to retrieve a list of Sitemaps associated with your current Google account.

A Google Custom Search Help thread has confirmation of the bug. Googler, Prathap Reddy, explained that this is indeed a bug, but it is only a display bug and has no impact on your Google Custom Search Engine.

He added:

We are aware of listing of sitemaps is not working in Control panel. We are working on that issue.
The issue is basically a cosmetic issue and shouldn't affect the functionality of Google Site Search in any way.

You can submit the sitemap for on-demand indexing by entering the URL in sitemap URL text box in Google Site Search Control panel -> Indexing Tab.

So do not panic, the display issue should have no impact on the functionality of your Google CSE. Plus, the display issue should be resolved sooner than later.

Forum discussion at Google Custom Search Help.

Wrong Local News in Google News? Here is Why.

Posted: December 7th, 2009, 1:56pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Over the past few months, there have been sporadic reports on the wrong local news showing up in Google News. One such thread at Google News Help has several comments about the issue by a Googler named Inbal.

What appears to be the issue when Google shows non-relevant local news in the local search of Google News is that Google is matching incorrectly. Inbal from Google explains, most recently, the root cause of the issue:

The root of most problems reported in this thread is bad geocoding on zipcode: some zipcode maps to the right name (like xxxxx --> Springfield, Mass), but we then think that text is for some other place with the same name. Our engineers have been fixing these zipcode related bugs following your reports, so please keep them coming!

In other cases, the searcher has entered the wrong zip code - but that is not common - what is more common is the issue above.

Finally, the last reason why the local news in Google might not be local is because there simply is not enough local news sources for your area. Inbal said, "there are just not enough news sources to show from a small town, as we may not be indexing some local sources."

Those are three possible reasons why Google News may not be providing locally relevant news for you.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Webmasters Wary of Google Public DNS

Posted: December 4th, 2009, 1:53pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google announced the launch of the Google Public DNS service, which is a free public domain name system. It is a lot like OpenDNS, but without any of the administrative controls for blocking sites or redirecting mismatched domains to a special landing page (which is where OpenDNS makes their money).

Google's DNS IPs are pretty sweet, they are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. If you want to use it, here are the configuration instructions.

Google said they are doing this for one reason and one reason alone. To make the web faster. Google knows which sites are the most popular out there and they will precache those pages so it doesn't have to be done at the time of the DNS request. Most DNS servers cache sites based on the last time a user of theirs accessed it, Google will anticipate that without usage - at this point. Google likes speed, as we discussed time and time again over here.

Google is convinced you will like their DNS server because it will speed things up, make things more secure and they won't do any type of redirection at all.

You think Google will use the data to track you? Well, Google very specifically detailed what they will be tracking and for how long. The "temporary logs" contain IP level information, but Google will destroy "temporary logs within 24 to 48 hours." However, Google will be storing specific information on an aggregate level, those details can be found here.

As I said, webmasters are wary and there is a long WebmasterWorld thread with comments:

With it being such an easy way to track who goes where, I'm surprised Google is just getting into this now.

Would this really benefit anyone besides Google?
Reading their gumph, they claim that having a large, common caching database will mean faster performance for all, but is it really worth the slight boost in performance in exchange for giving Google even more of your data?

Google claim that their service will attempt to send users to their geographically closest data centre.
But I still reckon it's wisest to just stick with your own ISP's DNS offering, unless you know what you're doing.

Personally, I use OpenDNS because of the security and the ability to block access to specific sites on the DNS level - which is nice. Would I switch? Who knows. But I do like how the OpenDNS blog responded to this Google news, "to think that Google’s DNS service is for the benefit of the Internet would be naive." Now that is classic!

Forum discussion WebmasterWorld.

Where the Google Holiday Gifts for 2009?

Posted: December 4th, 2009, 1:47pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Every year Google gives some of their AdWords advertisers and AdSense publishers holiday gifts. Typically, the gifts are delivered by now - but not one advertiser or publisher have posted in a forum or on a blog about receiving a holiday gift from Google this year.

A WebmasterWorld thread wonders if there will be any gifts this year or not. This year was the "great recession," but Google is clearly back in spend mode (if you watch their business activities closely, you would notice this).

In the past four years, the gifts were typically received by this week. Last year, the gifts were received by December 3, 2008, then by December 4, 2007, in November 2006, the latest was the second week of December 2005, but typically, we get them by this week in December.

Do you think there will be holiday gifts from Google?

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Disputed Territory? Google Maps Localizes Borders Based on Local Laws

Posted: December 1st, 2009, 2:08pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Did you know that there are countries out there that have a dispute on where their border begins and ends? Yea, you know that. But did you know that Google will show different borders depending on how and where you access Google Maps?

A Google Maps Help thread has a post from Brian from the Google Maps team who explains how this works. He said:

It is Google's standard practice to show all disputed regions around the world on its global properties, such as on maps.google.com. It has been Google’s consistent and global policy to depict disputed regions as per the claims made by the disputing/claiming nations on its global properties. This does not in any way endorse or affirm the position taken by any side but merely provides complete information on the prevailing geo-political situation to our users of global properties in a dispassionate and accurate manner. Products that have been localized to the local domain of a region such as maps.google.co.in may depict that country’s position as per the mandate of their local laws.

For example, compare Google India Maps to Google Maps and you will see the border lines look a bit different. Here are screen captures:

Google Maps India, The Border:

Google Maps US, The Border:

Notice the dotted lines in the US map, how it doesn't seem sure.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Maps Bug Disables Searching My Maps for User Created Content

Posted: November 27th, 2009, 3:04pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Maps Help thread has confirmed reports that searching for user generated content via My Maps seems to no longer be returning results.

ehg, a helpful Google Maps forum member helped debug this. He said, all of my maps of MyMaps created until 20 Oct 2009 are still to search. Here a sample map "GRZG" which is still to search [1] when searching "related maps" and "GRZG". Here searching for a user- created content ("ghghgh5656") of the same map [2] I created the map 10 Oct 2009. And here a search for the last map I can search & find (created 20 Oct 2009 - the second map is a copy of the first one I created at this date) [3].

Googler, Brian B, said, "I'm looking into this and will give an update here. Thanks for escalating."

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Tracking Phones & Devices For Traffic Data: Crowdsouring Traffic

Posted: November 27th, 2009, 2:43pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

This is old news, back in August Google told us they are now crowdsourcing traffic data in order to provide better and more accurate traffic reports on Google Maps. Let me quote Google:

When you choose to enable Google Maps with My Location, your phone sends anonymous bits of data back to Google describing how fast you're moving. When we combine your speed with the speed of other phones on the road, across thousands of phones moving around a city at any given time, we can get a pretty good picture of live traffic conditions. We continuously combine this data and send it back to you for free in the Google Maps traffic layers.

Yep, Google Navigation for Android 1.6 or 2.0 I am sure does this as well.

Why do I bring this up now? Well, a Google Maps Help thread has one Google Maps user asking how Google has traffic data for local streets? He said, "Just curious as to how google maps aggregates the data for traffic conditions of local surface streets, not freeways. Is it through the sensors in the streetlights?"

Useful, but a tad scary. I tested it on some of my local roads that I know are always congested and it does indeed work.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Snagging Google Maps Reviews From Your Competitors

Posted: November 25th, 2009, 3:15pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Maps Help thread has an interesting report of one business having the reviews of another. If you look at the Thomas French, DC, Chiropractor reviews, they look great, but when you look at Dr Keith Overland, it seems like he has reviews for Dr. French.

Here are the reviews on Dr. Keith Overland's page, which all reference Dr. French:

Two things could of happened here:

(1) It could be a technical glitch with Google Maps where reviews moved from one business listing to another.

(2) The people who left reviews accidentally put it on the wrong business listing?

Both businesses are in Norwalk, Connecticut - so who knows.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Updates iPhone & Android Gmail & Calendar Interface

Posted: November 20th, 2009, 2:25pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Gone mostly unnoticed, Google has updated their Gmail and Google Calendar interface on iPhone and Android mobile devices. Google did announce a new mobile news look for these devices, but no word on the Gmail interface.

I spotted this update via the Google Mobile Help forums, where Googler, Ethan, confirmed the update. He said:

Gmail updated its look & feel in the browser on Android and iPhone devices today. Some of Google's other mobile apps, like Calendar, have also gotten the new look. Other than the 're-skinning,' features are unchanged for now.

Here is what the new 'skin' looks like on the iPhone:

Here is the old one:

Small difference, but someone noticed.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Google Maps Satellite Images Being Posterized?

Posted: November 19th, 2009, 3:02pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Maps Help thread reports that at least one satellite image in South Africa has a weird posterization effect to it.

You can see it yourself at 33°55'7.79"S, 25°35'2.40"E, or Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Here is a picture:

This looks like a heavily posterized image to me, but I doubt that was the case. There must have been some type of interference when the image was captured?

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Reader URLs a Target for Email Spammers

Posted: November 19th, 2009, 2:41pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

For years, email spammers have been looking for ways to encourage people to click on their links. And for years, Google has been a target. Why? Well, when someone sees a link that has google.com in it, people trust it. So over the years, Google URLs that redirect to other sites have been a target by spammers.

The most recent Google property targeted by such attacks is Google Reader.

A Google Reader Help thread has reports of such cases, with a Googler confirming it is an issue. Several people are reporting receiving email spam with URLs that look some thing like:

http://www.google.com/reader/item/tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/3c49b76cf8cb8ba0

Clicking on that URL would have redirected you to a non-Google site.

Googler, Roger said:

It looks like some spammers have taken a liking to Google Reader - we're currently trying to find the best way to limit this kind of automated abuse without impacting the experience of real users such as yourselves. Hopefully we'll have a solution that works for everyone soon. Thanks for your patience and understanding in the meantime-

So be on the look out.

Forum discussion at Google Reader Help.

iGoogle Users Protest Over Left Hand Tabs

Posted: November 18th, 2009, 2:39pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you mossy your way over to the iGoogle Help Forum today, you may notice a bunch of threads complaining about how Google removed the top tabs from iGoogle and is forcing users to use the left hand navigation tabs.

Actually, this news is somewhat old. Back in June, many folks complained that they wanted top iGoogle tabs over left tabs and we offered a way to get those. Then it rolled out to other countries in July. It seems like now everyone has to have the left hand tabs, no matter what override you tried in the past.

Picture of Old Top iGoogle Tabs:

Picture of Current Left iGoogle Tabs:

There is seriously about twenty different threads over the past couple days on this topic.

Forum discussion at iGoogle Help Forum.

Tasty: Google Image Swirl

Posted: November 18th, 2009, 2:32pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I love new fun search features that have eye candy, such as the recently announced Google Image Swirl Google Labs project. It is a bit like Google Wonder Wheel but more images.

The best way for me to explain it is either have you try it or look at the pictures below:

I search for Apple and then click on images to be swirled my way through the various search refinements:

Neat and tasty, don't you think?

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Translate Gets Major Upgrade

Posted: November 17th, 2009, 2:40pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google announced a major upgrade for Google Translate. I am personally very impressed.

The new features include:

New layout
Instant translation
Shows reading phonetically in English
Speaks English translation for you (i.e. text to speech)
Type phonetically also

Here is a video demonstrating the new features:

There are both compliments and anger about the change in the Google Translate Group.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums and Google Translate Group.

Google Earth 2.0 for iPhone

Posted: November 17th, 2009, 2:21pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The Google LatLong blog announced an upgrade that is currently now available in the iTunes App store for the iPhone. Google Earth 2.0 is out and it has new features, including:

My Maps Integration
Performance Improvements
Improved "Icon" Selection
Added 13 languages, now 31 languages in total

With iPhone App updates, when they are available in the iTunes App Store, they might not be available for all users. Kind of like when a Google update is out, some people see it and some don't, early on. Why? Cause of multiple servers and the syncing of those servers can take time.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Google Storage Upgrade Does Not Upgrade

Posted: November 13th, 2009, 1:20pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Like many, when Google announced you can now buy more storage for less, I decide to buy more storage. So I went through the purchase storage process, paid the bill, got the order receipt and waited.

3 days later, I am still waiting to receive that upgrade. I ordered an additional 20GB of storage, here is my email receipt:

But when I log in to check my storage available, it still shows the old amount.

Gmail View:

Admin Account Management View:

So I follow all the Gmail Storage Troubleshooting tips and get no where. I then click on the "If you are still unable to access your Google paid storage, please contact us" link. The link is to google.com/support/contact/bin/request.py?contact_type=contact_storage but when you click it, it redirects you to the generic Google help with no way to get real help.

I am not the only person with this issue, there are a couple complaining at the Gmail Help forum.

It is only $5, so I don't mind donating the money but I do really want the extra storage.

Forum discussion at Gmail Help.

Google's Safe Browsing Site: sb.google.com

Posted: November 13th, 2009, 12:53pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Webmaster Help thread had one webmaster who received an email from Google warning of a phishing attempt on this person's site. The webmaster asked if it was real. The email said he/she should "submit a safebrowsing report at http://sb.google.com/safebrowsing/report_error/."

JohnMu from Google replied that if you want to make sure the email is real, that you should login to the Google Webmaster Tools and see if there is a message there about it. If yes, then it is legit, if not - not.

In addition, John explained that "the sb.google.com URL you mentioned is the correct one to submit feedback on the safebrowsing status of the flagged URL on your site."

Give sb.google.com a try. :)

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Find Me a Flu Shot with Google Maps

Posted: November 12th, 2009, 2:37pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The Google blog also announced they teamed up with U.S. Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide a Google Maps mashup to help people find flu shots in their area.

You can access the Google Maps mashup at google.com/flushot or go to flu.gov for other information.

One person asked in a Google Maps Help thread, how does he get his facility on the Google Maps list? I believe the way to do this is to go to Flu.gov, find your state and then navigate to the government office that is handling the list. Then submit your facility to that government office.

Anyway, here are the local places in Las Vegas that have flu shots:

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google's Sesame Street Logo Finale : 12 Doodles

Posted: November 10th, 2009, 2:27pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Starting on November 4th, Google began displaying logos for Sesame Street's 40th anniversary. Today is Sesame Street's official anniversary, the previous logos all led up to today. That is why we have a collage of all the characters, all in one logo:

Yes, 12 Sesame Street personalities in total were displayed. Not all on Google.com, some on regional Googles. Here they all are:

Honestly, I think I may have even missed one. :)

For all those wishing Google give up the Sesame Street logos, I think today is the last day. Personally, I liked it...

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Update: The Google Blog posted a link to the logos in high-resolution.

Sesame Street Count(s) Day 6 Trumps Berlin Wall Logo

Posted: November 9th, 2009, 3:12pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Today, if you visit Google.com, you will see Count Von Count as the Google logo (doodle) on the home page. This is the 6th day, and 11th Sesame Street logo, Google has posted in celebrating of Sesame Street's 40th anniversary. We have all the Sesame Street logos that have currently been posted over here.

Like, I said, today's logo is Count Von Count, another lovable Sesame Street logo:

But today, if you visit Google.de, you will see a logo commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago, on November 9, 1989.

Personally, I felt it would be best to stop with Elmo, yesterday, on Sunday. There are several people upset that Google has not made the Berlin Wall logo more prominent by posting it on all of Google's properties. Especially since Google is on their 6th day and 11th logo for Sesame Street's 40th anniversary, which was 6 days ago. There are even some people upset Elmo usurped UK's Remembrance Sunday.

Clearly, Google likes to show fun logos over sad ones. But 6 days of Sesame Street?

Forum discussion at several threads at Google Web Search Help.

London Escort Service Using Seductive Images in Google Maps Business Listings

Posted: November 9th, 2009, 2:24pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A disgruntled searcher posted a thread at Google Maps Help forum complaining that he spotted a nude photo on a Google Maps business listing for a London based escort service. I personally don't think I see a nude photo, but the photos are seductive in nature. You can see the business listing over here (also a screen capture).

The individual reported this on Saturday, November 7th, but no one really noticed (it was Saturday). Here is his post:

This is a serious breech of Google quality guidelines ever. Spammer added price £120 on the title of the listing . On the other hand spammer has added nude picture on the Gallery section to get more clicks from surfer .
What a shame, how could some do such things . Please take immediate action.

This is not the first time we found adult oriented content in Google Maps. We found adult spam in Google Maps listings in a much worse way, disguised as a normal business listing. That spam was cleaned up.

Now, I don't think escort services is an issue in Google Maps - I am not sure. But are these pictures an issue? Nudity is, but these?

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Update: There are some that actually do have nudity. Do not click if you do not want to see nudity. Here are some examples, this one, this one, and probably many many more. Even many in the US, such as this one, this one, this one and many more. So there is plenty of nudity on Google Maps Business Listings.

iPhone OS 3.1.2 Breaks Gmail Push: Not Covered by SLA

Posted: November 6th, 2009, 2:41pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

In the past few days, many users of the iPhone and Gmail Push service through active sync have been reporting that it is not working. A large Google Mobile Help thread has dozens of posts from unhappy Gmail users.

Google confirmed the issue and blamed the iPhone OS 3.1.2 build, which was out just about a month ago. So I am not sure why people are beginning to complain now.

Robin from the Google Mobile team confirmed the issue and wrote a few responses in the thread. They include:

We're aware of some issues with Gmail sync and are working to resolve them. OS v. 3.1.2 has broken a few things on our build, and we've also had a bug with certain formatting characters in email that has caused sync to stop altogether. We're working on to get a fix out for these items first, and can then start troubleshooting other possible causes.

While 3.1.2 has been a source of problems, there are a few issues across other platforms and OS version as well that we're working on. A number of bugs have been fixed over the past month, so it's unlikely that the source of your problems then is the same as it is now. Also, many folks have been able to sync just fine - sometimes it's a matter of sorting out setup issues and other device-specific variables. We're trying to fix the main bugs that we know about first and then can dive into the 1:1 troubleshooting.
Andrew554321, I did want to address your question about Google Apps. Push email is not currently covered by the Google Apps Premier Edition SLA: http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/admins/sla.html

While we do apologize for any disruption, please keep in mind that this is a Beta product that was just recently released; you are of course welcome to go back to IMAP or however you were checking your Gmail before implementing Google Sync. Otherwise, we hope you'll stick with us as we are actively trying to resolve these issues!

Yes, Google Sync uses Microsoft's Mail for Exchange, which is a separate protocol from IMAP and will thus behave differently. There's no link between these services, other than the fact that they can both access your Gmail and that Google doesn't control the protocal for either of them :P

So, if you pay for the Google Apps premier, you are out of luck. Gmail push for the iPhone is a beta product and is thus not covered.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Google Really Likes, Really Likes, Sesame Street: Adds Cookie Monster and Ernie & Bert

Posted: November 6th, 2009, 2:32pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google has seven different doodles (logos) on the day of Sesame Street's 40th anniversary. Then yesterday and today, they had two different logos, celebrating the same anniversary.

November 5th was Cookie Monster:

Today, November 6th is Ernie & Bert:

What is Google's obsession with these lovable Sesame Street characters?

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help and Google Webmaster Help.

Google Finally Creates a Dashboard to Manage Your Google Life

Posted: November 5th, 2009, 2:22pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

One of the more obvious complaints about Google is not about their products but rather how to find all their products and manage how you have access to those products. Google just launched the Google Dashboard which brings many - not all - of this in one place.

The Dashboard includes over "20 products and services, including Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Web History, Orkut, YouTube, Picasa, Talk, Reader, Alerts, Latitude and many more." Here is a video demo on how it works:

A WebmasterWorld thread has early discussion around this topic. Right now, the feedback includes "it's about time" and "Well, it is a start..."

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Can't Show You Your Maps Listings? Let Them Know

Posted: November 3rd, 2009, 2:56pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A couple weeks ago, Google began helping business owners find themselves with a link in their Google Local Business Center that read "See your listing on Google Maps."

The thing is, for some, when you click on that link, it doesn't show you are listing in Google Maps. Why? Google isn't sure. But they did ask for help.

A Google Maps Help thread has Googler, Linda asking for help in finding the issue. She asked business owners to post their business listing information, if they cannot see their listings. Linda said:

If you've clicked "See your listing on Google Maps", but do not find your business on Maps, please provide us with your:
1) Business Name
2) Address

Please provide us with the information above or we will not investigate your issue.

We are aware of this issue and we hope to have a fix for this soon. Thank you for reporting.

So if you fall into this category and want this feature to work, join the thread.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Maps Updates Business Listing Quality Guidelines

Posted: November 3rd, 2009, 2:34pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google has just updated the Business Listing Quality Guidelines for Google Maps. There are many changes to this guidelines page - in fact - it seems like it was completely revised.

So I will show you the old version and then the new version:

Old Version:

Google Maps aims to provide value for users and business owners alike. We've implemented a number of guidelines that align with these intentions. To protect users, businesses, and the integrity of our search results, we reserve the right to terminate Local Business Center access or broader Google access to individuals or businesses violating these guidelines.

These points cover the general guidelines for creating business listings through the Local Business Center, but are not an exhaustive list of policies. Some actions not specifically prohibited here may still be cause for removal from Maps. If you have any question about whether or not a tactic is deceptive, we recommend you stand on the side of caution. You may also request clarification by posting in our Maps Help Forum.

Quality Guidelines:

Only enter listings for businesses that you own or are explicitly authorized to represent.
Represent your business exactly as it appears in the offline world. The name on Google Maps should match the business name, as should the address, phone number and website.
Do not attempt to manipulate search results by adding extraneous keywords into the title field, and do not include phone numbers or URLs in the title along with your proper business name.
Create only one listing for each physical location of your business. Do not create more than one listing for each business location, either in a single account or multiple accounts. Service area businesses, for example, should not create a listing for every town they service. Likewise, law firms or doctors should not create multiple listings to cover all of their specialties.
When entering categories, use only those that directly describe your business. Do not submit related categories that do not define your business. For example, a taxi company might properly categorize itself as "Airport Transportation", but it would be inaccurate to also use the category "Airport". Also, please use each category field to enter a single category. Do not list multiple categories or keywords in one field.
Provide information that best identifies your individual locations and provides users with the most direct path to your business. For example, you should provide individual location phone numbers in place of central phone lines and the precise address for the business in place of broad city names or cross-streets.
Provide the one URL that belongs to your business both in terms of the landing page and the displayed URL. Pages that redirect to another domain, or act as "click through" sites may lead to penalization.
Use the description and custom attribute fields to include additional information about your listing. This type of content should never appear in your business's title, address or category fields.

If you believe that another business is abusing Google's quality guidelines, we encourage you to report the listing. Your reports help us to improve the overall Google Maps experience for everyone.

If you find that your listings were removed from Google Maps or you're unable to access your Local Business Center account, please file a reconsideration request. All requests are reviewed, and the decision of Google in this regard shall be final and binding. Please note that we won't necessarily respond to each individual request.

Your business information on Google Maps:

Should you have questions about how to add or how to edit your business information, please visit the Local Business Center help pages.

New Version:

Business Listings in Local Business Center must have correct information about physical, local businesses, as they appear in the real world. Google reserves the right to suspend access to Local Business Center or to other Google Services to individuals or businesses violating these guidelines.

Ownership

Only business owners or authorized representatives may claim their business listings on Google Maps.

Business Name

The business name on Google Maps must be your full legal business name.
Do not attempt to manipulate search results by adding extraneous keywords or a description of your business into the business name.
Do not include phone numbers or URLs in the business name.

Physical Location

Do not create listings at locations where the business does not physically exist.
PO Boxes do not count as physical locations.
Do not create more than one listing for each business location, either in a single account or multiple accounts.
Businesses that operate in a service area as opposed to a single location should not create a listing for every city they service. Service area businesses should create one listing for the central office of the business only.
Businesses with special services, such as law firms and doctors, should not create multiple listings to cover all of their specialties.
The precise address for the business must be provided in place of broad city names or cross-streets.
A property for rent is not considered a place of business. Please create one listing for the central office that processes the rentals.

URL & Phone

Provide a phone number that connects to your individual business location as directly as possible. For example, you should provide an individual location phone number in place of a call center.
Provide one URL that best identifies your individual business location.
Do not provide phone numbers or URLs that redirect or 'refer' users to other landing pages or phone numbers other than those of the actual business.

Custom Attributes & Description

Use the description and custom attribute fields to include additional information about your listing. This type of content should never appear in your business's title, address or category fields.
Please see this page of the LBC User Guide for examples of acceptable custom attributes.

Best Practices

Use a shared, business email account, if multiple users will be updating your business listing.
If possible, use an email account with a domain that matches your business URL. For example, if your business website is www.giraffetoys.com, a matching email address would be you@giraffetoys.com.

Report Spam on Maps.
Request Reinclusion if your Local Business Center account has been suspended.
Request Verification for your bulk upload.
Post in our Help Forum.

For more information about the Local Business Center, please visit the Local Business Center user guide.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google News Drops "Text Version" Option

Posted: November 2nd, 2009, 2:47pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google News has dropped the "Text Version" feature sometime over the past week or so. A Google News Help thread has some complaints dating back to October 22nd.

Personally, I don't think I ever used the text option for Google News, but some have. I did spot a screen shot with the option on Flickr, over here, just look on the left hand column. Now, if you go to Google News, you won't see the "Text Version" link anymore.

Why did Google drop it? Fred from the Google News team said in the Google News Help thread:

We're always experimenting with ways to make Google News more useful. Occasionally, this also means we have to re-evaluate our efforts to be sure we focus on features that make the most sense for our users.

We decided to phase out Text view, in part, because we believe Headline view provides much of the same functionality. You can select Headline view and see all of the article links that Google News has to offer. If you're on a slow connection, Headline view should be faster than the default Google News homepage.

We apologize for any frustration this might cause. We remain committed to helping all of our readers discover as much news content as possible, while helping publishers find and reach new audiences online.

Farewell text version of Google News!

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

I See Music on Google Search Now, Finally

Posted: November 2nd, 2009, 2:35pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Five days after Google announced adding music playable search results to their index, I am now able to see it. It only took about five days, but it is there. Yes, Yahoo has been doing this for a really long time, so Google is playing catch up.

Here is a sample result:

And if you click the play button a window opens up and plays a sample of the song:

Just an FYI - Google had music search back in 2005, just about four years ago. But here is how it now works:

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Australia's Google Maps Easter Egg

Posted: November 2nd, 2009, 2:27pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you scope out Bondi Beach in Australia you will see a little easter egg:

See it? I would be shocked if this was not mentioned elsewhere or if this was not some public stunt that I missed.

But a Google Maps Help thread brought this to my attention.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Maps Israel Back to English: Was a Bug

Posted: October 30th, 2009, 3:14pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A few days ago, we reported on complaints that Google Maps for Israel was in Hebrew, people wanted it to be English or to have the option. Well, Googler Dave updated the Google Maps Help thread to inform us it was a bug. He said:

Thank you for reporting this issue. This was due to a error in one of our internal software settings. We're aware of the problem and are working to return the language settings back to their previous state. I hope it won't take much longer for us to complete our fix, and we'll roll it out as soon as it's ready.

Now, I see English cities and data on the maps (new next to old):

English:

Hebrew:

Want Hebrew back? Just change the hl=en to hl=he in the URL, for example, here is the URL for Hebrew text, [maps.google.com].

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Got Multiple Listings in Google's Local Business Center? Don't Delete Any

Posted: October 29th, 2009, 2:41pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I spotted this old thread at Google Maps Help that has very useful information and yet, we have not covered it (go figure). In short, the thread goes through the possibility of having a single business listed in your Google Local Business Center console multiple times. The questions are:

(1) Do you delete the repetitive listings?
(2) If so, which ones?
(3) If not, do you make sure they are in sync with each other?

For example, I have duplicate listings, two unverified, which I am afraid to delete:

Back in March, Joel H. from the Google Maps team wrote:

The only time you want to remove the listing from Maps is when the business is permanently closed OR you never want it to appear on Maps. If there are duplicates in your account, keep them. When I initially posted, I didn't think about the ongoing process we have to merge duplicate listings on Maps. Because we do our best to merge duplicate listings on Maps, it's possible that selecting Remove this listing from Google Maps may actually suppress a preferred listing in the future (the process of conflating listing happens regularly). We'll keep our eye out for duplicate, Local Business Center verified listings, and work to refine our systems to merge the right listings as soon as we can. Until then, keep the conversation going on this topic, and we'll be happy to continue to help as best we can.
-------------------------------------------------------------

In the case of differing statistics (impressions/views), they are distinct listing on Maps, and Remove this listing from Google Maps is the right option. It's likely you'll want to choose the listing with less impressions or views.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Update: You also 100% want to check out Mike B's post on this.

Update 2: See Joel's comment (he works at Google):

There's a bit of confusion here - the 'Delete' link has two options:
- Remove this listing from Google Maps
- Remove this listing from my Local Business Center account

The first option should be avoided, per the warning you quoted. The second option won't cause a listings to be removed from Maps.

The second option won't cause a business to be removed from Maps entirely -- it will just delete it from your account. That's the option you should use to get rid of extra copies of your business in your Local Business Center account.

So, if you ever have more than one listing for the same business in your account, choose one to keep, and go ahead and select: 'Delete' > 'Remove this listing from my Local Business Center account' for the others. In this case, keep your verified listing and delete the others.

Turkey Upset With Google Over Green Colored Republican Day Doodle?

Posted: October 29th, 2009, 2:26pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A thread at Google Web Search Help has a person from Turkey who is saying that him and many of his friends are happy that Google has a Doodle on Google Turkey for Republic Day, but they are upset it is green and not red.

This person explained:

Google is my homepage and when i opened my browser today i saw that Google arranged a special logo for Republican day. Its really nice but my friends and i wonder if why the colour of logo is green? It has to be red colour actually, which is our flame colour. But we feel really disturbed since the colour is green because green colour means islamic pressure and terror since we've been in hard times because of mentioned situations.

Do people in Turkey really think Google made the logo green to support terrorism? Should Google have known to make this logo red instead?

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google Maps Navigation Makes iPhone Users & Others Jealous of Droid

Posted: October 29th, 2009, 2:07pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The big news the other day was on the Google Maps Navigation for the new Android 2.0 OS which will run first on the Verizon Wireless Droid starting November 6th for $199 with a contract.

Android is not as 'sexy' as the iPhone, but the Google Maps Navigation tool is an extremely 'sexy' application that make iPhone users drool. Just take a look at this video demo:

Heck, it makes me want to buy my wife a Droid, even though I know she won't use 99% of the features. Don't worry, I won't get her a Droid, but I will encourage one of my employees to pick one up so we can mess around with the device.

Will these features ever come to the iPhone? Possibly. Who wouldn't want a free navigation system on their phone? Heck, Google's application looks way better than most paid options.

Why is Google doing this for free? I assume data collection and the ads they can eventually embed in the software.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help and WebmasterWorld.

Google Releases New Google Mobilizer

Posted: October 28th, 2009, 2:22pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

An ongoing Google Mobile Help thread with complaints on the Google Mobilizer feature has an update on that feature. In short, Google Mobilizer will convert a web page to make it render better on mobile devices. Google has updated it to include a "new mobilizer engine, which is faster, cleaner, closer to the look of the unadapted page," said Zeke from the Google Mobile team.

Zeke explained how to access this one devices:

On most devices:
1. Go to www.google.com
2. Go to Settings, turn "Format pages for your phone" to On, and be sure to Save.
3. Do a search. Clicking on search results will take you to the Google Mobilizer

On some smartphones:
- Go to www.google.com
- Do a search. Click on Options (next to each search result) and select "Mobile formatted". You should get a mobilized page.

Here is a sample of how it works on my iPhone:

Here is how the mobilized page looks like:

You can actually see it yourself on any browser, via this URL.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Israel on Google Maps, Now in Hebrew

Posted: October 27th, 2009, 3:16pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There have been some recent complaints in the Google Maps Help forum from English speaking people who live in Israel. In short, Google seems to have recently changes the Israel data to show street and city names in Hebrew (עברית).

Here is one complaint:

I too am having the same problem, in Israel for a month and it worked perfectly in English till two days ago then poof it changed to Hebrew which makes it very difficult for us English speakers.

Yes, Google Maps in Israel was in English and now is in Hebrew. Here are pictures:

Do keep in mind, embedding maps, maps on mobile devices or via the API for Israel show basically nothing due to licensing rights. The only way to see this level of detail is accessing maps.google.com on your desktop. But that is an other complaint.

Forum discussions at Google Maps Help.

Goodbye GeoCities: Yahoo Shuts Down GeoCities Today

Posted: October 26th, 2009, 2:53pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Yahoo Topics

As pre-warned, Yahoo is closing the legendary GeoCities software today.

This is a serious thing on the search front. Let's not forget what Google's, JohnMu, Tweeted "Surprised at how many serious sites are hosted on GeoCities: get a domain name and move your stuff out NOW!" Now he would know the value of some of these GeoCities sites.

Yes, if you have not moved your content, images, videos and sites to a new platform - they will likely be forever gone and forgotten.

An end of an era

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Running Coupons On Google Maps Business Competitors

Posted: October 23rd, 2009, 3:47pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I spotted an old Google Maps Help thread that reported that in the past, a competitor was able to add a coupon to this guys business listing. So if you visited his business, you would see a coupon for another company. Clearly this guy was upset and it seemed like Google may have never resolved his issue (it is unclear).

It seems like now some business owners are having trouble deleting live coupons from their Google Local Business Listing. For example, Chautauqua Lodge has a coupon that doesn't look all that professional:

I wonder if it is still possible to add coupons to competitors local business listings in Google Maps.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Reader Adds Magic Sort & Explore Popular

Posted: October 23rd, 2009, 3:32pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I am a huge Google Reader, in fact, I might be one of the most active Google Reader users on the planet. So when they add features, I get a bit giddy. Yesterday, they added two features; an explore section and magic sorting.

The explore section loops in "recommended" sources, which is an old feature, but also adds "popular." Popular basically shows you what Google deems to be important RSS items on the web but personalized based on my reader and web history. So it shows me items I may have missed that are popular and likely to be on interest to me. I can tell you that most of the items in my popular section were not exactly of interest to me. But if I am ever bored (not likely) I may browse that section in the future. This feature does get better as you "like" and "share" items in Google Reader.

The magic sorting is pretty neat, it basically sorts all your unread items in order of what they think would be most important to you. Like the previous feature, the magic sort gets better as you "like" and "share" items in Google Reader. I can see this feature being useful for many Google Reader users, but for me, I don't mind going through the feeds in old-school chronological order - being that I have to go through every feed anyway.

Forum discussion at Google Reader Help.

The Matt Cutts Hair Cut Video

Posted: October 22nd, 2009, 3:49pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I always find it weird writing the word "cut" after mentioning Matt Cutts, but sometimes you just have to do it.

Remember when we 'reported' that Matt Cutts of Google became the hot guy of the industry after having his hair shaved off? We posted some videos on that in that post, but just yesterday, the Google Webmaster Central team celebrated their one millionth view on YouTube with a video of the actual hair cut at Google.

Here it is for all to enjoy.

Matt is a great sport! I wonder if he is still sporting the hairless look or if he is growing it back for the winter?

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums and Google Webmaster Help.

Google Maps for Blackberry Version 3.2 Adds Layers & Fixes GPS Issues

Posted: October 22nd, 2009, 3:39pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Tom from the Google Maps team announced in a Google Mobile Help thread that Google updated the Google Maps for mobile for BlackBerry application.

The update is version 3.2 and includes one major new feature, layers. You can add layers of data on top of the map. The easiest way to explain it, is with this video:

The second change is a fix for the internal GPS/Google Maps. Tom explained there was an issue "for mobile issues certain BlackBerry devices were experiencing, namely the Tour, 8330m, and others on certain carriers."

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Google Maps Still Offering Old Business Listings Page?

Posted: October 21st, 2009, 3:54pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A very active Google Maps user reported a bug in Google Maps at Google Maps Help forums. Recently Google Maps launched place pages for each business listing. It basically meant Google made a nice shiny page for each local business listed in Google Maps.

I think what the bug is showing is that you can still access an old business listing page.

For example, here is an old listing page of a Tekoe Tee Bern tea-Boutique with less information then what would be seen on the new listing page. Here are pictures comparing the two:

Old Page:

New Page:

I personally tried to replicate how this person was able to navigate to this page, but I was unsuccessful. I tried several different ways, so maybe Google fixed the issue but there has been no response from a Googler yet on this matter.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Maps Helps Businesses Find Themselves

Posted: October 21st, 2009, 3:31pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Linda from the Google Maps team posted a thread at the Google Maps Help forum announcing a new feature in the Google Local Business Center that helps businesses see their own listings on Google Maps. Linda said:

Today, you'll see a Maps link for your every business listing in your Local Business Center account. We hope this new feature will help you easily find your business on Google Maps.

Here is a screen capture of that link:

For example, here is a direct link to my business listing:

maps.google.com/?hl=en&q=*&georestrict=input_srcid%3A2a3460b2291b0b2d&iwloc=A&iwd=1&mrt=yp

Personally, I love the query where they use an asterisk, *. Update, Barry Hunter decoded this URL over here.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Maps Drops Tele Atlas For Google Data in US

Posted: October 13th, 2009, 3:23pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Since we are on a Google Maps coverage roll today, how about we keep it going. Google Maps recently announced changes to their map data, which Mike somewhat called out. In short, for many locations in the US, Google is now their own provider of data for their maps.

About a year ago, Google switched their map data to Tele Atlas. Now, Google seems to be moving off them. For example, look at the copyright on the old Google Map versus the current one:

Old shows Tele Atlas:

New shows Google:

There are a few threads in the Google Maps Help forum where Googlers are replying to this question, as follows:

Please use the 'Report a Problem' link (see reference below) to tell Google about the problems in your area (or anywhere else in the US). We hope to be able to fix the reported problems within about a month.

Here is a video explaining the new process to report map issues:

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

When Google Maps Satellite & Map Detail Don't Line Up

Posted: October 13th, 2009, 3:19pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

What happens when you have Google Satellite view and map street data not lining up? Well, I can show you. If you look at Cairo, Egypt you will see that the Satellite detail is shifted about 90 meters west of the street detail.

Here is a picture showing the box in the map detail not overlaying on the box of the streets in the Satellite view:

I believe this is not that unusual, and it happened every now and then. Google has been informed and Howard from Google said:

Thanks for noticing this. The appropriate team in Google has the bug report now and the problem will be fixed.

Are you aware of other places in Google Maps like this?

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Street Views Now Showing Street Numbers

Posted: October 13th, 2009, 3:12pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I was playing around with Google Maps the other day and noticed that for my office building, in Street Views, Google is showing the office building number, in a water mark like style above the building.

Here is a picture:

Notice the "2" above the building, I point to it with an arrow above.

You can see it yourself by clicking here.

I am not sure if this is new, but it is useful to know that this building is indeed 2 on that block.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

YouTube Comment System Bug

Posted: October 6th, 2009, 2:45pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Liz from YouTube support posted a thread at the YouTube Help forum confirming a wide spread bug with commenting on YouTube videos.

Liz explained the bug as follows:

We've seen many of you report that you're having trouble with comments: more specifically that you receive notification of a new comment on one of your uploaded videos, but the comment never appears. This is an issue our team's aware of and is currently working on a fix. Comments should be working as intended again this week.

Google said they fixed the issue with the comments on YouTube, but some seem to still be having issues.

Forum discussion at YouTube Help.

Foggy Google Maps Satellite Pictures?

Posted: October 1st, 2009, 3:38pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you check out New Delhi on Google Maps, you will see a big fog hovering over the location. Why is that?

Here is a current picture:

A Google Maps Help thread reported this issue this morning. A few hours later, Howard from the Google Maps team replied, "Thanks for the report. We will look into this."

Have you see major clouds or fog in Google Maps before?

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Sync Goes Down: Gmail Push for iPhone Fails For Many

Posted: October 1st, 2009, 3:21pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A couple weeks ago, Google brought push Gmail to the iPhone via an expanded version of Google Sync. People were incredibly happy about this and they signed up right away.

Yesterday, people started reporting in a Google Mobile Help thread that Google Sync was down for them. The first reports came Tuesday late night or Wednesday early morning. Later on yesterday, Googler Bing, replied to the thread with a short heads up, "Thanks guys, we're looking into it!"

Soon after it began working again, for some. Others had issues getting things back in sync. Calendars, contacts and emails seemed to be missing or misinterpreted.

The thread is ongoing with complaints and issues, but I think, overall, Google has fixed the Google Sync issue by now.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Porn Spammers Targets Holocaust Terms in Google

Posted: September 30th, 2009, 4:11pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Web Search Help thread reports that Google has been the target of spammers who are trying to push their pornographic videos into Google. This is nothing new, but the terms these spammers are using now include Holocaust related terms.

A search in Google for a popular Holocaust film, Witnessing History - a Teen Second Life Exhibit returns a Google Video result in the web results (universal search). Here is a picture:

Googler, Skylar said in the thread:

This porn video should not be masquerading as an educational video. I've passed your detailed feedback to the rest of the team so we can take the steps necessary to address this issue. For the future, if you can tell from the video thumbnail that the video is explicitly inappropriate and abuses content that is clearly meant to be educational or informative, please click on the “Report problem” link next to the video and mark the video with the category that closely matches the issue.

That was yesterday, it was first reported on Friday. I really can't blame Google for this anymore. I mean, it is a bit over the top (to say the least) to target Holocaust terms with porn videos, as well as children terms. As of right now, I still see the video in the Google web search results.

This is not the first and won't be the last time, Google Video is used as a target to spam Google with porn. In August it was used to show a porn video of Rambha, a famous Indian actress. Early on, with Universal Search's launch, Google had issues with nude images and explicit porn in the web search results. Google has been much better at filtering these out.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

YouTube Uploads Might Get Stuck "In Processing"

Posted: September 30th, 2009, 4:03pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

One of the worst parts of uploading to YouTube, especially large and long HD quality videos, is waiting for YouTube to finish processing the video so people can watch it. I normally create a 15 minute or so video, in HD quality, upload it sometime before 11am to YouTube and it often won't be available until after 6pm. The upload process takes an hour or so and the processing can take several more hours.

On very limited occasions, those videos never make it out of the "in processing" status and then you have to reupload all over again. Never fun.

This time, Liz from the YouTube support team has confirmed a bug in the upload process. She posted a thread at YouTube Help the other day saying:

Some of you have mentioned here in the Help Forum and on Twitter that your uploads are stuck processing. This is a bug with the uploading process and our team here is currently working on a fix. Once the team's fixed the bug, uploads which are currently stuck processing will be re-processed again.
For those of you who need to upload a video immediately, try uploading a second time if your original upload attempt is stuck.

Thanks for informing us of this situation, and we appreciate your patience while we're working on resolving the matter!

It is nice to know YouTube is looking into the fix.

Forum discussion at YouTube Help.

Sidewiki Defeat Helps Block Only Google SideWiki Comments, Not Toolbar Users

Posted: September 30th, 2009, 3:57pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The other week, we wrote about how to block Sidewiki users from commenting on your site. The issue was, it basically blocked all Google Toolbar users from accessing your site.

There is a new script that reportedly blocks only those who try to use Sidewiki to comment on your site, without blocking all Google Toolbar users. It named the Sidewiki Defeat and can be viewed at code.google.com/p/sidewiki-defeat.

I spotted this via a Google Webmaster Help thread. Warning, I personally did not try this, so be careful.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

It's Froogle, No It's Google Products, No It's Google Base, No It's Google Merchant Center

Posted: September 30th, 2009, 3:16pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, Google announced the launch of the new Google Merchant Center. The Google Merchant Center will replace Google Base for those who submit products through Google Base.

Confused? Google Base is sticking around, but Google has added a new Google Merchant Center, which is focused around merchants who submit product data to Google. Before the other day, all products submitted to Google, to be displayed in Google Product Search, was submitted (mostly) through Google Base. Now, Google wants you to submit that data though the new Google Merchant Center.

So what is Google Base for? Well, anything else that you want to submit data to Google. Other data includes upload real estate, jobs and vehicles. Yes, you can pretty much submit whatever you want and Google will figure out how to deal with it.

Google tried to make the migration from Google Base to Google Merchant Center as smooth as possible. Google said:

For the vast majority of users, existing settings, data feeds or items will not be affected. You will find everything in your account as you expect it to be.
However, a small percentage of users who have been uploading to Google Base both Product listings and other item types will need to sign in to Google Base and create new FTP settings. Otherwise, they will not be able to upload any non-Product feeds via FTP. Their existing FTP settings will work normally for Product feeds, and can be accessed in Google Merchant Center. We apologize for this unavoidable inconvenience. These users have been already notified directly by email. You can find instructions on how to change your FTP settings in Google Base here.

For more details about this change see the FAQs.

If you are confused by the title, just look back at the history of this product. It all started out as Froogle, yes Google named their product search feature Froogle. Then it was changed to Google Shopping and then to Google Products and then Google flipped back between Shopping and Products. Then Google Base came out, but the consumer side remained Google Shopping. And now we have yet another tool to manage, Google Merchant Center. Got all of that? I may have missed some.

Forum discussion at Google Merchant Center Help (formerly Google Base Help) and WebmasterWorld.

Google's Confucius Birthday Logo

Posted: September 29th, 2009, 4:29pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, besides for it being Yom Kippur, was also Confucius' birthday and Google had a logo up for the birthday in some Google properties.

Here is the logo:

According to Matt McGee, the logo was not live in Google.com or on Google France but it was live on Google UK, Germany, Spain, Austria, Russia, Serbia, Australia, New Zealand and other properties.

Why not the US or France? Maybe because it was Yom Kippur and Google didn't want to deal with the complaints about why was there a logo for Confucius but not for a major Jewish holiday?

Forum discussion Google Web Search Help and Google Webmaster Help.

Google Double LL Logo? Nope. Google's 11th Birthday Today

Posted: September 27th, 2009, 3:54pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are tons of people who are confused about the Google logo today. Most people think it is a double L but they are 1s, two 1s for 11 or eleven. Yes, today, Google is celebrating their 11th Birthday. Here is the logo or doodle:

Why so much confusion? Well, I am not sure but see just some of the threads with people asking for clarification.

GOOGLLE, Google Web Search Help
Dont have URL just the "GOOGLE" word on your homepage had an extra L " GOOGLLE", Google Webmaster Central Help
Googlle?, Google Web Search Help
Happy Birthday Google - 11th BD ?, Google Webmaster Central Help
Happy Birthday to Goog11e, DigitalPoint Forums
Has Google recently changed their name? You home page is coming up as GOOGLLE this morning, Google Web Search Help
why does the word "google" your homepage for google canada appear as "googlle" ??, Google Web Search Help
Why is Google spelled 'Googlle" on the homepage of www.google.com.vn?, Google Webmaster Central Help
WHY IS YOUR MAIN PAGE "GOOGLE" MISSPELLED AS "GOOGLLE"???, Google Web Search Help
why two l's now appearing in your logo on my home page ??????, Google Web Search Help

Google hasn't always celebrated their birthday on September 27th. Their sixth birthday was on September 7th, so was their seventh birthday. The 8th, 9th and 10th were celebrated on the 27th.

Happy "ll" 11th birthday Google!

Place Pages: Google Gives Everyone A Page On Google Maps

Posted: September 25th, 2009, 4:12pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google announced the launch of "Place Pages" on Google Maps. What this means is that instead of Google showing you a large bubble when you click on "more info" on a business listing in Google Maps, it takes you to a new landing page, with more information.

For example, here is a clean link to my company's listing page: [maps.google.com]

This is not a major change to how it impacts the normal user, but it does create a unique landing page for every business or "place" on Google Maps.

I find it funny how in a WebmasterWorld thread, moderator, Webwork called this:

PlacePages = Wikipedia, with ads.

What do you think?

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Block Google Sidewiki Users From Commenting On Your Site

Posted: September 25th, 2009, 4:05pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, we reported on Google Sidewiki which allows anyone to basically comment on your site, on your site, with the Google Toolbar. Some webmasters are not into this idea and they want to know if there is a way to opt out of this feature. The answer is no, not an official way to opt out, but you can block these users completely.

One Webmaster in Google Webmaster Help explained that you can use a rewrite rule to block people with this toolbar.

Until Google dumps this or provides an opt out, web site owners who'd like to retain control of what appears on their own site can block all Google Toolbar users by adding the following to their htaccess file. The "notoolbar.php" points to a file explaining Google's bad behavior and instructing the visitor to uninstall Google Toolbar in order to proceed. You can create your own file and name it whatever you like, just be sure to change the code below to make it match the file name you've chosen.
Update: See the comments below about this rewrite code.

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} GTB [NC]

RewriteRule .* notoolbar.php [L]

Of course, this would block anyone who has the Google Toolbar from getting to your site. Up to you.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Google Sidewiki - Comment About Any Site on That Site

Posted: September 24th, 2009, 4:27pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, Google announced the launch of Sidewiki. Sidewiki is basically an add on to the Google Toolbar that allows you to comment about any site, directly on that site, via the Google Toolbar. For more about the tool, see the video below and Danny's detailed writeup.

SEOs are discussing how Google may be able to use this for ranking data at a WebmasterWorld thread. Plus Google is asking for feedback on the tool in the Google Toolbar Help forum.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and Google Toolbar Help.

As Expected, Google Brings Push Gmail to iPhone

Posted: September 23rd, 2009, 4:20pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

One of the most requested features for Gmail is push support for the Apple iPhone. Google announced yesterday that they now support push Gmail on the iPhone through Google Sync. To get started with this, go here and read the various instructions.

We knew this would be coming because a Googler told us back in March it would be here soon. And trust me, people are delighted it is here. There are literally dozens and dozens of threads at the Google Mobile iPhone Forum on this topic.

Personally, I really do not want Push notifications for my email. I just don't want my iPhone beeping and vibrating every other second. Plus, I am sure it won't do good for my battery life. Personally, I know when I check email on my iPhone that there will be email waiting for me - I don't need to be pushed this on me. I can see for email accounts that get fewer emails, this may make sense.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile iPhone Forum.

How I Like To Calculate Dates? Wolfram|Alpha It

Posted: September 23rd, 2009, 4:07pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Search Engines

I use different search engines for different reasons. I am not the typical searcher, I am more of a "power" searcher, I would guess. I often see people complaining that Google isn't good at searching for X or Y. The reason is, Google is a great normal search engine, but there are search engines that excel in other areas and you should learn them.

I spotted a thread at a Google Web Search Help thread where someone was complaining that Google couldn't calculate his age properly based on his birthday. His birthday is December 12, 1977.

So when you plug in 12/12/1977, Google does math:

Searching for December 12, 1977 doesn't give you much help either.

But Wolfram|Alpha is smart enough to know this is a date format and even says so, "Assuming "12/12/1977" is a date | Use as a mathematical object instead." Wolfram is excellent at these types of queries. In this case, it gives me the day of the week it falls out, various date formats, time difference from today in years, weeks, days and a combination of those. It also tells you if any holidays fall out on that day, any notable birthdays on that date and sunrise/sunset and moon phase. Here is a picture:

So when searching and not getting what you want from Google, look for alternatives - there is likely a search engine that can give you what you need.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

GOOG (Google) To Break $500? It Has In Pre-Market

Posted: September 23rd, 2009, 4:00pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google's stock, GOOG, closed yesterday at $499.06, just under the $500 mark. Will it break $500 today? Well, it has already in the pre-market trade.

Personally, I felt $80 was too much for Google. But clearly, I know nothing about investing. Is $500 a good deal?

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

Google Latitude / Reader Bug Leaks Non-English User's Location?

Posted: September 22nd, 2009, 3:44pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google Latitude is an application that allows you to share your current or most recent shared location with your friends. It also allows you to share your location on your blog by using the Google Latitude Badge.

A Google Reader Help thread has a non-English speaking individual detailing a bug that occurred with his Google Profile using Latitude and the "Like" feature in Google Reader.

He said that if he chooses a "like" in Google Reader, "the other people will see my Latitude location without any limit." This was reported on September 8th. On September 21st, Google's Roger confirmed the bug and said they resolved the issue:

Thanks for reporting this and for your additional research! After working with our friends on Google Latitude, we've found the problem and fixed it, so this shouldn't happen again, regardless of your language setting. Please let us know if the problem resurfaces as we take your privacy very seriously.

I don't fully understand how this issue happened with only non-English based accounts, but the issue does seem to be resolved now.

Forum discussion at Google Reader Help.

Yahoo Mail Users Starting To Get New Interface & Features

Posted: September 21st, 2009, 3:13pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Yahoo Topics

A few weeks ago, Yahoo announced the "enhanced" Yahoo Mail. But for many, Yahoo Mail remained the same. Now I am seeing threads with people both complimenting and disliking the new Yahoo Mail interface. Many are now getting the new Yahoo Mail by default, whereas others are still using the old interface.

I am not going to go through all the new interface and feature changes. The Yahoo Mail blog does that well. Here is a bullet list of changes:

New interface
More social
3rd party apps
Better photo integration
and many more features.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums and WebmasterWorld.

Google Docs Adds Features Including Making Many Crawlable By Search Engines

Posted: September 21st, 2009, 2:54pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Googler, Marie in the Google Docs Help forum announced a major 'feature' coming to Google Docs that will make your documents more discoverable in Google's search engine. She explained that some Google Docs will soon be crawlable and found in the Google search results.

What are the criteria for these docs to be shown in the Google index? They have to be "explicitly published using the 'Publish as web page' or 'Publish/embed' option, and which are linked to from a publicly crawled webpage." Want to make sure your docs are not visible? Here is how:

Go to the 'Share tab'
For documents and spreadsheets, choose 'Publish as web page'. For presentations choose 'Publish/embed'
Click on the button that says 'Stop publishing'

That is not the only new thing coming to Google Docs. On Friday, Marie also announced "back to school" features including:

An equation editor, which you'll find under the 'Insert' menu.
The ability to print footnotes as endnotes so that you have the choice to see your citations in different ways when writing papers.
Expanded the capabilities of our dictionary with more definitions and the ability to translate individual words or phrases between 11 languages.

Forum discussion at several Google Docs Help Forums, WebmasterWorld and DigitalPoint Forums.

Google's Flying Saucer Logos Lead to H.G. Wells

Posted: September 21st, 2009, 2:44pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you visit Google today, you will notice a very interesting Google Doodle. The Doodle is designed to honor H.G. Wells, whose 143rd birthday would be today. Who is he? He wrote the 1898 classic, The War of the Worlds and is often referred to as "The Father of Science Fiction."

Here is the logo:

What is unique about this logo, compared to other logos is that Google had two previous logos leading up to this one, kind of hinting that this was coming.

The first was the missing O Google logo:

The second was the missing L Google logo:

The logos themselves did not hint to what was coming, but with aids from Google's Twitter account, @Google, some people were able to crack the code.

Forum discussion continued at Google Web Search Help.

Google Acquires reCAPTCHA, SEOs Drop reCAPTCHA

Posted: September 17th, 2009, 3:12pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google acquired reCAPTCHA, a company that has an open based CAPTCHA technology for validating humans as being real humans. Google basically wants them to help improve their book and newspaper scanning OCR technology. reCAPTCHA uses newspaper words as the identifier for human detection. reCAPTCHA collects all of the responses from humans when they are asked to enter in what they see as the words. This data is incredibly valuable to companies that want to better learn how to read words scanned from a newspaper, which is why Google acquired them.

If you scan the WebmasterWorld thread, you will see one major theme. SEOs and Webmasters are eager to drop reCAPTCHA from their web sites now that Google owns them. One senior member said, "Now busily removing reCAPTCHA from all our sites. Google has enough beacons already. No need for more." A moderator added, "next month you're all going to get ads showing in your captcha box."

The technology is quiet interesting, ResourceShelf links to a scientific paper on the topic. Here is a link to the PDF of the paper.

In any event, I am not sure if it is worth dropping using reCAPTCHA from most sites. Heck, they already have AdSense and Google Analytics running on them.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Goog_e's Missing "L" Crop Circles UFO Logo

Posted: September 15th, 2009, 3:47pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

In continuation of Google's missing "O" unexplained phenomenon logo, we now have a logo missing an "L" and linking to a crop circles search result. This Google logo has the file name goog_e.gif and looks like this:

The one ten days ago, the missing O, looked like this:

This time, Google tweeted the coordinates "51.327629, -0.5616088" which is in Woking, Surrey GU21 4, UK.

Is Google spelling something? What is going on here?

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help and Google Blogoscoped Forums.

Google Blamed For New York Times Malware

Posted: September 15th, 2009, 2:54pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

On Saturday/Sunday, the New York Times ran an ad that contained malware. In fact, the New York Times manned up to it in an article named Times Web Ads Show Security Breach. In short, a rogue advertiser posed as Vonage and displayed ads that appeared to be from Vonage. But what really was in those ads were lines of malicious code that filled user's screens "with an image that seemed to show a scan for computer viruses. The visitors were then told that they needed to buy antivirus software to fix a problem, but the software was more snake oil than a useful program," said the New York Times.

So how is Google to blame here? Well, according to at least one Google user in a Google News Help thread, Google led this person from Google News to the New York Times, which contained the malware.

The searcher felt it was Google's responsibility to not lead their searchers to sites that contain malware, even the New York Times. The searcher said:

Can Google please remove links to the NYTimes until they get this fixed. I got hit with this when accessing an NYTimes article via Google News and I don't appear to be the only one.

Google does malware checking and blocking, but sometimes it takes time for Google to pick up on things like this. For sites like the New York Times, users can be infected way sooner than Google detects the malware.

Forum discussion at Google News Help and WebmasterWorld.

Google To "Fix" September 11 Attacks Mark on Google Maps

Posted: September 11th, 2009, 3:37pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you look at the World Trade Center Site on Google Maps, you will see Google still labels it, "September 11 Attacks." An upset Google Maps user posted his distaste for such a label in the Google Maps Help forum.

Here is a picture:

He said:

I noticed on the map of lower Manhattan, the entire former WTC area is designated as "September 11 Attacks." Surely this is more of an event than a geographical location? It's been 8 years, and I was just wondering if this location could be called something more appropriate for a map, such as "Former WTC Site" or "Future Freedom Tower Complex"?

Dealy Plaza in Dallas is labeled as "Dealy Plaza," with a photo icon that tells the story of JFK's assassination. The location is not called "JFK Assassination." The case is similar with Pearl Harbor.

To my surprise, a Googler replied saying, "Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This seems to be the result of an over-eager algorithm. I'll look into getting it fixed."

Again, Google will look into getting it "fixed."

I guess it can not always be labeled September 11 Attacks but what should it be labeled?

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Screen Shots & Videos of Google Monopoly City Streets

Posted: September 10th, 2009, 3:47pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Hasbro has created a virtual Monopoly game at www.monopolycitystreets.com that allows people to buy property, using Google Maps. It is pretty neat - but the big issue is that it is incredibly slow. It took me two days to get in and I finally have some screen captures and videos to show you.

Here is the quick video:

Here are some screen captures:

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

Google's 09/09/09 Logo (Doodle)

Posted: September 9th, 2009, 5:21pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

At 09:09:09 today on 09/09/09, Google posted a special logo for the special occurrence.

Here is the logo, not sure how much longer it will be live:

The official logo is also at google.com/logos/090909.gif.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google's Top Navigation Goes Missing Over Weekend

Posted: September 7th, 2009, 3:20pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There were several reports at the Google Web Search Help forums over the weekend reporting that the top Google navigation has gone missing. You know, that top bar, above the search box, that lists the other Google features you can use.

@rishil sent me a quick movie, showing how the bar went missing. Notice the top bar, keep your eye on how it disappears after he conducts a search:

The issue started some time on Friday night and continued into Saturday. I do not have the exact times, but I believe it was an issue for at least 12 hours. Google has not officially made a statement about the issue, but "top contributors" in the forum claimed Google was aware of the issue and working on a fix. It then showed up shortly after.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Go_gle's Missing "O" "Unexplained Phenomenon" UFO Logo (Doodle)

Posted: September 6th, 2009, 3:52am CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The Google logo (doodle) for today, Saturday, September 5th, has a weird flying saucer, UFO of some kind. It links to a search result for unexplained phenomenon and no one really knows what it is about. Here is a pictures:

Google tweeted this:

1.12.12 25.15.21.18 15 1.18.5 2.5.12.15.14.7 20.15 21.19

That translates to "All Your O are belong to us." But what is it about?

Danny received a statement from Google at Search Engine Land saying:

“We consider the second ‘o’ critical to user recognition of our brand and pronunciation of our name. We are actively looking into the mysterious tweet that has appeared on the Google twitter stream and the disappearance of the “o” on the Google homepage. We hope to have an update in the coming weeks.”

Danny kind of thinks this might lead to Google's upcoming birthday. I am not sure. I do like the numerous thoughts on this from the Half Loaded blog. Anyway, you can find out more on this at Techmeme.

Google Maps Business Reviews Gone Missing?

Posted: September 3rd, 2009, 4:13pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I have been noticing a recent spike in the number of complaints about their business reviews going missing in Google Maps. One of those complaints has a response from a Googler.

A Google Maps Help thread has one business listing owner complaining that he lost 16 reviews. Googler, Brianna said that Google is looking into the issue, she said:

We are looking into this. When did you notice the occurrence of the disappearance of your reviews?

So this possibly might be a larger issue that the Google Maps team is working on resolving. If you lost reviews for your business, I would chime in at the Google Maps Forum.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Yea, Gmail Went Down Again - Google Frank About Why

Posted: September 2nd, 2009, 3:30pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, the web version of Gmail and Google Apps went down for pretty much everyone. The downtime was about an hour plus for most people and the world stopped. Why did it happen? Basically, some routers got overloaded and shut down, which caused a rippled effect. For the full details, see Google's blog post with them being extremely clear about the technical issues (I love it when people do that).

I was honestly in disbelief to learn about many people do not have IMAP or POP access to their Gmail accounts. You can use the web interface 99% of the time, but as a backup, get an email client (be it desktop or mobile) and set up IMAP (preferably) to work with your Gmail account. Why? Well, in yesterday's case, IMAP and POP were working fine, but the web site was down. So those who had access to their Gmail account via IMAP and POP, were in luck.

Anyway, Twitter was going wild with "is gmail down" tweets. But the forums were going wild as well.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help, Gmail Help, DigitalPoint Forums, WebmasterWorld and so many more I didn't list here.

Google News To Fix RSS Title Trimming Issue

Posted: September 1st, 2009, 3:11pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There have been on going complaints about the RSS feed Google News generates at Google News Help forums. The complaint is that Google is trimming the title portion of the article in the RSS feed. Let me show you an example.

Google Lands Deal to Put Chrome Browser in Sony PCs at PC World has a ten word title. If you look at the Google News RSS feed, you will see that they significantly drop out about half the title from the RSS feed. The yellow highlight is the "title" element in the RSS source code:

So when you view the feed in an RSS reader, the top title is cropped down:

Why the change? I think it might have been around the same time Google News began altering their News RSS feeds at the end of July of this year.

Inbal from the Google News team said, "we apologize for any inconvenience; the fix should be released within the next days." Inbal added, "please note, though, that in the example below the title is still displayed without truncation with the article itself (it's repeated right below the truncated one." True, true true.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Google's Michael Jackson Logo Sparks Debate

Posted: August 30th, 2009, 4:58am CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The Google Logo (Doodle) today is for Michael Jackson's 51st birthday. Yes, Jackson died recently and an outpour of support was felt around the world. Google actually has taken some negative PR due to not having a logo up for the day of his funeral (I didn't write about it, but trust me, there were threads about it).

Here is the logo on Google today:

As I said in the title, there are people who are not happy with Google showing this logo. One asked why a logo for Jackson when no logo for D-Day. Another asked why Google had a logo for Jackson but no logo for Mother Teresa. And two different people asked why is Jackson getting a logo when Senator Kennedy is being buried today.

Of course, Jackson is both loved and hated by many and there is a lot of controversy around his history. But Google did indeed have a logo for his birthday and many of his fans are appreciative. Personally, I prefer the logos of lesser known people who have made a huge impact in our lives, because those people are almost always forgotten. But many fans love the logo and there are positive threads about it also.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help (and others, listed above).

Will Google Send Christmas (Holiday) Gifts This Year (2009)?

Posted: August 27th, 2009, 3:51pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I found it a bit funny that a WebmasterWorld thread is already discussing if and what Google would be sending out as a holiday gift this year. Yea, four months prior to the holiday season, Google advertisers and publishers are talking about the gift they may or may not send out this year.

Google historically has sent some really nice gifts to both AdSense and AdWords (amongst others) customers. In 2005 they sent a how mobile gadget kit with mobile mouse, mini hub, usb drive, and so on (I wish I took a picture of it). In 2006 they sent us a digital picture frame, in 2007 they sent a USB memory card and 2008 a bunch of shwag (mug, tshirt, pen, etc).

But due to the economy, people think the gifts will be cut this year. I am not too sure - I guess we will find out in a few months. It is just funny that people are already talking about it and eager to know if and what it will be this year.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Maps Live Traffic Changes Based on Zoom Level?

Posted: August 27th, 2009, 3:45pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Over the past few months, there have been random complaints from Google Maps users about the live traffic data. In short, people are saying that when they zoom into see more detail on the red colored traffic indicators, the color changes to another color.

A Google Maps Help has posts from three different Google Maps users over the course of three months. Clearly, this cannot be a wide spread issue, because of the very few posts. So either this is a user generated error, where the user is zooming into the wrong location or the traffic data has actually changed on the zoom refresh -- or Google has some sort of bug.

Have you ever noticed this as an issue? I tried to replicate this issue, but failed.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google's Logo Questioned On Who Wants To Be a Millionaire Show

Posted: August 17th, 2009, 3:37pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you were watching the show, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire last night, you may have noticed a question about the Google logo. Here is a picture of the question on the show:

The question was, "Which of the following is a true statement about the letters in the standard Google logo?"

The available answers were:

A. Both "O"s are yellow
B. Both "G"s are blue
C. The "L" is red
D. The "E" is green

I spotted this picture via a Google Web Search Help thread, where that member snapped the picture for us all to see.

I am not sure if this was the first time a question about Google or any search engine was asked on the show, but it is the first time I have heard about it.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Why Google News Removed Sourced Comments?

Posted: August 17th, 2009, 3:22pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A couple months back, Google quietly dropped the feature to comment on Google News. Yes, Google allowed those cited or mentioned in articles to comment on the stories, here is a look at how that worked.

For the first time, I have seen a thread in Google News Help forum asking why Google removed it. Inbal from Google responded with the official PR statement from Google:

Google has long believed that experimentation and iteration is the best way to build our products, and we're always experimenting with ways to make Google News more useful. Occasionally, this means we have to re-evaluate our efforts to be sure we focus on features that make the most sense for our users. We have phased out support for an experimental mechanism that allowed people quoted in news articles to offer comments on those stories. We are no longer soliciting comments, and comments that participants have provided naturally expired along with their clusters.
We're committed to continuing our efforts to help readers discover new perspectives on the news, while helping publishers find and reach new audiences online.

Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of this feature, simply because it just seemed out of the norm and hard for Google to maintain.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Google Maps New Bulk Upload Verification Process

Posted: August 17th, 2009, 3:11pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google Maps Guide, Brianna, announced in a Google Maps Help thread that there is a brand new verification form for those who use the bulk upload process, to upload their business listings to Google Maps. Google has struggled with spam issues in the bulk upload process, so the verification process is hopefully going to solve much of those issues.

Brianna said, "we're excited to announce that verification for bulk uploads is now available to business owners who have already provided a bulk upload in the Local Business Center account."

The form can be accessed by clicking here but before you fill out the form, make sure you read these three points:

You must have a bulk upload of at least 10 listings in your account to qualify.
Bulk upload verification does not affect individually added listings
You must be the business owner of the businesses provided in your bulk upload.

For more information or if you have questions, make sure to check out the thread.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Permalink for 'Search_Engine_Roundtable/2009/08/14/A_Google_Bomb_Logo__Nope._Hans_Christian_%c3%98rsted_Birthday'

A Google Bomb Logo? Nope. Hans Christian Ørsted Birthday

Posted: August 14th, 2009, 3:19pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Today, if you visit Google you might notice a whacky logo that might appear to you as a bomb of some sort. In reality, it is Google celebrating the birthday of Hans Christian Ørsted. Who? Well, he was a Danish physicist born in 1777. He is best known for the observation of electric currents, which can induce magnetic fields. In other words, the logo, which you see below, shows how wires are passing an electric current to help the compass work.

He died in 1851 and was buried in Copenhagen. A man, most of Google searchers had no clue about, is now well-known due to Google.

So when someone asks you, what is that bomb on Google's home page, tell them the importance of the logo and Ørsted's work.

Forum discussion at Google Help Forums.

Do Mormon SEOs Dislike "Caffeine" Name For Google Update?

Posted: August 12th, 2009, 3:14pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

As many of you know, Google is giving us a preview of their major indexing and infrastructure update. They named this update, the Caffeine Update.

Yesterday I spotted a thread at Google Web Search Help forums, with one SEO asking Google to change the name. I didn't know this, but Mormons mostly don't drink caffeine. More on why they don't drink caffeine over here.

The SEO said:

I'm not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormon Church) but I do respect other religions. Since the Mormon religion disallows caffeine, please consider changing the name. It's kind of like marketing Google Bacon to Jewish or Muslim folks, or Google Brisket to Hindus.
Google Blitz would sound much better anyways.

It is an interesting point. I am Jewish, so I am not sure if I would be insulted if Google named an update, the Bacon update.

In any event, I just found this very interesting.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google News Still Showing Old News?

Posted: August 11th, 2009, 3:41pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Last year, Google News made their own top news after displaying an United Airlines article, which was very outdated, causing the airlines stock price to drop. The issue was that Google picked up a date on the article that seemed recent and thus thought the story was a new story.

Well, this happens every now and then with Google and reportedly has been happening more often. I have noticed a few recent threads with complaints from Google News readers, that old news is creeping into the index and appearing as new news.

For example, an old article named Obama accuses Clinton of evading tough issues was found in Google News yesterday as being new. Why? I'll illustrate the issue:

As you can see, in this case, this paper's web site shows today's date at the top of the page and then shows the date of the article below the article's title. Google News was confused and thought it was a new article. That is the issue.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Google Local Business Center Update Coming?

Posted: July 27th, 2009, 3:39pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The Google Maps Help forums posted an announcement that there will be scheduled downtime this Wednesday, July 29th. The downtime will be between 1pm - 2pm(edt) / 10am-11am(pdt).

I assume that after 2pm on Wednesday, we might be in for an updated set of features or a new user interface in the Google Local Business Center. Of course, this is just an assumption, but many people are expecting updates from Google in this area and it is due time for an update.

What would you like to see? My preferences?

A way to easily unmerge those bad merged business records
A way to give multiple people access to local business records
Improved spam controls and reporting
Enhanced business hours

Forum discussion (kind of) at Google Maps Help.

YouTube Video View Counts Freezing at 300 Views?

Posted: July 27th, 2009, 3:28pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

On Friday, Liz (Googler) at the YouTube support forum posted a thread at the YouTube Help forums about why some videos get stuck at the 300 view mark.

Liz explained that when some videos become popular very fast, YouTube takes longer to figure out if those views are legit or not. So it can take several hours for YouTube to update the view counts to reflect the accurate views. Let me quote Liz:

Recently we have seen questions about why some YouTube video view counts "freeze" around 300 views. To help prevent confusion, we wanted to post a quick explanation of what's going on. View counts are extremely important to our community, so we work hard to ensure those view counts are accurate. Occasionally, when a video becomes popular quickly, it takes our computers longer to make sure those views are accurate. This means a video's viewcount may not update for several hours, sometimes allowing ratings and comments on the same video to climb temporarily higher than the views. So if you see your video views aren't moving, or that your video's comments and ratings are moving faster than your views, don't worry. If you're still getting views, the count should update soon.

The issue is that many YouTubers are noticing their view counts getting stuck at 300 for a lot longer than just several hours. Some are complaining about them being stuck for several days, if not weeks. I am not sure what the issue is there or if it is a spam issue or not.

Forum discussion at YouTube Help.

Google Latitude Comes to iPhone (Kinda) & Map Layers For Windows Mobile & Symbian

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 3:07pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The other day, Google Mobile launched two new features (amongst others). One feature has been asked for ever since Google Latitude launched. The ability to use this program on your iPhone. Well, now it is here, well, kind of.

Apple wouldn't allow Google to build a native iPhone app for Latitude because (I think) apps cannot run in the background and constantly pull your location. Instead, Google made it work over the mobile browser at http://m.google.com/latitude. The new iPhone browser supports geolocation services, so Google uses that to pull the location of the individual and then plots it on the map. Here are some pictures:

Also, for you who don't have iPhones (seriously, no iPhone yet?), Google released map layers for Windows Mobile & Symbian devices. More on that over here.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help Forums.

Google Should Allow Multiple Google Accounts To "Own" A Local Listing

Posted: July 24th, 2009, 3:01pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Maps Help thread has a few business owners and consultants suggesting that Google should allow multiple Google accounts to gain access to a single business listing.

I cannot agree more. This is a feature that is currently supported in Google Webmaster Tools, but is likely needed more in the Google Local Business Listing Center. Giving businesses a way to have more than one person with access to such a listing, just makes (um) business sense. In addition, there are many search agencies that handle local listings for their clients. These agencies would love to give access to their clients, if the client needs to make changes as well.

I was going to create a poll asking if you agree, but honestly, I doubt anyone would disagree that this feature would not be useful.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Maps Won't Take Pictures of George Washington Bridge

Posted: July 23rd, 2009, 3:41pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I spotted a thread at the Google Maps Help forum asking why Google doesn't allow people to walk across the George Washington Bridge. Specifically, why doesn't Google let people plot the directions as walking directions when traveling across the bridge. Any New Yorker knows, the bridge is filled with people walking or biking back and forth. It is a good question.

But when I was scoping out the bridge on Google Maps, using street views, I noticed that you can only get street views at the lip of the bridge. Any blue area shows where the street views are available, the plain yellow, is not available:

That reminded me that there is a law where you cannot take pictures of anything on the bridge. In fact, one day, I took a picture of the no taking pictures sign on the George Washington Bridge. I guess Google listens to those rules.

So why can't we get walking directions on the bridge? And why no directions to the moon?

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Webmaster Tools Won't Load For Some Users

Posted: July 23rd, 2009, 3:21pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are some reports of Google Webmaster Tools not loading for some users. Some of these reports are coming from WebmasterWorld and I also personally have this issue.

When I try to access the tool, the URL redirects back and forth between the Google Account authentication system and the webmaster tools home page. If I try a different browser, it lets me in, so it seems to be a cookie issue for some users.

Firefox Error:

The page isn't redirecting properly
Firefox has detected that the server is redirecting the request for this address in a way that will never complete.

* This problem can sometimes be caused by disabling or refusing to accept cookies.

Safari Error:

Safari can’t open the page.
Too many redirects occurred trying to open “https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/home?hl=en”. This might occur if you open a page that is redirected to open another page which then is redirected to open the original page.

I can login to all other Google properties without an issue, I am just having this issue with Google Webmaster Tools. I rather not delete my Google cookies, cause that will stop them from tracking me for the past 15 years. :)

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

YouTube Testing 3D Videos (YT3D)

Posted: July 20th, 2009, 3:41pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

It appears that some time over the weekend, YouTube began experimenting with 3D videos. I spotted a thread at the YouTube Help forum about this, where Googler Pete said he developed this in his 20% time.

He said he is the "developer working on the stereoscopic player as a 20% project." He added that "it's currently very early, hence the silly bugs like swapping the eyes for the anaglyph modes." Peter also shared the various ways to view such videos:

yt3d:enable=true Enables the view mode. (obviously you've already discovered this)
yt3d:aspect=3:4 Sets the aspect of the encoded video.
yt3d:swap=true Swaps the left and right sources. You may need to add this to videos when the player with fixed anaglyph modes ships. Apologies for the inconvineince.
yt3d:left=0_0.1_0.5_0.9 and yt3d:right=0.5_0.1_1_0.9 These tags are very provisional and most useful for fixing up old videos. They set the source area for each eye as pairs of coordinates x1_y1_x2_y2. The scale of these coordinates is 0,0 for the the top left down to 1,1 for the bottom right.

I spotted a video that is currently experimenting with this over here.

Again, this is a side project for one Googler right now and he did say:

Your feedback and suggestions are welcome, but as this isn't my primary project I can't promise a speedy turnaround with improvements.

I find it pretty cool that this is being done and I have a feeling it might gain a bit of a following by some videographers out there.

Forum discussion at YouTube Help.

Google Maps Bubble Info For Longitude & Latitude Coordinates Workaround

Posted: July 15th, 2009, 3:15pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Starting a few weeks ago the Google Maps Help forum reports that when you want to display text in the bubble of a Google Map pin mark, using the longitude and latitude of the location, it would no longer work.

For example, you can see it live at this link but here is a screen copy.

The issue is, the only way to get this to work is by appending [&iwloc=A&hl=en] to the end of the URL, if you remove it, the info bubble disappears. It works fine without that extra parameter in the URL for a standard address match, i.e. here but not sure why it doesn't work for the longitude and latitude version.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Enhanced 404 Feature Gone?

Posted: July 8th, 2009, 4:03pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

In August 2008, Google released what was called the enhanced 404 widget that allowed webmasters to easily create custom 404 pages. In fact, we still have a sample of this in action at advertize.html.

But for some reason, I think Google removed the feature from the Google Webmaster Tools section. As a Google Webmaster Help thread discusses, he can't find it in the Webmaster Tools section. I looked for several minutes and I also cannot find it anywhere.

Did Google move it and I can't find it? Did they drop the feature with the launch of the new design?

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Google Chrome, The Operating System

Posted: July 8th, 2009, 3:20pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Rumors of Google building an operating system has been nothing new, but confirmation that they are building an operating system is something new. Google confirmed that a Google OS named Google Chrome OS, is coming in the second half of 2010.

The OS will be first a light weight OS designed for Netbooks, not it is not Android. You can read about it at the Google Blog and all the billions of news items at Techmeme.

One thing I will highlight from the blog post:

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. ... and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.

As you can imagine, this has people talking about things like Google going after Microsoft directly, Google owning not only our web lives but our desktop lives as well and Google getting into a business they should stay out of. Yes, there are tons of opinions on this news and the best place to discuss them and share your own opinions is in the forums.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and DigitalPoint Forums.

YouTube Changes HD Viewer? Increases Upload Size to 2GB

Posted: July 2nd, 2009, 3:33pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, if you viewed a video on YouTube in HD format, it would display in a large format. It would basically move down all the content on the right of the video and increase the video size to the full browse width. Here is a picture:

YouTube seemed to have changed it now. When you view a video in HD, it no longer increases the video size to the full width of the browser, instead it just keeps the current video size. Here is a picture:

I am not sure if this is a bug or a feature, but it is being noticed by several YouTube viewers. A YouTube Help thread has a couple people complaining about the change.

The way to force the full width, is to append &hd=1 to the end of the URL, so for my last video recap: [www.youtube.com].

Also, YouTube has increased the file size limit from 1GB to 2GB the other week. In fact, I was the first to notice this change, and some sites credited me, while others did not.

Forum discussion at YouTube Help.

Google Scams Getting Worse

Posted: June 29th, 2009, 3:27pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

In March, we reported about several Google scams. I was hoping that the issue would get better over time, but it just seems to be getting worse. The discussion forums are swarming with questions about these scams. Innocent people are believing they can work for Google and get paid, when in fact, they are not working for Google.

A Google Web Search Help thread points out that these Google scammers are not just using Google's name to make money, but they are also using Google's AdWords system to find more people to sign up. For example, here is an add I spotted for a random get job type of search:

As you can see, they are spelling Google's name slightly wrong. Many won't pick up on the typo. Why isn't Google more aggressive about stopping these people from showing ads on their ad system? It is one thing to get email spam about this stuff, but to place ads in Google AdWords?

There is a ton of discussion with more examples of these and other type of scam ads being shown through Google's AdWords, AdSense, Gmail, and so on at Google Web Search Help.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Michael Jackson's Death Slows Google

Posted: June 26th, 2009, 3:43pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The all powerful Google and their impenetrable server farms took a major hit last night, when the news about Michael Jackson suffering a cardiac arrest and ultimately passing away broke. As CNN and News.com shows, Google was displaying one of those Google "We're Sorry" pages to searches trying desperately to find out the fate of Michael Jackson. Even Search Engine Land was suffering from the news, as the tweet confirms.

I remember during 9/11, sites across the Internet couldn't handle the volume of people seeking news about what was going on. I believe back then, the only working site was Google News, probably because it wasn't being used by as many people as use it now. The spike of people searching for Michael Jackson, amongst Farrah Fawcett and the fake news about Jeff Goldblum was tremendous.

As you can imagine, there is a lot of discussion around the death of Michael Jackson. I will only point you to webmaster discussion, which is a lot less for some reason. It is worth while seeing how Loren Baker sums up how the search engines handled queries on this news.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld, DigitalPoint Forums and Google Webmaster Help.

Push Gmail Coming to Blackberry in July, iPhone Unknown

Posted: June 23rd, 2009, 3:11pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

For the first time, I have seen Google comment on when they will be bringing push Gmail to any device. In a Google Mobile Help thread, Googler Ethan responded to a request about push and the iPhone, adding that it is supported on Android devices and in July, it is coming to Blackberry devices.

The only catch is that push will only be supported for Google Apps Premier Edition and Education Edition users. That means, you have to pay for it. I personally think that is fair and I know many people willing to pay a few bucks for giving them push Gmail. Again, this is only for Blackberry devices and it is coming next month, in July 2009.

Let me quote Ethan:

As a reminder, push email support is currently available with the Gmail app on Android devices and will be available for Google Apps Premier Edition and Education Edition users with BlackBerry devices in July.

So what about the iPhone? Well, no comment from Google on that yet. It is currently the 7th most wanted feature in the feature request list. But Google has yet to comment about if or when it will be available. I suspect that when it does become available, it will be only available to the Google Apps Premier Edition and Education Edition users, similar to how it is launching for Blackberry devices.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Naver Launches Closed Beta For Japan Search

Posted: June 22nd, 2009, 4:24pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Search Engines

A WebmasterWorld thread has discussion on a closed beta launch of a new Japanese search engine by the very popular South Korean portal, Naver. The search portal can be found at [www.naver.jp] and it is currently a closed beta.

The early feedback on the new search engine seems positive from what I can tell in the thread. In fact, one member said, "quite positive, and the patented combo SERPS, clean design and cool integrated flash elements seem quite nice." Another said, "Some of beta testers report Naver Japan. It seems to have its original features extisting search engines such as Google and Yahoo! don't have."

I cannot read the language so, hard for me to translate this review properly. But maybe someone will and post the details in the forum.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google's iPhone Voice Search Breaks with iPhone 3.0

Posted: June 22nd, 2009, 4:07pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google Voice Search for iPhone no longer works exactly like it did in the past. If you installed iPhone 3.0 operating system, you may notice that lifting the receiver to your ear and speaking your command will no longer function with the current Google Mobile app for the iPhone.

This is a bit funny, in that Google admittedly broke Apple's rules by releasing such a feature. Specifically, moving the phone to your ear and having the application change to listen for you to speak, is not a supported developer feature in the iPhone SDK.

So when iPhone 3.0 OS came out, it seemed to have broke that neat feature.

Bret at Google posted in the Google Mobile Help discussion area that Google is aware of the issue and working on a fix. The iPhone application still works, but the feature where you put the phone to your ear no longer functions.

In fact, Bret said they submitted a new version to Apple, which is waiting for Apple's approval. Will Apple let this one slide through also?

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Google's Top Search Quality Supports Question Google's Team

Posted: June 18th, 2009, 2:13pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I have been watching a Google Webmaster Help thread for about a week now. The thread was started by a 3rd party individual who volunteers a lot of his time helping webmasters in the Google Webmaster Help forum. He was even promoted (no pay of course) to the position of "Webmaster Help Bionic Poster" as a top contributor.

Autocrat, the name this person goes by, questioned Google's search quality team, to give them more insight in how to help Google. He said:

It would be nice to know; * What sort of "activities" we should be reporting * What hte chances are of seeing any form of action on a report * What sort of "crimes" could we expect to see action on * Whether you have to make multiple reports - or have multiple reports made against you before action is taken * how is it that some of the most blatant stuff gets to stay on line and escape the "algorythm"
I hate to ask - but I'm tired of seeing some of the * in the SERPs - and I now fail t osee why I should bother reporting some of hte cheating * * when I know that I have a less than 1 in 20 chance of seeing them get punished!

So please - would the Spam Team please step forward and have a chat with us?

We all waited, and waited for a response from an official Google representative. But a week later we have yet to see a response.

It is tough when your top volunteers ask tough questions, but it is even tougher when your top volunteers have to ask some of these questions.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Voice Search Enabled On Google Maps For Android

Posted: June 17th, 2009, 2:27pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

This almost wants me to switch to an Android device, even though I am getting the new iPhone 3GS on Friday. Google announced that you can now search Google Maps on an Android device by your voice, a lot like how you use the Google Mobile Search app on your iPhone.

Christopher from the Google Maps team said in a Google Mobile Help forum that the new features include

Search by voice
Transit and walking directions
Business details and reviews
Latitude Updates

Plus, Google fixed the latitude background location updates will continue to update. Previously, a bug was causing background updating to periodically stop for some users.

Here are additional notes left by Christopher:

The "Google Maps" update in Android Market will only appear for users with system updates for "Cupcake" and above (or SDK 1.5+; see Settings> About phone > Firmware version). If your device does not yet have Cupcake (v1.5), please be patient until it is available in your locale.
If you experience the "Installation error - package file was not signed correctly" error, this is because your device is not on a user build identified as kila-user, opal-user, etc. (Settings > About phone > Build number). If your device is on a "userdebug" build, this update will not be able to be installed from Market at this time.
Known issue: Traffic data use may cause some memory issues and turn Traffic off with an error message indicating this. We are aware of this issue and investigating possible fixes.
Street View was not removed but is now available contextually within Maps instead of as its own map mode. For example, search for an address or business (or use the new long-press the map feature) to pick a location on the map. If Street View data is available, you'll have the option of seeing the imagery along with the rest of the options for that location (Show on map, Get directions, Search nearby, etc.).

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Google News Releases Much Needed Publisher FAQ

Posted: June 17th, 2009, 2:20pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Good news for those looking to get included in Google News. Google finally released a much needed Google News Publisher FAQ to answer those common questions.

The FAQ is focused on publishers looking to get in to Google News, and also to help them with issues and technical requirements. The article is broken down into the following categories:

Getting accepted in Google News
Including my content in Google News
Sitemaps questions
Help! Something's broken!

Google News was a very mysterious beast back in the day. The Google News team has recently done an excellent job communicating with publishers and webmasters on various inclusion and technical issues.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Bring Back iGoogle's Tabs

Posted: June 5th, 2009, 3:34pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Web Search Help thread tells us how to change the iGoogle layout from the new tabs along the left-side of the page to the old style of tabs across the top of the page.

To bring back the old top tabs, just go to google.com/ig?hl=all. In the past, bring up the old top tabs worked by going to google.com/ig?gl=all but now google.com/ig?hl=all is how to get there.

Here is a picture of the old tabs:

Here is a picture of the new tabs:

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Detailed Look At Google's New Local Business Center Analytics

Posted: June 4th, 2009, 3:29pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

The other day, Google announced improvements with analytics for the Google Local Business Center. I thought I take you through detailed screen shots of how my business listing appears in the LBC.

(1) Analytic Graphs plotting both "impressions" (views) and "actions":

Impressions are the views of your local listing in Google. Any time someone sees your listing in Google. The actions include clicks on "more info," clicking on "driving directions" or clicking on your web site.

(2) The data summary for the date range listed above:

(3) Top Search Queries used to find your local listing:

(4) Where people are coming from when they click driving directions:

(5) Plus Google added a percent done of your listing, and a quick edit button to add or edit information:

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Maps Makes Much Needed Update to Quality Guidelines

Posted: June 1st, 2009, 4:05pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google Maps updated the business listing quality guidelines over the weekend. The new guidelines are welcomed by those who have noticed an influx of spam or borderline spam submissions to the Google Local Business Center over the past couple years.

Here are the new guidelines, as of June 1, 2009:

Only enter listings for businesses that you own or are explicitly authorized to represent.
Represent your business exactly as it appears in the offline world. The name on Google Maps should match the business name, as should the address, phone number and website.
Do not attempt to manipulate search results by adding extraneous keywords into the title field, and do not include phone numbers or URLs in the title along with your proper business name.
Create only one listing for each physical location of your business. Do not create more than one listing for each business location, either in a single account or multiple accounts. Service area businesses, for example, should not create a listing for every town they service. Likewise, law firms or doctors should not create multiple listings to cover all of their specialties.
When entering categories, use only those that directly describe your business. Do not submit related categories that do not define your business. For example, a taxi company might properly categorize itself as "Airport Transportation", but it would be inaccurate to also use the category "Airport". Also, please use each category field to enter a single category. Do not list multiple categories or keywords in one field.
Provide information that best identifies your individual locations and provides users with the most direct path to your business. For example, you should provide individual location phone numbers in place of central phone lines and the precise address for the business in place of broad city names or cross-streets.
Provide the one URL that belongs to your business both in terms of the landing page and the displayed URL. Pages that redirect to another domain, or act as "click through" sites may lead to penalization.
Use the description and custom attribute fields to include additional information about your listing. This type of content should never appear in your business's title, address or category fields.

Will it prevent spam? I doubt it. But it should make reporting and removing spam a bit easier.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Spam Invades Gmail Users

Posted: June 1st, 2009, 3:54pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you take a look at the Gmail Help Forum you will notice dozens of threads with hundreds of posts about Google's spam filter failing in a major way. In addition, you can see hundreds of tweets about the issue this morning as well.

I cannot summarize all the thread, but here are the largest ones in that forum:

One of my Gmail accounts suffered from spam about a month ago, but it seems to be getting better now - or maybe I am used to the new spam.

It seems like something spiked up bad today, based on the volume of posts over the weekend.

No official word from Google on the topic yet. Hat tip to Gabs for encouraging me to write about this.

Yahoo 360 Goes Full Circle & Closes Doors July 13

Posted: June 1st, 2009, 3:38pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Yahoo Topics

Yahoo 360º is shutting down on July 13th. 360º launched in March 2005 and I was a fan of it early on, that is until I started my own personal blog.

Yahoo has been closing many properties that have not been working as they would have liked. 360º is Yahoo's latest victim.

Yahoo posted documents on how to prepare for this closure. The major topics include:

Preparing for July 13, 2009
Saving Your 360° Blog
Keeping Your 360° Friends
Keeping Other 360° Information

So long 360º!

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

Googler Complaining About Spammers

Posted: May 29th, 2009, 2:04pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

You rarely ever see a Googler complaining about spammers in public. That is why I found this Google Maps Help thread funny. A Googler, Joel, went off on a small rant, asking:

Question: Why do spammers post on the Help Forum asking for assistance?
It surprises me, really.

If you're posting - why isn't my listing showing, and your submitted listing title is something like Best Web Designer and SEO in the State of New Hampshire, you can bet it's been suspended for violating our policies.

In my history of covering SEM forum discussion, I cannot remember ever seeing a complaint like this come from a Googler or even a search representative at another search company.

How does this help you or I? It doesn't but I found this unique enough to post about.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

This story was pre-written and scheduled to go live on May 29th.

SEOs Not Impressed With Topsy Search

Posted: May 28th, 2009, 2:50pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Search Engines

Yesterday, a new search engine launched, its name is Topsy. Topsy's tagline is "a search engine powered by tweets." So there you go.

If you look at the WebmasterWorld thread, all you will see is disappointed searchers. Here are some quotes:

Tried a search regarding furniture delivery and I got 7 out of 10 results from the same company/account and looked very spammy...

I don't like it. Very slow and bad results.

The creators should be fined for wasting bandwidth.

interesting. I topsied the name of my city, and thre top results were some public events coming soon, some sports scores, and where to get the lowest gas prices in town. Not relevant results like City Hall or Munipical News. These are things people are tweeting about.
I can see how this might be alluring... but I can also see how the results might turn many people off.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Recent Google Webmaster Tools API Errors

Posted: May 25th, 2009, 3:25pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Webmasters Help thread has reports that the Google Webmaster Tools API is having some technical difficulties over the weekend.

Users of the API are receiving 502 errors for some requests. Authentication seems to work via the API, but all other requests seem to time out eventually. One webmaster coder said the following protocols are having issues, but there may be others:

https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/feeds/sites/
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/feeds/keywords/
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/feeds/siteID/sitemaps/
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/feeds/messages/
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/feeds/siteID/crawlissues/

Googler, JohnMu, said he has "passed it on to the team to take a look."

Forum discussion at Google Webmasters Help.

Mobile YouTube Experts: Share Your Skills With Others on Google

Posted: May 22nd, 2009, 3:49pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you are a maven at YouTube and videos in the mobile space, you might be interested in a new Google Mobile Help thread.

Googler, Robin, said he and Google is looking for mobile YouTube experts to make help videos to be syndicated on the YouTube Help Channel for others to learn from. Robin said:

Help others out by making fun, creative, and informative videos that we can add to the YouTube mobile help center articles. Making videos of tips, instructions, and shortcuts makes everything easier to understand!
Check out more info here if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=YouTubeHelp

So if you have the mobile video skill set, and want to help others, give it a try!

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Funny SEM Thread: Google's Fault I Got Scammed

Posted: May 21st, 2009, 3:07pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I rarely share funny threads, but I seriously need to lighten things up today, due to the lack of sleep I have been getting. A Google AdWords Help thread has a sad story of someone who was scammed for 1,000 rupees. The funny part is that this was done in person, by someone claiming to be a Google advertising representative.

What appears to have happened was that a person claimed to be an authorized agent of Google. The person said, give me 1,000 rupees as a starter balance and I will get your ads going. It turns out, this guy took the money and ran off.

Clearly, the person who was scammed is upset. But who does he blame? Google! Since this guy claimed to be an authorized Google agent, Google is responsible for the loss. Seriously.

The person then goes off cursing at everyone for telling him that Google is not responsible and that he has been scammed. Google has seriously modified the thread to keep it somewhat clean. But it still is a funny read.

Personally, I am willing to repay this guy his 1,000 rupees, which is $27. In fact, I'll make the offer to him, since I did use his story for this site.

Lessons learned:

(1) Don't fall for scams, do your homework before giving anyone your money
(2) Don't blame others for your own problems

Forum discussion at Google AdWords Help.

Google News Get Update & Blog Search Gets Improved

Posted: May 19th, 2009, 9:18pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google News and Google Blog search had updates over the weekend. Google News announced the visual update to their home page, while the Google Blog search update was not announced and less visual in nature.

The Google News update includes three main things:

New color frames around each section
YouTube logos to embedded news videos
Section pages (Top Stories, Business etc) now feature the media files from partners

Most people don't mind the update, and there are not many complaints or compliments on it. There is discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Blog Search also updated but this was not written about by Google. Jeremy contacted me and the team at Search Engine Land to give us the lowdown. Matt McGee did the excellent write up in my absence to explain the update made to blog search. It includes:

Better at grouping blog posts into clusters
More and fresher blog posts included in clusters
Processing new links from blogs much faster
Ranking algorithm has been tuned a bit
Slight interface change that most won't notice
Better at determining the authority

I am a huge fan of Jeremy Hylton, head of the search quality group in Google’s New York office. He is very open about Google Blog Search's advancements and issues and is a down right nice guy.

Forum discussion at Sphinn.

Major Latency With Google Web Search & Gmail

Posted: May 14th, 2009, 6:31pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

It seems like many people around the world are complaining that Google's properties, including Google Search and Gmail are both either down for them or incredibly slow. For me, it is working well, but I had people call, email and IM me about the issue.

Plus, if you look at a Twitter Search for google, you will see many are saying it is slow or down, at the moment.

We do have a few threads in the Google forums, here is one from the Google Web Search Help discussion forums.

I assume there are some server or network issues with the major backbones causing the slowness or downtime. I also assume things will return to normal soon.

Google has updated the App Status page to say there is service disruption today for Gmail users:

We're aware of a problem with Google Mail affecting a small subset of users. The affected users are unable to access Google Mail. We will provide an update by May 14, 2009 11:23:00 AM UTC-4 detailing when we expect to resolve the problem. Please note that this resolution time is an estimate and may change.
*This may also be affecting other services

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

More Nudity & Pornography Found in Google Gadgets

Posted: May 14th, 2009, 3:33pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Last week, we reported for the first time of Google Gadget porn becoming an issue. Well, it is now more widespread then I have ever seen.

A new Google AdSense Help thread reports seeing porn in home page of the Google Gadgets directory. Here is a screen capture:

Both Google Gadgets contain full nudity and also include sex photos. This is a clear violation of the Google Gadget terms. This was first reported two days ago, and they have been on the home page of the directory for at least two days and they still remain there. Hopefully Google will remove these soon.

Forum discussion at Google AdSense Help.

Video of the Googleplex

Posted: May 8th, 2009, 3:40pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

First spotted at Google Operating System, Google posted a 200 second video showing off "life at the Googleplex." Here is that video:

Looks like fun to me.

Forum discussion DigitalPoint Forums.

Google News Bug Shows Black/Blank Images

Posted: May 8th, 2009, 3:25pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google News Help thread reports on a confirmed Google News bug where blank or black images show up in the search results.

For example, a search for letsrecycle in Google News returns a result with an image that looks like this:

Google has confirmed the issue in the thread and said:

This is something that we see from time to time. It's usually temporary, but let us know [1] if you keep seeing it.

They seem to be aware of the bug, but not too keen on fixing it any time soon.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Google Gadget Porn Becomes an Issue

Posted: May 7th, 2009, 3:28pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Web Search Help thread reports that iGoogle is starting to get hit with lots of Google Gadget Porn. Via the thread, I found several Google Gadgets that show pornography including frontal nudity and link to pornographic sites.

If you do not want to see porn, do not click on this Google Gadget. The Babe Of The Day Google Gadget, if added to iGoogle, will show you a topless girl. If you click on the topless girl, it would take you to [babe.pro], which contains pictures of fully nude women. Here is a censored picture of the Google Gadget:

The thing is, there are many examples of Google Gadgets like this. The Google Web Search Help thread has a Googler saying that "pornographic content isn't allowed." What is the issue? Well, these gadgets are ending up on school computers.

I am hoping that someone from Google will be reading this. I am working with teachers and students creating wikis and adding Google Gadgets to their site. Imagine my surprise when I got an email from a teacher asking about all the nude and sex gadgets. They were NOT there before, can I assume you were hacked? Please fix this or let me know what is happening. This is VERY disturbing. I can't have students use that site if they are going to stay.

Google said they will manually remove these gadgets, but can they keep up? They certainly had their issues with porn on other Google properties.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google News Should Add a Liberal to Conservative Slider (Filter)

Posted: May 5th, 2009, 2:43pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

As you know, I bring news and stories to you from my findings in the discussion forums. One of those forums is the Google News Forum.

I always find it funny that every day, without question, there are at least one or two posts from people looking to block either conservative news or liberal news. People get into heated arguments over ways to block either conservative news or liberal news. It is often comical for me to see those headlines, which I normally skip. Just for reference, here is a conservative thread and here is a liberal thread (typically NY Times vs Fox News).

But then it occurred to me, why doesn't Google News give people a way to see news that they want to see. If they like the liberal spin, then give it to them. If they like the conservative spin, then give them that. How?

Remember Yahoo Mindset? The innovative tool from Yahoo that allowed you to filter your search results down by either research results or shopping results. FYI, it was discontinued some time recently. In any event, why not allow searchers to do the same thing with Google News, filter the level of either liberal or conservative spin they get in their news?

There are very few people who would not like such a feature in my opinion. Google is smart, we know your machines can detect bias, so add the slider to filter news towards one bias over an other.

Forum discussion at Google News Forum.

Google Checkout Begins Charging Fees: Time To Drop Google?

Posted: May 5th, 2009, 2:26pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google's merchant system has been around for a while now. Google encouraged merchants to add Google Checkout as an option to their web site through offering discounted or free merchant fees and added visibility on their AdWords ads. Today is the day that Google's pricing structure for Google Checkout changes.

Prior to May 5th:

Sales Through Google Checkout	Transaction Fees until May 5, 2009
Sales of up to 10 times your monthly AdWords spend	FREE
Sales in excess of 10 times your monthly AdWords spend	2% + $0.20 per transaction
Sales for Merchants that do not advertise with AdWords	2% + $0.20 per transaction

Going Forward:

Monthly Sales Through Google Checkout	Fees Per Transaction
Less than $3,000	2.9% + $0.30
$3,000 - $9,999.99	2.5% + $0.30
$10,000 - $99,999.99	2.2% + $0.30
$100,000 or more	1.9% + $0.30

When we asked our readers if they will continue to use Google Checkout after trial period the majority, 60%, said no they won't. But 40% said they will continue to use it. Why? I suspect because it was already added and they still benefit from the added visibility in the AdWords listings.

I wonder if the poll I mentioned will be accurate or not?

Forum discussion at Search Engine Watch Forums.

Wolfram Alpha : The Real Thing

Posted: May 4th, 2009, 4:01pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Search Engines

I cannot tell you how many emails I get from PR companies telling me that the next Google is here. Wolfram Alpha, a "fact engine" might be the closest search engine to meet that criteria and in my opinion, Wolfram Alpha does not compete with Google, but it will be a must use search engine.

Wolfram Alpha is a "fact engine" as Danny describes at Search Engine Land. Actually, before reading on here, you should first read Danny's review and then come back here.

I watched the full demo, live, last week and I was honestly blown away. It doesn't replace Google but it does fill a much desired need in the search business. Wolfram can answer your questions with hard cold facts. It is more than a Butler answering questions, it is a whole group of Harvard professors answering your questions with incredible detail and clarity.

Here is a quick demo of the screen shots of Wolfram Alpha:

Wolfram comes in and gives searchers something they have been missing. You can search for very specific things in the realm of science, math, geography, demographics, and so on and get not just the answer, but detailed information from real sources. There is really nothing like this out there at this scale.

A WebmasterWorld thread has some interesting comments from SEOs and webmasters on what Wolfram may have to offer:

Tedster: "I look forward to what this approach may offer. Wolfram brings fundamental genius on the level of Einstein and Hawking, rather than intelligence at the level of Page and Brin."

JS Harris: "Wolfram seems to be a different beast, not only is all the knowledge there but it's being analyzed and compared in some ingenious ways."

But most people in the thread are skeptical for good reason. But we need to think that a search engine does not have to compete with Google to be the next Google. It can fill a new need that has been unfilled in the past. I think Wolfram Alpha will fill that need.

I personally cannot wait to be able to test the new engine out sometime this month. It is currently not live, but they promised to make it live sometime in May.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Centralizes Advertising Solutions On Microsite

Posted: April 30th, 2009, 3:39pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google offers a lot of ways to market your business. Google's claim to fame and where they make most of their money is from search ads and contextual ads. But they do offer other ways to market your products and/or services.

Google announced the launch of a new site named Google for Advertisers. The site is broken down into the fully structure:

Online Advertising

Search Advertising
Website Advertising
YouTube Advertising
Advertising Management
Free Marketing

TV Advertising
Mobile Advertising
The Marketing Cycle

Defining your strategy
Creating your ads
Planning & buying your media
Optimizing your campaigns

Getting Started
Stay in Touch
My Tool Kit

Within each section, there is additional content and links to the appropriate advertising programs. This does help organize things a bit.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Maps Merging Competing Business's Local Information

Posted: April 29th, 2009, 3:30pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I found a very disturbing Google Maps issue via Google Maps Help forums. Mike Blumenthal has uncovered that Google is merging competing businesses that have nearby addresses. Let me say that again, but show you an example, that was uncovered by Mike.

Here are the results for two different hotels/motels in the same area, but that have different addresses. The map result for South Pier Inn displays the correct information, but their competitor, The Inn on Lake Superior is somehow merged into this record, showing the South Pier Inn's information and web address, while not showing the Inn on Lake Superior's information. They did however, merge both hotel's phone numbers. Here is a picture:

Googler, Nina, responded in the Google Maps Help thread saying:

Yes, the algorithm for merging changed recently. The developers who work on this have been alerted and are actively working to address this problem. They are also reading this thread.
The fix needs to be automatic - not manual. These things usually take several weeks to test and bring live. We know it's causing user pain and I know they are working really hard on it right now as we speak.

Clearly Google knows how big of an issue this is and I hope it gets fixed soon.

Mike Blumenthal has posted more information on this topic at his blog.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Update: Marty at aimClear blog wrote about this on the 21st.

Google Tests Location-Aware Toolbar

Posted: April 29th, 2009, 3:21pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google has posted a new beta version of the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer over here for users to test. The new version is currently a labs project only and brings location services to the toolbar. This allows Google to determine your current location, I believe based on your ISP's data, and then serve up local search results to you.

It is called, "Google Toolbar with My Location." The help document describes the features:

Find locally-relevant search results on Google when local information is available.
Center maps on Google Maps around your current location.
See your approximate current location using the Google Maps gadget.

Google allows you to enable and disable the location services. It also doesn't tie the location data to your Google account.

Forum discussion at Google Toolbar Help.

Google Web Spam Team Joins Twitter

Posted: April 29th, 2009, 2:56pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google has secured @GoogleWebspam on Twitter. Currently the Twitter stream is empty, but the account has over 60 followers.

Both Googler's JohnMu and Matt Cutts confirmed that this account is controlled by a Googler at the Web Spam team.

John said this morning "@rustybrick Yes, that account is legitimate, but not active." And @Harith asked Matt Cutts yesterday, who said:

@Harith, got more info. Someone on my team showed initiative and grabbed that user account, so it is a google account.

Is this account going to be used for submitting spam reports or aiding webmasters in improving their web sites? It appears that it might be for spam reports, since the web link on the profile links to [www.google.com] but it is still early, so that can change.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

Google Maps Bug Causes Reviews To Go Missing

Posted: April 27th, 2009, 3:52pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A confirmed Google Maps bug seems to be causing the reviews in Google Maps to disappear. A Google Maps Help thread has several business owners complaining that their reviews (all or many) are now missing.

Googler, Joel H said that Google is aware of the issue and is working to resolve it. I'll quote him:

We're aware of this issue and are working on a fix. We'll update the group when more information becomes available.

I am not sure if this is a specific issue with importing reviews from third-party data sources or if it is a Google Maps review bug. I know that when Google Maps began allowing user contributed reviews back in June 2007, I did have at least one review, from myself. Now, none.

Embedded Maps view (currently has no review, but might change in future):

View Larger Map

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Image Labeler Plagued With Pornography?

Posted: April 27th, 2009, 3:36pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google Image Labeler is a fun game people can play to help Google Image Search better understand and tag pictures within the Google Image Search index. This game launched in September 2006 and has been somewhat under the radar since then.

Recently, I saw not one, but two different threads in Google Web Search Help forums by two different people, who both spotted pornography in Google Image Labeler. One even saw child pornography. Here is what they had to say:

I was doing the Google Image Labeler when suddenly I am confronted with child pornography to label! I am both shocked and outraged that Google allowed such a thing to happen. How can Google make sure this type of filth does not show up again?

Why is there porn on google image labeler? At first it was just women without anything covering their breasts but I saw a sex scene the other day. Is there any way to report this?

Is there a way to report images that are offensive or inappropriate in Google Image Labeler? No, not really. You can in image search, but not here.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Update: Googlers have replied to both threads.

Jaime from Google said:

Thanks for taking the time to post here; we take any instance of abuse toward minors very seriously and will be in contact with you privately so that we can further investigate and take the appropriate action.
While we will certainly report any legitimate abuse we become aware of to the appropriate authorities, I'd also welcome you to help keep children safe by directly contacting the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's (NCMEC) CyberTipline 24-hours per day, 7 days per week online at www.cybertipline.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. Reports can be made regarding eight categories of child sexual exploitation such as online enticement, child pornography, or the prostitution of children. Learn more about the categories here.

As I mentioned, someone here will be emailing you shortly to investigate. If you encounter this type of material in our results or in the Image Labeler in the future, don't hesitate to let us know.

Evan from Google said:

The system is designed to only show safe images and we believe we are doing a good job at it, however, false positives do happen. Thanks for pointing this out for us.

Yahoo Shuts Down History: GeoCities To Be Closed

Posted: April 24th, 2009, 3:34pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Yahoo Topics

Shouldn't there be some laws about removing historic landmarks from the Internet? I mean, we have laws about physical historic landmarks in the U.S. but not on the Internet?

If you visit GeoCities, you will notice a message that reads:

Sorry, new GeoCities accounts are no longer available.

After careful consideration, we have decided to close GeoCities later this year. We'll share more details this summer. For now, please sign in or visit the help center for more information.

In short, Yahoo is shutting it down and current GeoCity customers have to find a new hosting solution. Yahoo is of course pushing their paid small business hosting service.

Clearly, Yahoo has to turn their business around but to close down history? Maybe Obama has something in his budget to take over the historic GeoCities? ;-)

Personally, I have never used GeoCities - but it was incredibly popular. Googler, JohnMu, Tweeted "Surprised at how many serious sites are hosted on GeoCities: get a domain name and move your stuff out NOW!" Now he would know the value of some of these GeoCities sites.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

Google Maps Bug Prevents Certain Locations From Loading in Internet Explorer

Posted: April 23rd, 2009, 3:39pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are two large threads at Google Maps Help Forums with reports from Internet Explorer users receiving errors when trying to view and link to Google Maps.

The error some of these IE users are seeing is:

Webpage error details User Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1; Trident/4.0; GTB5; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727) Timestamp: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:26:06 UTC
Message: 'elem' is null or not an object
Line: 5
Char: 372
Code: 0
URI: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Google has confirmed the issue in the threads. Mike CH from Google said:

I wanted to update you on the "elem is null or not an object" error that some of you have been seeing. This is a recently introduced bug which only occurs on Internet Explorer when loading certain locations. Thanks to your (very!) helpful reports, we were able to quickly locate the problem. It's being treated as a priority fix and will hopefully be live shortly.
Workarounds for now include:

- Not using Internet Explorer
- Using the link I provided above to open Maps

I assume a bug like this will be fixed pretty soon. I personally tried to replicate the issue on my PC, but was unable to.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help Forums.

Google's Clock Is Wrong in Pakistan

Posted: April 23rd, 2009, 3:20pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google search for time in pakistan should give you the current time in Pakistan, but it doesn't. On April 15th, Pakistan advanced their clocks by one hour, but Google did not. So instead of it showing me 6:19pm, it is showing me 5:19pm.

Big deal? Yes, it is. This is not just impacting people looking for the current time in Pakistan. Is is reportedly also impacting Pakistan users of Gmail, Orkut, AdWords and other Google properties. A Google Web Search Help thread reports that it is showing emails as being received and sent an hour earlier then it is suppose to show.

I hope Google fixes this soon. It has already been a week since it has been first reported as an issue.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google Sees Q1 2009 Revenue Drop: AdSense Publishers Seek Answers

Posted: April 17th, 2009, 3:41pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google announced earnings last night, the earnings reported that revenues were down from the previous quarter. Let me quote the announcement:

Google reported revenues of $5.51 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2009, an increase of 6% compared to the first quarter of 2008 and a decrease of 3% compared to the fourth quarter of 2008. Google reports its revenues, consistent with GAAP, on a gross basis without deducting traffic acquisition costs (TAC). In the first quarter of 2009, TAC totaled $1.44 billion, or 27% of advertising revenues.

Profits were slightly up, however, from quarter to quarter:

GAAP net income for the first quarter of 2009 was $1.42 billion as compared to $382 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. Non-GAAP net income in the first quarter of 2009 was $1.64 billion, compared to $1.62 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008.

There are two threads on the discussion of Google's earnings report, one at WebmasterWorld and the other at DigitalPoint Forums.

Another WebmasterWorld thread specifically focuses on the AdSense/publisher side of the coin. The payouts to publishers from quarter to quarter is summarized in the thread:

Q109 1.23 billion
Q408 1.29 billion
Q308 1.33 billion
Q208 1.32 billion
Q108 1.34 billion
Q407 1.31 billion
Q307 1.12 billion
Q207 1.06 billion
Q107 1.05 billion
Q406 0.92 billion
Q306 0.78 billion

Many suspect that Google is paying publishers less of a percentage, but it is hard to prove that from the earnings report.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and DigitalPoint Forums and WebmasterWorld.

Google Releases Stable Toolbar for Internet Explorer

Posted: April 16th, 2009, 2:10pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you have been like me and been tracking the Google Toolbar Help discussion area, you may have noticed complaint after complaint on how buggy the Google Toolbar was in Internet Explorer.

Google announced they have released a stable version of the Google Toolbar 6 for IE. Version 6.1.1518.856 is the stable release, which removes the beta tag from this toolbar.

Internet explorer users can download it at [toolbar.google.com]. Improvements include:

Find bar is no longer a separate toolbar that overrides IE's Find feature
Word find and Highlight buttons are back
AutoFill works on most login pages, like the Gmail homepage

Forum discussion at Google Toolbar Help.

This article was written earlier this week and scheduled to go live April 16th.

A Video of Google's Data Center

Posted: April 15th, 2009, 1:58pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google is pretty off limits to showing off their data centers and engineering floors. But Google created a presentation on April 1st for the Google Efficient Data Centers Summit to show off their data centers. Here is that video:

The video is extremely interesting in how they try to squeeze as much out of every CPU they have, including how they maximize the energy they use to power them.

This is a rare look inside of Google's data centers.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

This article was written earlier this week and scheduled to go live April 15th.

Google Creates Local Business Center User Guide

Posted: April 14th, 2009, 3:07pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google has created a comprehensive user guide for the local business center. You can via the user guide over here.

It is broken down in seven sections:

Getting started
Adding a listing
Adding more than 10 listings
Verifying a listing
Your Local Business Center homepage
Editing or removing a listing
Other features

Here is the user guide's introductory video:

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Releases Maps for Mobile Update to Resolve Bugs

Posted: April 13th, 2009, 3:41pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google has announced a Google Maps for Mobile update in the Google Mobile Help discussions area that fixes the bugs with version 3.0 for Symbian and Windows Mobile devices.

Googler, Christopher, said:

A new version of Maps for mobile is available to download. This update includes many fixes and updates for both Maps and Google Latitude based on your feedback here in the Help Forum.
Please see the following Release Notes for more details about what's been changed in this version or go directly to m.google.com/maps in your mobile browser to download it now: [www.google.com]

It seems like early feedback on this release shows that some users of these applications on the devices are still having some issues. If you are having any issues with Google Maps for Mobile on Symbian and Windows Mobile devices this is the place to be.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Why Are Newspapers Complaining? Danny Sullivan Shows The Hard Truth

Posted: April 8th, 2009, 2:53pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Over the past few days, the AP and other newspapers and news sources rekindled their campaign against how the Internet works. In short, they are not happy that Google, amongst others, distribute their content to a wider audience and Google doesn't have to pay for such distribution. It gets much more involved and I am honestly way too tired to get into all the details. But that is fine, since Danny Sullivan, at his personal blog, has an excellent (the word doesn't do justice) post on the topic.

Danny's Google's Love For Newspapers & How Little They Appreciate It, really says it all. It is well worth a read and trust me, although it is long in word length, the article will fly right by as you read. Let me just quote the final paragraph from Danny's post:

Newspapers get special treatment, both with First Click Free and with the extraordinary amount of traffic they get from Google. And while their top managers go off on renewed Google rampages, they still continue to work to get even more traffic. It is stunning hypocrisy, and certainly not what you'd expect from smart business people. But given how badly their papers seem to be going, I suppose they aren't so smart.

Forum discussion at Sphinn.

Google Considering Improving Google Cache HTML Rendering

Posted: April 7th, 2009, 3:30pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Webmaster Help thread has complaints from some webmasters on how Google's Cache view doesn't render all web pages as they are seen in a typical browser.

Let me show you an example, if you view the cache of this site in Google, you will see it doesn't necessarily rendered it too accurately. Here is a picture:

I personally never even thought of this as an issue, I just took it for what it was. But some would like their sites to appear as they do in a browser, in the Google Cache.

Now that Google has built a browser, Chrome, I can't see it being that incredibly difficult to make the cache rendering a bit better.

JohnMu of Google replied to the thread, saying he will pass the suggestion along. He said:

I'll pass your worries and examples on to the team, thanks for posting.
That said, I don't think it will always be possible to get this right for all pages and browsers, there are just too many combinations that make it non-trivial to get right in all situations. We'll see what we can do :)

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Google Docs Fixes Unpublished Bug

Posted: April 3rd, 2009, 3:13pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Christine from the Google Docs team posted an announcement in the Google Docs Help discussion area that two bugs have been fixed.

The first bug was that published Google spreadsheets were becoming unpublished by themselves. This should now be resolved.
The second bug was that 'Share with the world'/''Let anyone view without signing in' did not work, now it does.

Google Docs is very often plagued with bugs, some minor and some serious. The last major security bug shared private documents with others. Yet, Google and the US Government wants you to use Google Health to share your private medical history with others.

Forum discussion at Google Docs Help.

Google Local Business Center Not Functioning For Many

Posted: April 2nd, 2009, 3:11pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

It appears that the Google Local Business Center is not working for many businesses interested in updating their Google Maps/Local business listing. A Google Maps Help thread (well, there are a few) reports the issues from several users.

In short, it seems like when some try to access their local business listing they are presented with the following error:

System Error
We're sorry, but we are unable to serve your request at this time. Please try back in a few minutes.

This has been plaguing some business owners for over three days. There is no word from Google on the issue yet.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

How Long Should It Take To Rank Well in Google?

Posted: April 1st, 2009, 3:23pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A WebmasterWorld thread asks how long does it take to rank well in Google? A good question, but typically, a new site might rank well in the short term and then drop off the radar until it begins ranking again. This is sometimes known as a temporary PageRank feature of some sort.

So let me poll our audience, you tell me how long you think it takes to rank well in Google?

How Long Should It Take To Rank In Google?
( surveys)

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Maps Incredibly Slow? Troubleshoot Issues With Google

Posted: April 1st, 2009, 3:08pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are several people who are complaining that Google Maps is incredibly slow for them. If you have slowness issues with Google Maps, you may be in luck. A Google Maps Help thread has a Googler helping these users by troubleshooting issues with them.

Googler, Mike CH, believes there are certain firewalls that may be causing the issue. There seem to be two issues, the first is loading the map tiles and the second is trouble loading the JavaScript "brain" of the site.

Mike is asking these users to run traceroutes and disable their firewalls. If you are also having issues with Google Maps, you may want to participate in the thread.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

iGoogle Custom Themes Not Working For All

Posted: March 31st, 2009, 2:49pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are several complaints in a Google Web Search Help thread that users cannot upload their own iGoogle custom themes. iGoogle allows users to pick a theme from a set of pre-made templates or upload their own theme for their iGoogle home page.

It seems like several people are having issues uploading their own theme.

Google employee, Jem, has been trying to help these users figure out the issue. But for a few days now, Jem seems to be at a loss.

For now, people are sharing the images they want to use for their custom theme and hopefully, Jem will be able to figure it out.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google Ventures To Seed Companies While Others Stopped

Posted: March 31st, 2009, 2:37pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I deal with many start up companies, in my line of work and I have noticed these start ups have been struggling raising capital for their ideas since the recession began.

Google just announced the launch of Google Ventures. Google Ventures is Google's new venture capital fund. Google said:

Economically, times are tough, but great ideas come when they will. If anything, we think the current downturn is an ideal time to invest in nascent companies that have the chance to be the "next big thing," and we'll be working hard to find them. If you think you have the next big idea, or if you just want to to learn more, please see our website at www.google.com/ventures.

Will it be easy for Google to give you venture capital money? I doubt it. But it is nice to see them making this arm more official.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Offering Hosting Companies Packaged Google Pack

Posted: March 27th, 2009, 7:01am CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google announced they are now offering access providers, such as hosting companies, the ability to easily give their customers access to Google's Webmaster Tools, AdSense, Custom Search, and Site Search. These access providers can sign up at [www.google.com].

Today, we're releasing Google Services for Websites, a few more tools that your hosting company can now enable to help you improve your website. This expanded program includes Webmaster Tools, AdSense, Custom Search, and Site Search, making it easier to drive traffic to your site, monetize your site through the Google ad network, and add various search capabilities to help your visitors find information on your site faster.

We have some discussion around this announcement at WebmasterWorld. WebmasterWorld admin, tedster, said:

Seems like a savvy, and potentially revenue-increasing move. Note that the web host needs to participate for this program to be available: "...a few more tools that your hosting company can now enable to help you improve your website."
The Custom Search Engine is one service that might be a real boon. A CSE is not all that easy for the non-technical site owner to set up right now, and if this service makes it easier, that's a good thing.

Google has been piloting this type of services to some web hosts in the past. Expanding it to any web host and access provider is a no brainer for Google.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

iGoogle Signing You Out?

Posted: March 23rd, 2009, 1:08pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Personalized search and personalized home pages can be great for most users. The only issue is that you need to be signed in, most of the time, to get personalized results from Google. And if you love those personalized results and home page from iGoogle, being automatically signed out without requesting to be signed out, can be a bit frustrating.

Over the past week, I have seen dozens of threads pop out in several Google forums on the topic of Google automatically signing them out of iGoogle. I ignored it as being a recent security patch that deleted cookies and thought it would be resolved soon.

Google recently posted an announcement on this exact issue, saying:

Several users have reported that they're getting signed out of iGoogle several times each day. This is not the way it's supposed to work, and we're investigating the issue on our end.
If you're affected by this problem, please first check to make sure this isn't a problem with your computer or network; instructions for checking are located in this Help Center article. Once you've eliminated those possibilities, if you'd like to discuss this further please post in this thread.

So if you are also being signed out from Google, don't feel left alone.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google Launches Certified Ad Manager Consultants

Posted: March 17th, 2009, 2:36pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

We have talked about Google Ad Manager here somewhat often, we even use Google Ad Manager to serve the ads on this site.

Google Ad Manager was first introduced a year ago, and then in August 2008 opened up to all to use. I even wrote an article on how to get started with Ad Manager, the quick tutorial.

Now that more and more publishers and webmasters are using this ad serving tool, Google needs help with aiding webmasters and publishers in setting up and trouble shooting. Right now, there is a very useful Google Ad Manager forum that people can use for help. But Google just announced a certified Ad Manager program. There are currently four companies listed as certified consultants. I assume if you want to be a certified Ad Manager consultant, you would need to contact Google.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

Google Settles On Finding Related Site, But Not Specific Page?

Posted: March 16th, 2009, 3:00pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Googlers know they have to be very careful what they say in public forums when I am watching. In a recent Google Webmasters Help thread, Googler, JohnMu replied to a thread, and I am going to beat him up for his response. Before I do so, let me say that John has provided so much value to the forums and to webmasters, that I admit, he does not deserve this, but I know Googlers have thick skin.

The Google Webmasters Help thread was complaining that Google was ranking his site well for a keyword phrase, but the page Google returned was not the page that best suits the searcher for that query. He asked why doesn't Google show the page that is the best result from his site for that query.

From the looks of it, there are some SEO issues with the site that might explain why this is happening. But John's response is what I felt was a bit non-Google like. Let me quote him:

As long as users are coming to your site because they're finding it in the search results, I wouldn't worry about the actual page they're landing on. If they come in and read your content (regardless of whether it's the page where just one post is or if it's your homepage), I think you've pretty much won the first part. They made it to your site. The actual URL shouldn't really matter too much.

Really John? So if they even land on the home page, but there is a better internal page about the query, shouldn't Google show that? Relevancy is key. Now, in this case, there may be SEO issues or relevancy is in the eye of the searcher, so who is anyone to say page A is more relevant than page B. But to say landing on the site is good enough, I am not too sure about that.

Striving for the actual URL is key. Usability consultants know this all too well. I assume landing on the best page possible would lead to higher conversions. I assume it would also make for a happier searcher.

I am not done beating up one of Google's most helpful Googlers.

Forum discussion at Google Webmasters Help.

Scam: Google Money System or Google Kit

Posted: March 16th, 2009, 2:11pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I have been seeing a strong wave of posts and discussion threads on the topic of the Google Money System or Google Kit. In short, there are emails going out telling people Google will pay you by using Google's services. I did not get into the details on how they work, but I can tell you, Google is not paying you for these services.

I see tons of threads, tons of them, in the various forums, asking why hasn't Google paid me for this yet. Or asking more questions about these services. Google has not yet responded officially because Google isn't offering any of these programs. I am sure their lawyers are on it, trying to crack down on these people using Google's name in part of this scam.

One thread at Google Web Search has a confirmation from a third party member, who responded to this claim. The person said:

Just because the Google name is mentioned does not mean that Google has anything to do with it. There is wide-spread use of the Google name in relation to money-making schemes. You will have to use your common sense as you evaluate anything like this (even when the Google name is not mentioned.) Read the fine print on the sites. Search the internet for other discussions about the specific offer that you are checking into. A search on this site for [ money ] [ cash ] [ scam ] should provide you with a variety of opinions about these types of schemes.

I assume Googlers can't officially respond until their lawyers look into it. But Google should do something, because it seems like this issue is getting worse. I guess an official blog post on the issue would do good. If that blog post ranked #1 in both the organic and paid listings, it might save some people from signing up to this possible scam.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search.

China Blocks Google Docs & FeedBurner

Posted: March 13th, 2009, 2:59pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are reports from Google Docs Help forum that people in China cannot access their Google Docs or even FeedBurner on feedburner.google.com.

Here is what the China Google Docs user said:

Google Docs appears to be blocked here in China. I live in Shanghai and work at Concordia International School here. No students can access their docs at school or at home where they are all on different ISP's.

I guess that is a better excuse then my dog ate my homework? But seriously, this must be a router issue that is temporary and someone in China needs to open this up soon. We have seen China block many sites, including Google properties, time and time again. Sometimes they do it on purpose and sometimes it is a mistake.

Forum discussion at Google Docs Help.

Car Stolen? Find It With Google Maps?

Posted: March 12th, 2009, 2:37pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I found a unique and somewhat weird post at a Google Webmasters Help thread. Let me quote the request for you:

I hope you can help find my husbands truck using your technology. 7 welding trucks have been stolen in N. CO and it is our livelyhood. Please help us in any way you can to find it. It was stolen on 3/11/09 at around 4:45a.m. from 1101 3rd St., Windsor, CO.

I really feel bad for this family business. Seven of their trucks were stolen from them? Wow! But to use Google Maps to find them? That is just funny. It would be cool and we did hear stories about how Google Maps help cops find illegal activity, but Google Maps is not a real time satellite feed.

I believe this is a picture of the house and one of the trucks:

View Larger Map

I hope the cops catch these guys, but I doubt Google can save the day here. Just very funny seeing someone who thinks Google has that much power to be able to make a difference here.

Forum discussion at Google Webmasters Help.

Google Reader Adds Commenting To Shared Items

Posted: March 12th, 2009, 2:15pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Reader Help thread has Google Reader users who are very happy with a new feature added yesterday. The feature allows the feeds you share with your friends to be commented on. You can see a detailed walk through of the feature set at the Google Reader Blog.

Here is a picture showing the comments in a Google Reader shared section:

I personally am not a heavy user of sharing feeds with friends. But I can see how this can be useful. It reminds many people about FriendFeed, who has a more public form of this sharing feature.

The Google Groups thread has a lot of happy users, but most want more. Many want integration with trackbacks, more public comments and integration with blog software.

Forum discussion at Google Groups.

Google Sends 'Horny' Guys To Marketing Firm's Doorstep

Posted: March 11th, 2009, 2:35pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Imagine that a search for "Gentlemen's Club" and your zip code in Google returns your business in the top result set. Now, imagine if you are not a Gentlemen's Club and you get all these men coming to your office and you have to turn the men away. How would you feel?

That is exactly the issue one music PR company is having. A Google Maps Help discussion thread has a business owner who asks, what can he do to fix the issue. He said:

If you do a Google search for "Gentlemen's Club" and my zip code, my business is the first listing. Only problem is that we are a business marketing office. We get disappointed guys showing up here from time to time. I established an account a few months back, updated our profile, added images and made sure we had all the information updated. Unfortunately, months later we still come up in Gentlemen's Club searches. How do we fix it?

Can you imagine such a thing happening to your business? On occasion I get phone calls asking if my business, RustyBrick, does building construction. It makes sense, but I never had someone call my office or come to my office, expecting a Gentlemen's Club. I have received calls about building web sites for these types of companies and for escort services, but never had someone come into my office looking for those services.

I honestly don't know what to suggest to this guy to help him with his issue. I asked to see the specific listing and maybe a title tag or some anchor text can be changed to help the issue, but hard to say.

I know a lot of companies would pay big bucks to rank this well for this keyword in Google. But that doesn't mean it suits every business.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

New Yorkers Upset Google Label's World Trade Center Site as Ground Zero

Posted: March 10th, 2009, 2:43pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you go to Google Maps and zoom into the World Trade Center Site, you will see that Google has labeled the area, "Ground Zero."

Ground Zero was what many people started calling the World Trade Center after the terrible attack on September 11, 2001. I think most of us still remember the day vividly. But some New Yorkers (and I am a New Yorker) are upset that Google still labels the area Ground Zero.

Here is the complaint from at least one New Yorker found in Google Maps Help discussion area:

Please remove the "Ground Zero" label from the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan. I realize that anyone not from New York City comes here expecting to visit the site and that this is a common reference, but that is not its real name and it should not be used. It is equivalent to awarding the attackers a marksmanship medal, and we should not be doing that, nor frankly should we be equating what happened here with a nuclear bombing reference. All NY'ers refer to the site as 'the World Trade Center site', and that's what it still is to us, and will be again, if they ever get the construction completed. Finally, as a born-and-raised New Yorker who was here htat day I find the label 'ground zero' just plain despicable, and I really wish people wouldn't use it, and people I know here feel the same way. Please stop encouraging its use.

I can totally understand this person's frustration and rational here. But from a searcher's perspective, people still search for worlds like "ground zero" and "september 11" on Google Maps. Google still wants to return those results. I guess technically, Google can hide the label on the map itself and just return this area for the search, but maybe searchers find it useful.

Tough call here. As many people know, maps and borders and what you call places can become a very touchy and sensitive topic.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google Docs Security Breach Should Encourage People Not to Use Google Health

Posted: March 9th, 2009, 2:18pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Late last week, I saw dozens and dozens of threads in the Google Docs Help discussion forum, where Googlers were saying that they would contact these individuals directly, via email. Now, I saw a bunch of these, but didn't really look into them, simply because the issue was handled off the public forum.

Over the weekend, Google posted the details of the issue, which seemed to me to be a major security breach. Let me quote it:

We wanted to let you know about a bug (now fixed) that affected a small percentage of users who may have shared permissions between some documents in their account without their knowledge. This inadvertent sharing happened only when the document owner, or a collaborator with sharing rights, selected multiple documents and presentations from the documents list and changed the sharing permissions. (This issue didn't affect spreadsheets.) As part of the fix, we used an automated process to remove collaborators and viewers from the documents that we identified as being affected. We apologize for the inconvenience of having to re-share your docs. We have sent notifications to the owners of impacted docs, informing them of this fix and posted this information to the Apps Status Dashboard: http://www.google.com/appsstatus

Can you imagine if you were sharing financial information or personal medical information with someone and some how, it was shared with strangers? And Google wants you to use Google Health to share your most confidential and personal details with your doctor and family? I am all for sharing in exchange for convenience but what is stopping a security bug like this from happening on Google Health?

Forum discussion at Google Docs Help.

Is Push Gmail Coming to iPhone?

Posted: March 3rd, 2009, 2:17pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Mobile Help thread might have some signs that Google will be releasing push email for the iPhone.

Before you jump up and down in joy, I am making an assumption on this news from the following details.

In a Google Mobile Help a Googler named Robin marked a user's answer as being correct, when the person said, and I quote:

Google will probably release push email for the iPhone (using an Exchange protocol) in the near future. They have begun supporting push contacts and calendar, and mail is the only data service left to transition. The reason it works on a Blackberry is because all mail goes through the blackberry servers first. This server then pushes the email to your phone.

Now, Googler, Robin, marked the answer as correct. Robin did not comment in the thread to say if the first part or the second part is correct. Clearly, no one would say the second part of her answer is correct. But the first part would be a dream for most Gmail users using the iPhone.

Did Google just validate that they will enable push email support on the iPhone through the Exchange protocol?

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see it soon. They did it for calendar and contacts already, so adding email is the obvious next step.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Google Joins Twitter, The Online World Goes Haywire

Posted: February 27th, 2009, 2:28pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I cover Google a lot here, because that is what people talk about in the forums - mostly. But yesterday, Google joined Twitter at [twitter.com] and the online world went berserk. Google has 26,093 right now and it is growing. Yahoo [twitter.com] only has 4,709 and they have been on Twitter for a while, and Live Search [twitter.com] only has 1,434 followers. Let's not forget Ask.com [twitter.com] with a whopping 94 followers.

Google joins and gets 25,000 in 24 hours. What brand power!

FYI, if you want to follow me on Twitter, I am at [twitter.com]. I only have 3,400 followers right now.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums and Sphinn.

Tell Google Which Media Players You Want Supported in Google Reader

Posted: February 25th, 2009, 2:34pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

I live in Google Reader and I am sure many of you do also, based on my FeedBurner statistics at least. That being said, Google continues to make Google Reader more useful and they have asked in a recent Google Groups thread for feedback. They want to know which media players, both audio and video, do you want supported by Google Reader.

Google Reader already supports YouTube and most embedded audio files. They also support Flickr videos, which was a recent addition. They also support MySpace, Jumpcut, Grouper, IFILM, Metacafe, Revver, Vimeo, vSocial, Monsters and Critics, Odeo, Yahoo! Video, Brightcove, Dailymotion, blip.tv and MSN Soapbox embedded players. If you think they are missing anything, make sure to tell Google in this feedback form and Google might include that format.

Google Reader does have some rules, them being:

Please keep in mind that all embedded media providers have to be using Flash, and never QuickTime. Also, 'embed' tags have to be used as opposed to 'object' tags. We also don't guarantee support and reserve the right to end support at any time.

Forum discussion at Google Groups.

Is Google Latitude Anticipating Your Travel Plans?

Posted: February 25th, 2009, 1:52pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, my brother-in-law called me and asked me where Google Latitude was showing him as being. I looked at iGoogle and loaded up his profile to see that Google Latitude put him in Florida, at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to be exact. He told me, he was in Newark Airport, in New Jersey, waiting to board a flight to Florida, to go to that airport.

He asked me if Google uses Gmail data to figure out that he will be in Florida soon. He thought that maybe, Google read his emails and figured out that he will be in Florida at this time. I said, there is no way that this was possible. It must be a bug.

I quickly asked him to go to ShowMyIP.com and read me what he saw. He said, the ISP data come back as being in Newark. At that point, I figured it was likely not the Wifi network reporting back as being in Florida. I still dismissed it as some weird bug and told him not to worry that Google is anticipating where he will be based on his personal emails.

There is no doubt there have been many many reports of Google Latitude showing people at the wrong location. The accuracy of this stuff is not perfect, so it is possible. But still, to show the airport of where he will be in the next few hours, well - that is a bit creepy.

I guess it is possible Google mapped certain ISP locations in the wrong location. Google has reported this bug over and over again and has asked to be notified via the forums if this is a problem, so they can fix those mappings.

Yesterday, Google began working on other Latitude bugs. In a Google Mobile Help thread, Googler, Chris said:

Thank you for all your detailed reports. There is in fact a bug in the background location updates feature that we're currently working on for an upcoming version that includes other several other bug fixes. The intended behavior is exactly what many of you have asked for -- Maps is closed but a small location update process runs in the background that updates based on if you are moving and how fast. I'll describe the known issue below as many of you have noted. Please let me know if you experience any differences:
- Background sharing is not currently working on Windows Mobile phones when closing Maps for mobile and choosing 'Yes' to allow background sharing. This is a known issue and is being fixed for the next release.

- If you leave Maps for mobile open in the background by minimizing it or opening another app, location updates will continue as long as your phone is awake.

But still, what are the chances of Google showing an airport that my brother-in-law will be at in the next few hours, even when he wasn't there yet? Pretty crazy.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Google News Dropping Publishers From Index

Posted: February 24th, 2009, 10:36pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

It seems like Google News has been dropping publishers from their index. We have several posts in the Google News Help forum. There are a bunch of threads from upset publishers, including two large threads here and here.

Jason Dowdell, Founder & Editor of MarketingShift.com was one of those publishers who noticed his site being dropped by Google News. Jason told me his site has been in Google News for over 4 years now and as of today, his content is no longer getting picked up. In addition, Jason told me, he no longer sees the "News" tab in Google Webmaster Tools Diagnostics area. To me, that is a clear sign that his site is no longer syndicated by Google News.

As you can see, the last article indexed by Google News from MarketingShift.com was from yesterday, even though, MarketingShift.com has new articles today.

Jason feels like Google is going after the smaller sites making him feel that Google doesn't value the small publishers who work hard to produce "quality content day in and day out." Jason told me that he, "personally spent $25k a year for the past 4 years on MarketingShift, by employing full time writers because we wanted to make sure we remained in Google News and abided by their quality content guidelines."

Mr. Dowdell suspects that Google is dropping the small publishers to help "save the newspaper business." He quoted Google's CEO, in a recent CNN publication, with his solution to help the newspaper industry:

I think the solution is tighter integration. In other words, we can do this without making an acquisition. The term I've been using is 'merge without merging.' The Web allows you to do that, where you can get the Web systems of both organizations fairly well integrated, and you don't have to do it on exclusive basis.

Is Google really going this far to drop small publishers in order to try to save the newspaper business? As far as I know, this site (which is a small publication), is still indexed by Google News.

For all I know, this can be a temporary bug. Google has not yet made a post or commented on these allegations but I will try to get you a comment shortly.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Update: Google told me this was an indexing bug. Here is a statement from Google:

Starting earlier today, some publishers noticed that Google News was not crawling their site properly. This issue has now been resolved. We know how important Google News is to publishers, and we take issues like these very seriously.

Google Custom Search Engine "Squeezing" Page Numbers Together

Posted: February 24th, 2009, 2:18pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you conduct a search on any Google Custom Search Engine, such as ours, you will see that the page numbers, which aid the searcher to the next page of search results, are squeezed together. Here is a screen capture of those page numbers:

There are many Google Custom Search Engine users who are upset with this uncontrollable formatting issue. You can read all the complaints at the Google Custom Search Engine Help thread. As you can see, many webmasters, publishers and searchers are a bit upset with this. I, personally, don't care too much - you can still use it, it just doesn't look pretty.

Forum discussion at Google Custom Search Engine Help.

Update: Soon after we posted this, a Googler confirmed the bug in the forum and then soon after that, it was fixed. The Googler said:

The squished-together page numbers is indeed an issue on our end, and we're working on fixing this. Thanks for reporting the issue, and for your patience - I can't say for sure when this will be resolved, but it should be in the next day or so.

Gmail Goes Offline Again (February 24, 2009)

Posted: February 24th, 2009, 11:55am CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Thousands of Google email users, Gmail users, are experiencing problems logging into Google. I tried it myself, I am am also receiving 502 errors.

There are huge threads at Google Groups with users complaining as early as 5:20am EST (about 40 minutes since this post).

This is an all too familiar error for these users:

Here is another popular thread at Google Groups with Gmail users complaining. In fact, just scan the forum and you will see hundreds of complaints.

It seems like checking email via IMAP or POP is also having issues. So, I guess the solution is wait for Google to fix it.

This is not the first time Gmail has gone down for the masses. This is the third major one we reported. The last major one, that I remember was on August 11, 2008.

Forum discussion at Google Groups.

Update: IMAP does seem to be working sporadically for some users.

Update 2: At about 6:15am (EST) some people are beginning to access part of Gmail. Google must be working on it right now. Hopefully it will be fixed shortly.

Google's Phone (Android) Paid Apps Won't Update

Posted: February 23rd, 2009, 2:28pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There is so much love for Google's new mobile phone, the G1 or Android phone. A week or two ago, Google announced that they are now accepting paid apps to the app marketplace. But now, we are seeing reports that paid apps cannot be updated.

A Google Mobile Help thread has confirmed reports from a Googler that there is indeed a bug. A G1 paid app user said, "after you purchase a paid and and then try to update it, it doesn't update. It just says downloading and nothing happens." This user said that the free apps update fine, but not the paid apps.

Google employee, Alden confirmed the issue saying:

Thanks for reporting this to us - just wanted to let you know we're looking into it.

In the iTunes App store, if you purchase an app, all updates to the specific app are free. Currently, there is no way for iPhone App users to be charged for a major or even minor update, without releasing a new app. I assume the same model works for the G1.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Small Dot Annoying Firefox 3 Users in Google Search

Posted: February 12th, 2009, 3:52pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A Google Web Search Help thread has a group of searchers complaining about a single pixel that shows up when you click the next or previous buttons in Google Search. This only seems to show up for a second, when you click the next or previous button, but it also only shows up in Firefox 3.

Here are pictures:

As you can see, I circled in red, the pixel that seems to be really bugging some searchers.

Funny how the smallest little thing can really get on your nerves.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

Google Maps Showing Adult Images From Panoramio

Posted: February 12th, 2009, 3:37pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, we reported that Google's Local Business Center was injected by escort services in the Google Maps results (by the way, it is still there). Today, I spotted a thread in Google Maps Help thread with a complaint from a person who lives in Ave Maria, Florida that an adult-like image shows up in the "Explore this area" section of Google Maps for a search on Ave Maria, Florida.

Here is a screen shot:

When you click on that image, it shows up larger in the map:

It is here where you see that it is from Panoramio and the quick solution is to report that image as inappropriate in Panoramio.

So a proud city member is upset that this woman's underpants shows up for her city in Google Maps. I can understand that.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Adult Spam Makes Its Way Into Google Maps

Posted: February 11th, 2009, 3:35pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

We all know, Google Maps has their share of trouble with spam, including porn and escort services. Heck, even Google admitted the problem yesterday in the Up Close With Google Maps & Local.

Now a search for auto insurance los angeles returns an escort site in position I.

Clicking through, takes you through a couple redirects and lands you on an adult escort service web site. Clear sign of spam and something that we see often on Google Maps.

Google did say yesterday that they are much quicker at spotting these things. So let's see how long it takes them to remove this listing. It was first reported yesterday in the Google Maps Help discussion area, as Google recommends you do when you find spam. Let's see if it is still there tomorrow.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Alexa Updates Numbers: Should We Care?

Posted: February 11th, 2009, 3:06pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Search Engines

Back in "the day," Alexa was a very talked about tool for checking the traffic data for a third party site. These days, people know to take Alexa's data with a grain of salt. Alexa data can be easily spoofed and tampered with, at least - that is what I am told, so just be careful when using it.

That being said, DigitalPoint Forums has a large discussion on Alexa. They claim it has just updated their numbers.

Scanning the thread, it seems like most webmasters are happy with the new results. One said:

Both of my sites had a massive 1000% change as of the Alexa update.

Again, be careful when using this data.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

Google Accidently Knocks New Zealand Off The Globe

Posted: February 4th, 2009, 2:42pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you tried bring up New Zealand in Google Maps yesterday, you would be surprised to see, Google lost all the map data for that early bird country.

A Google Maps Help thread have reports that are confirmed from Google, that Google had a bug that indeed knocked parts of Google Maps New Zealand off the map.

Google's Mike CH confirmed the issue saying:

We messed up - very, very sorry about that. It's fixed now and we're busy drawing up a list of things we can do to ensure it doesn't happen again. Once again, apologies for the inconvenience.

He did not say exactly what went wrong, but the issue seemed to be somewhat manual, being that they want to make some policies to prevent it from happening in the future.

The map details for New Zealand were not available, but the satellite images were. Now everything seems to be working now.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

Google News Font Size Bug Confirmed

Posted: February 3rd, 2009, 2:14pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google has confirmed the miscellaneous reports of the Google News home page having font size issues. In a Google News Help thread, Googler, Inbal, confirmed the issue that some users are noticing.

In short, some users are noticing that the font used on Google News is much larger then expected. Exactly how large is hard to say, since I am personally not able to replicate it. But users are reporting, "way too large," "much larger than usual," and "larger than normal text size."

Google's Inbal, like I said, confirmed the issue and said Google is working on a fix. She said:

Thank you for taking the time to report this problem. We're aware of this bug, and our engineering team is working to find a solution. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to resolve this issue in the near future.

There have been an unusual number of bugs recently with Google. Now, Google always have these minor bugs here and there. But some of these bugs or mistakes have been hitting the much larger Google base. The largest recent bug happened over the weekend with labeling all search results as malware, then today we reported this bug, and two others; safe search bug and SMS blast bug. I would classify these bugs as moderate to major.

Forum discussion at Google News Help.

Google Mistakenly Sends Dozens of Unwanted SMS Messages To Users

Posted: February 3rd, 2009, 1:53pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Over night, for about four hours, Google's SMS search feature sent dozens of SMS messages to Google SMS users over and over again. There are dozens of threads complaining about the issue, but the two largest threads have hundreds of posts each and can be found both at the Google Mobile Help Forum.

First, Google denied the issue, blaming it on their mobile phone provider. Googler, Zeke, said:

Could you please try calling your carrier (e.g. AT&T, Verizon, etc.) and asking them to reset your SMS message settings? If that doesn't do the trick, please respond back here and let me know what carrier you're using.

Then Zeke said a bit later:

Thanks for responding so quickly. We are looking into the issue, and as soon as I have an update, I'll post it here. If you don't have an unlimited SMS plan, and you're worried about SMS charges, please let your carrier know about the situation.

Then a couple hours later, we hear from Googler Ash, who said they are working on fixing the issue and they should try to block Google from sending these text messages:

I just wanted to let you know that this issue is being worked on, and we will post again when we know that it is resolved for certain. In the meantime, as some users mentioned, you can contact your mobile provider and have our shortcode 466453 or 46645 blocked from sending you text messages.

Then at about 12:40pm (EST) this morning, Ash said they seemed to have fixed the issue. Reports came in from users that indeed, the issue was resolved at about that time. What was the issue? Googler Ash said:

After investigating this issue, the cause seems to be related to an error with the mobile aggregator used by many mobile providers. We've received confirmation that a fix is going out soon.
Please let us know in the forum if you're still having problems with multiple SMS messages. We appreciate your assistance and patience while we looked into this issue.

If you received dozens of text or SMS message and you do not have unlimited messages, you should call your mobile provider and let them know what happened. I doubt Google will be paying for all the unwanted text messages, but maybe your mobile provider will be understanding.

This issue sent about 30 text messages to hundreds, if not, thousands of users. It lasted for about 4 hours, starting at about 8:30pm (EST) last night and going through about 12:40 midnight (EST).

Google has been having major issues with their SMS search feature in January. For more on those issues, see this article.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help Forum.

The Colorblind Want To Use Google Maps Traffic Data

Posted: January 30th, 2009, 8:12am CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google Maps has very useful traffic data but it plots that traffic data using colors. For example, here is a screen capture of traffic new NYC:

But those that are severely colorblind are not able to see traffic data. One such person posted a complaint in Google Help Groups asking for an "alternative way" of displaying such data on Google Maps for those that are colorblind.

Interesting point, making Google Maps more accessible for the colorblind.

Forum discussion at Google Help Groups.

Google Reader Recommendation Lists Stops Updating

Posted: January 30th, 2009, 8:01am CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

We have confirmed reports that Google Reader's recommendation list feature stopped updating some time over the past day or so. The recommendation list is suppose to show you other blogs or feeds that you might be interested in, based on your current feed subscriptions at Google Reader.

In a Google Groups thread, one Google Reader user noticed that he/she stopped receiving recommendations. So he/she reported the issue, and Google confirmed the bug. Google said they hope to fix it in a day or so.

Roger from the Google Reader team said:

Thanks for reporting this. After a bit of investigating, we think we've found something that might be keeping some recommendations from updating. We're hoping to have this fixed by the end of the day. Please let us know if you're still having trouble after a few days.

Forum discussion at Google Groups.

Want in Google News But Don't Have Three Digits in URL? Get a Sitemap

Posted: January 28th, 2009, 9:23am CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A content publisher asked about getting his publishing site included in Google News. In the Google News Help thread Googler, Inbal, said that you don't always need to have three digits in the URL to be in Google News.

In the past, there was a strong Google News requirement to have three digits in the URL. It was how Google's News spider worked. But now, with the addition of Google Sitemaps, you no longer need digits in the URL.

Inbal said:

The three-digit-number requirement is waived if you submit a Google News sitemap in order to alert our crawler to your news articles in your Blog. This tool will enable you to optimize the inclusion of your content without having to change the structure of your URLs. You can find more information about creating a News sitemap in our Publisher Help Center:
[www.google.com].

Good news for new publishers looking to keep their URLs keyword specific. This isn't brand new, but it is relatively new to Google News.

Forum discussion at Google News Help

Google Won't Bring Back the iPhone Version of iGoogle

Posted: January 22nd, 2009, 11:41am CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

On Monday, we broke the news that Google dropped the iPhone version of iGoogle and it really really really update iPhone users. That being the case, I really thought Google would bring back the iPhone interface. It seems like I was wrong.

Google updated the Google Web Search Help thread saying that they want to keep one version of iGoogle mobile so they can concentrate "on a single version is that not all mobile browsers can handle the same content that the iPhone and Android can."

Here is the full post:

I want to let you know that the teams involved in this decision are aware of this thread and following along on the feedback. I'd like to address a few concerns I've seen posted:
The mobile version doesn't provide the same experience as the iPhone/Android version
We know there are some differences between the two versions -- in fact I've been using iGoogle on the iPhone since the day it launched. One of the trade offs we know we're making with concentrating on a single version is that not all mobile browsers can handle the same content that the iPhone and Android can. The mobile team does want to hear any ideas you've got for mobile features; you can submit them to their ideas page:
http://productideas.appspot.com/#16/e=cf

iGoogle on iPhone and Android
The Android users who've popped in here are right; we're also redirecting Android phones to the mobile interface. The goal here is to provide an iGoogle page that's optimized for speed and reliability; this change wasn't made to cater to Android users.

The iPhone/Android version is still available from a desktop computer
That's currently true; redirecting iPhone and Android users to the mobile iGoogle page was the first step in standardizing the experience. We're working on taking down the iPhone/Android version.

Some content has disappeared
If some of your content isn't there now, that's probably because it isn't compatible with the mobile interface (for you technical folks, that's anything in an IFRAME). You can learn about what content from your list does work from this article in our Help Center:
http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=96016

Finally, if there's a Google service that you used to access on the iPhone version of iGoogle that isn't offered in the mobile version, we may have an optimized version available. To see the list of optimized services, visit Google.com on your iPhone or Android phone and tap the 'More' link at the top of the page.

This response clearly doesn't sit well with most iPhone users.

Forum discussion continued at Google Web Search Help.

The Tale of a Server Hack, Followed By Google Ban: Stages

Posted: January 14th, 2009, 1:48pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A senior member at WebmasterWorld who started posting in 2004, had his server hacked into. He realized this when Google put a temporary ban on his site from showing up in the Google search results. Google does this, because they want to protect searchers from landing on pages that might contain malware or other infectious programs.

The thread goes through the different stages a webmaster goes through when finding out their site has been hacked into. The stages would likely include:

Confusion/Denial
Anger
Acceptance
Guilt
Action
Embarrassment
Reconsideration
Response

I am not exactly sure if the stages would be in that order. But as you can see from the thread, it seems this webmaster went through some, if not all, of these stages. Confusion sets in when you learn that you may have been hacked, and you try to figure out how and what the implications are. Then you get angry at both the hacker for hacking you and Google for delisting you. Acceptance rolls in, when you accept the facts and decide to move on. Of course, many feel guilty that they were not able to prevent the hack in the first place. But you decide to take action to remove the bad stuff the hack generated. Then you immediately file a reconsideration request with Google. Then you look into the future and make changes to your current process and environment, to try to make sure it doesn't happen again.

This webmaster's site was delisted for "maybe 1-2 business days" said the webmaster. That is a very quick response time from Google acting on the reconsideration request. When I shared a story about one of my client's getting hacked and delist, Jennifer Convertibles Web Site Hacked & Delisted In Google.com, it also took just about two days for Google to reinclude the site.

Google has to protect the searcher at all costs. Even if the site is not infected with malware, it may be infected with links to help promote a page that does have malware on it. So it has to take action, and action quickly.

This goes well with Preventing Virtual Blight Video by Matt Cutts from the other day.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Screen Captures: Promoting Videos at YouTube Through YouTube Ads

Posted: January 13th, 2009, 4:40pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

In mid November I wrote about YouTube Sponsored Ads but back then it wasn't working for me. I recently had the opportunity to get a client up and running with YouTube ads, so I figured I walk you through the process.

(1) Login with under the account of the video owner and go to [www.youtube.com].

(2) At the bottom, click on "Promote your Video with Sponsored Videos," which will take you to [https:].

(3) Click on the "Get Started" yellow button

(4) Select one of the videos you want to promote:

(5) Click "Next and I agree".

(6) Type in your ad copy (title with two line description). Then enter in keywords, followed by the daily budget and maximum bids.

(7) Then login using your AdWords or Google account or set up a new account.

(8) Review the ad, keywords, bids and geo-targeting and hit "Okay, Run my promotion!"

Note, MCC accounts do not work, hence why my first test did not work. But this campaign worked just fine. I am not waiting for the campaign to be reviewed and I should then be able to see data.

Here is what I see now in my dashboard:

Here is a detailed view of a specific campaign:

When I gather statistics, I may update this post.

Forum discussion at Search Engine Watch Forums.

How Many Grams Of CO2 Does a Google Search Require?

Posted: January 12th, 2009, 1:57pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

How many grams of CO2 does the average Google search consume? That was the hot topic of debate over the weekend. The UK's Times Online reported that scientists said a typical Google search consumes about 7g of CO2, which is equivalent to the "amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle for a cup of tea."

But Google downright denies this. They said in a recent blog response named Powering a Google Search that the average query only consumes about 0.2 grams of CO2. Clearly, Google is not agreeing with these scientists, because those numbers are way different.

Google then takes the time to explain how Google is very proactive in green causes and explains how a Google search is very green.

The folks in the forums are not happy about this study, not happy at all. Even before Google's response, member lgn1 said, "Also, I suspect those numbers, 7 grams of CO2 per search are way out to lunch. Without power comsumption numbers from google, that physicist is just urinating in the wind."

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Popular Chinese Search Engine, Baidu, To Better Label Search Ads

Posted: January 12th, 2009, 1:41pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Search Engines

The Wall Street Journal reported that the very popular chinese search engine, Baidu, will be testing a better labeling and differentiating the paid results from the organic results. The article said, "The company has begun testing a new model for advertising that will place paid advertisements on the right-hand side of its page."

Over at WebmasterWorld we have some conversation on the news.

One member feels like Baidu has nothing to lose. He said, "The revenue hit is what has/will prompt changes, not public pressure. Often times public pressure is good, it draws attention and generates income on its own, but when the dollars start to fade it's time to change. I wonder how much of a black eye will linger in a year, if any."

It is about time, like many of the members think. We will see if it lasts and if it will make a difference in Baidu's ad income.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Poll: Do You Like Google's 2009 Fav (Browser) Icon?

Posted: January 9th, 2009, 10:12pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Let us know in the poll bellow if you like Google's new favorite icon, the icon found in the browser bar on the left hand side of the domain name. The image below shows the three icons used, the one on the left most is the newest. The one in the middle is the one introduced in May 2008 and the one on the right is the original one.

Here is the poll, let us know which one you like the best of the three:

Which Google Fav Icon Do You Like The Best?
( surveys)

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld, DigitalPoint Forums and Google Blogoscoped Forums.

Update: Official word from Google Blog says this redesign was based on a contest they ran.

SEO's View of Google's Greatest Achievements of 2008

Posted: January 6th, 2009, 3:09pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Frank Watson posted a thread at Search Engine Watch Forums asking members what they feel Google's top achievements of 2008 were.

Here are some of the responses from the thread:

Google, swooping in to muck up any and all Yahoo/MSN talks with very little effort was impressive. They didnt even dirty their hands.
Not related to search but I think it's pretty cool that they invested in esolar and brightsource. These are startup electric power companies that are using concentrated solar energy instead of coal to run steam turbine generator plants.
But maybe the most notable might be Chrome; the introduction of the long rumored and awaited browser that was long denied being in development and that hasn't exactly taken the world by storm as of yet. I have to wonder what's coming in along behind it.
VentureBeat's Android netbooks on their way, likely by 2010 article.
The G1 hasn't really taken off here in the UK like the iPhone has, or it would get a close first vote!
Beu gave a dozen or so including Google Sites, Website Optimizer, Friend Connect, iPhone Search, Flash support, 1 Trillion unique URLs, Fighter Jet, G1, SearchWiki

I personally wrote about my feelings on 2008, including a lot of Google topics, in my five years of writing at the Search Engine Roundtable. But if Matt Cutts can post that slide set where he goes through all the products and things he loves that Google released in the past year (which he normally does at PubCon and other conferences), that would be cool.

Forum discussion at Search Engine Watch Forums.

SEO's View of Google's Greatest Achievements of 2008

Posted: January 6th, 2009, 3:09pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Frank Watson posted a thread at Search Engine Watch Forums asking members what they feel Google's top achievements of 2008 were.

Here are some of the responses from the thread:

Google, swooping in to muck up any and all Yahoo/MSN talks with very little effort was impressive. They didnt even dirty their hands.
Not related to search but I think it's pretty cool that they invested in esolar and brightsource. These are startup electric power companies that are using concentrated solar energy instead of coal to run steam turbine generator plants.
But maybe the most notable might be Chrome; the introduction of the long rumored and awaited browser that was long denied being in development and that hasn't exactly taken the world by storm as of yet. I have to wonder what's coming in along behind it.
VentureBeat's Android netbooks on their way, likely by 2010 article.
The G1 hasn't really taken off here in the UK like the iPhone has, or it would get a close first vote!
Beu gave a dozen or so including Google Sites, Website Optimizer, Friend Connect, iPhone Search, Flash support, 1 Trillion unique URLs, Fighter Jet, G1, SearchWiki

Forum discussion at Search Engine Watch Forums.

Have a Question For Google? Using Google's New Discussion Area Might Not Help

Posted: January 5th, 2009, 1:44pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

A few months ago, Google opened up new interactive discussion areas to help improve Google's communication between Google and the people who use Google's products and services. In fact, the Google Webmaster Help area moved over a month ago today.

Everyone was excited to see a quicker, more efficient and more responsive area to get answers to their questions. The only issue is that many folks are posting questions and their questions are not being seen. A Google Webmaster Help post shares this issue, in short, if you post a question, you need to reply to your post, to make sure it is visible to others. It seems like a temporary bug, but even if it is, who in their right mind will post a question and then reply to their question - it just isn't a logical thing to do.

Googler, JohnMu, said "FWIW You can also just add an update to your question -- that works without having to post a reply to yourself. The team is aware of this issue and I assume it will be addressed with the next update."

They have actually posted an announcement:

Due to an issue in the forum software, some posts here may not show up for everyone until a reply has been posted. To be sure that your thread is visible, feel free to post an empty reply to your own thread.

I hope they get this fixed soon.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Have a Question For Google? Using Google's New Discussion Area Might Not Help

Posted: January 5th, 2009, 1:44pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

They have actually posted an announcement:

Due to an issue in the forum software, some posts here may not show up for everyone until a reply has been posted. To be sure that your thread is visible, feel free to post an empty reply to your own thread.

I hope they get this fixed soon.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Google Recommends Product Ideas for Your Google Mobile Suggestions

Posted: December 31st, 2008, 2:46pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

Want Google to implement a new feature for Google Mobile? You no longer need to venture to Google Groups to make the request. Simply hop on over to [productideas.appspot.com] and submit your product ideas. So far, according to the stats, "805 people have submitted 313 ideas and cast 9,772 votes."

These include:
* "An native iPhone App of Google Reader (include a mini browser), more fast and no problem of reloading page after open a link"
* "Google Talk with multiprotocol capabilities."
* "A "Google Product Ideas" for all google services."
* "i want to be able to see my friends on maps on my phone"

If you have your own suggestions for your mobile device, go to the site and start contributing. You never know!

Forum discussion continues at Google Groups.

Googlers Working on Christmas in 2008

Posted: December 26th, 2008, 1:53pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Like last year and the year before that, this year, we have Googlers responding to questions in the help forums.

Googler, JohnMu, like last year, came in and responded to at least one thread, likely more. In a Google Webmaster Help thread John tried to help a webmaster deal with temporary down time. He gave the following advice:

Instead of returning a default website when an error occurs, it's much better to let us know that it's a temporary issue (result code 503). That way, we'll know not to look at the content and to try again later.

In addition, Matt Cutts also joined in on a Merry Xmas thread, late last night saying, "luzie, thanks for the welcome. :)"

There were plenty of other Googlers, and likely other search reps at other companies working or participating in company events, on Christmas. I just wanted to document a few.

Summary of Multiple Google Docs Bugs Reports

Posted: December 24th, 2008, 2:59pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of bugs reported within Google Docs. Some of these have been fixed and others are still pending. Here's the lowdown of what we've found in the forums:

* A Google Employee says in a Google Groups thread that the bug that made folders visible on the left hand side of the Google Docs pane has been fixed.

* There's still an open bug (but Google is aware of it) with regards to some spreadsheets not being viewable. The error encountered is "Sorry we are experiencing technical difficulties and cannot show all of your documents." (Google Groups).

* Related to the report above, some users cannot see any of their documents with the same error. Google is also aware of this. (Google Groups)

* When Google Docs documents are being emailed, some senders choose to CC themselves to confirm receipt. However, Gmail automatically assumes that these are spam. The Google Docs team is aware of this as well. (Google Groups)

* Google is also aware that some people can only see the first 50 folders and they are working on a fix (Google Groups)

If you're affected by any of these issues, please go to the forum discussion referred to in the bullet point for more information and related discussion.

Google's Malware Warnings Can Be Subdomain or Subfolder Specific

Posted: December 23rd, 2008, 1:35pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

No one likes it when they get malware on their computers due to an infected site. So that is why Google tries to warn searchers when a site may have malware on it. But Google tries to be as specific as possible, when it comes to malware warnings.

In fact, when possible, Google will report malware issues on subdomains or subfolders only and leave the root domain alone. JohnMu of Google said in a Google Webmaster Help discussion thread:

We try to keep malware labels as specific as possible based on our data. If we can see that it's limited to a specific subdomain, we'll do that. If we can recognize that it's limited to a specific subdirectory, even better. The general problem is that it's often not trivial to find the most specific part of a site that is affected by malware - and with CMSs as they are there's often no clear folder-type structure that we can work with.

That is why a specific blogspot.com blog can be reported as having malware, whereas the main domain will be safe.

Safe Browsing Diagnostic page for blogspot.com
What is the current listing status for blogspot.com?
This site is not currently listed as suspicious.

Part of this site was listed for suspicious activity 227 time(s) over the past 90 days.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Google Image Search Enhancement: Search By Style

Posted: December 22nd, 2008, 3:46pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

The Official Google Blog announced on Friday that a new option is available for searchers: the ability to search for images by a specific style. For example, line art is obviously not the same as a photograph -- and now Google can distinguish this for you.

Here's a screenshot. Click for a larger size:

As you can tell, you can now drill down to news content, faces, clip art, line art, and photo content.

I like. Do you?

Forum discussion continues at DigitalPoint Forums.

Only Whitelisted Sites Can Display Videos Within Google Reader

Posted: December 18th, 2008, 3:27pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you're hosting your blog on wordpress.com and are embedding video in your blog post, don't expect for it to show up in Google Reader.

That's what Google employees confirm in a Google Groups thread. According to Mihai, a Google rep, there's a whitelist that sites need to be added to in order for their embedded videos to actually play within Google Reader.

So in case you were wondering, apparently you need to request to be whitelisted. The policy isn't exactly clear on how you get your site added to the whitelist, nor is it indicated whether this whitelist is publicly accessible. I suppose that just means that you need to be on top of Google Groups (for now) in order for Google to consider your site whitelisted.

(Surely, there's got to be a better way...)

Forum discussion continues at Google Groups.

Google Groups Levels: What Purpose Do They Serve?

Posted: December 17th, 2008, 3:00pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

In case you haven't noticed, the Google Webmaster Help forum has moved over to the new layout. Now, things are just a tad more confusing and people are wondering what inspired Google to make the changes they have implemented. In a specific Google Groups thread, a forum member asks what Levels mean (notice in the screenshot I've included that he's designated as "Level 3"). So -- what exactly is it?

Susan Moskwa responds to the frustrated user (and explains, I suppose, why I will never see a nice blue "G" to indicate Google employees):

Apparently in the old help forum, users who were offered advice by non-Googlers would respond to the effect of "Who are you to give me advice?" which deterred regular forum contributors (who still knew what they were talking about) from contributing solid and helpful advice. (Unfortunately, I still want the G to denote Googlers as such, but I digress...)

So what are Levels, then, exactly? Levels are awarded to individuals who offer the best and most valuable answer to the community.

Forum discussion continues at Google Groups.

Google's Post Count: Not Too Accurate

Posted: December 17th, 2008, 2:15pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

If you've ever noticed on specific searches, Google gives you a post count and estimates the number of authors of posts in the snippet like the screenshot below indicates:

But if you ask me, the number there is entirely inaccurate. The question: where does Google get these numbers and how does it calculate them?

That is the question being asked in a Google Webmaster Help thread, where Googler JohnMu promised to look into it. John said:

I'll check up on that & let you all know what I find out :)

When John updates the thread, we will let you know what he says.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

YouTube Finally Makes Its Way to Google Maps

Posted: December 17th, 2008, 1:51pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google Blogoscoped reported that Google has finally introduced YouTube videos into Google Maps as an additional layer. You can now view videos, in addition to the photos or wikipedia layers in Google Maps. Here is a screen capture of the "More" button, from where you can activate the video layer:

For example, if you go to Times Square NYC, you will find many videos that have been adding to Google Maps, presumably by geocoding the videos in YouTube as belong to a certain area. Here is one video:

So how would you help get your videos to show up in Google Maps? Well, when you upload a YouTube video, make sure to click on the "Date and Map Options" and then in the search box, enter in the location and set it. Here is a screen shot illustrating:

In the past, you were able to add videos to local business listings, but this is a whole new level.

Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums.

Two Months In: My Google Reader Gripes (and the Complaints of Others)

Posted: December 12th, 2008, 3:55pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

I finally switched over to Google Reader from Bloglines after it failed me for 2 days in October. I have a few gripes of my own and wonder if Google will ever address them. For example, I don't understand why there's an incredibly annoying amount of whitespace on the right side of RSS feeds -- Google's decision to wrap text in the way that it does is, erm, annoying.

Another problem I don't like is that Google Reader can't tell me exactly how many feed items I am behind on if there are more than 1000 unread items. I have to say that I liked Bloglines telling me when I had 4342 unread items. 1000+ could mean 10000. Seriously.

A third problem I have is that I'd like to change the text of Google Reader instead of using the old school Arial. In the meantime, I'm hacking userChrome.css in Firefox, but I really shouldn't have to.

Other users are observing other issues with Google Reader, and believe it or not, I've experienced them also (but then again, if you're a Google Reader user, you probably have too). Sometimes, Google Reader says that a specific feed has one unread item. However, you may then enter that feed and find out that there are no unread items at all. It's misleading to say the least. Google Reader Guide says that "we've noticed that unread counts can get thrown off as
result of tagging items from feeds you aren't actually subscribed to or by subscribing to another user's shared items feeds multiple times." Neither of these impact me, but I do see this happen ever so often. My solution is to "mark as read" and then usually it goes away. The key word here is "usually."

In any event, Google Reader Guide seems to be aware of this issue as it's still impacting a number of individuals.

Forum discussion continues at Google Groups.

Do You Want to Participate in a Google Website Optimizer Case Study?

Posted: December 11th, 2008, 4:08pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

In a Google Groups thread, JohnMu has asked the Google Webmaster Help community for some help. On behalf of one of his colleagues who is performing a case study, he's looking to gather some intelligence from the very nice people out there who are willing to participate. Here's the request:

I'm looking to personally work with a selection of organisations willing to work with me on a project using Google Website Optimizer to try to increase conversions on their website. In exchange for my time and the insights gained from using Google Website Optimizer, Google would gain the right to present the project publicly as a case study for the promotion of Google Website Optimizer / Google Analytics.

If you're interested in participating, there's a Google Spreadsheet to fill out first.

Forum discussion continues at Google Groups.

Google's YouTube Videographers Making Serious Money

Posted: December 11th, 2008, 3:35pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

While Google's financial future is uncertain lately (or they've been conveying it by laying off their contractors or cancelling holiday gifts out of an "inappropriate gesture"), it seems that some content producers are making all the money. I suppose those who are laid off are really enjoying their freedom by visiting sites like YouTube. The New York Times reports that some video producers are raking in some serious dough using the social video sharing site. Individuals have been able to successfully gain followers -- 100 million views on videos -- and make six figure incomes.

While not all people are happy about this progression, I think it's great that there are ways to capitalize on entertainment. Everyone needs to smile every so often.

Forum discussion continues at WebmasterWorld.

It's Been a Week. Is Feedburner Going to Fix its Problems?

Posted: December 11th, 2008, 3:22pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

Yesterday, we reported that Feedburner is not recording Bloglines subscribers. The funny thing is that this was acknowledged on December 6th. It's December 11th and there is absolutely no fix in sight.

As you can tell by the image on the right (which reflects an RSS feed of mine), subscriber counts have been down for a week. And for whatever reason, Google is not fixing the Bloglines issue.

Or maybe they tried. But at the same time, "when you fix a bug, you introduce a new one." Apparently, they're breaking other counts along the way. Today, I noticed that my other blog has a subscriber count of 0, which is completely different than yesterday's subscriber count (of more than 0, of course!)

(Or maybe they aren't, because my Bloglines number is still down on one RSS feed and I have a 0 subscriber count on another feed of mine.)

It seems that Google's Feedburner team needs to get its act together. But hey, that's just me -- and the percentage of people who have been affected for a week now.

Forum discussion continues at Google Groups.

Yahoo VP Qi Lu Replaces Kevin Johnson's Vacancy at Microsoft

Posted: December 5th, 2008, 3:56pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Yahoo Topics

Since the end of July, there's been a vacancy at Microsoft as Kevin Johnson moved on from the company. The New York Times reports that Johnson's vacancy is finally filled: Qi Lu, a former Yahoo executive, has taken the position.

In selecting Mr. Lu, who will become president of the money-losing online services group in January, Microsoft chose an executive with deep technical knowledge over others with more advertising and media experience. He will be leading the company’s challenge to Google, which dominates the search and online advertising businesses.

Suspicions with hiring technologist Lu have to do with Microsoft wanting to be more like Google. Maybe they're right.

Forum discussion continues at WebmasterWorld.

Google and Yahoo's Ad Deal Ended Because of Anti-Trust Concerns?

Posted: December 5th, 2008, 3:31pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

We reported on November 5th that Google and Yahoo ended their ad agreement. We only knew what the Google Blog (and other news outlets) told us: the government didn't seem too happy about the agreement and advertisers were concerned.

In the past 24 hours, though, it's come to light that there was a lot more than just a "governmental concern." The truth of the matter is that the United States Department of Justice was "three hours away" from filing an antitrust lawsuit against Google, according to CNET.

Now what? Well, Google's decision to pull away was "shrewd." And they think it's smart that Google pulled out, whereas Microsoft's past history shows that they wouldn't back down.

MS rarely back down. Thats why they got such a bad reputation- they were swallowing a multi-million (dollar/pound/euro- take your pick) DAILY fine about publishing "complete and accurate technical specifications" and still fighting.
G still enjoys public affection. It would be seriously bad for them to lose this publically annointed halo. MS never cared what people thought of them- as long as people BOUGHT their product, by hook or by crook

At the same time, though, some wonder why there was a concern about monopolies anyhow. After all, Google and Yahoo are considered competitors.

At the same time, there's a problem with the government's approach, according to one individual.

If the government knew anything about running a business, they wouldn't be operating with a close to $1 trillion annual deficit.

(In comparison, Google is doing a lot better.)

Forum discussion continues at WebmasterWorld and Sphinn.

Webmasters Report December 2008 Google SERP Changes

Posted: December 4th, 2008, 3:36pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

It's December, the last year of 2008, and webmasters have started guessing what's up with Google this month once again.

New sites are fluctuating with their rankings; one webmaster reports that his new sites (2 months old or less) are showing up in the top 10 and then 12 hours later, they're not even in the top 1000. It seems that this is a cycle. Some say it's just a sandbox.

Another observation relates to sitelinks. It seems that there are questions regarding sites that have sitelinks in Google's results. Do those mean that those pages are refreshed more often? Crawled more often? Not necessarily; getting sitelinks means you're a more "popular" site (you have more attention), but having sitelinks isn't a factor. The former brought upon the latter, after all.

A third observation relates to a "disconnect" between index pages and inner pages of sites. These pages were never linked together in the SERPs. Tedster expounds upon this idea and says that he observed that the second results from a domain aren't always indented. Sometimes, though, they're indented too much.

Forum discussion continues at WebmasterWorld.

Google Mobile Maps Asking English Users to Accept Swedish TOS

Posted: December 4th, 2008, 2:25pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

There are confirmed reports at Google Maps Help that users downloading the new Google Maps 2.3.2 to their phones are being asked to accept the terms of service before using it. The only issue is that the terms of service (TOS), in some cases, are coming up in a different language then the language the user knows.

For example, an English user said he opened it and the terms of service look to be in Swedish and thus he cannot understand it to agree to it. He asked if there was a way to switch to an English version of the terms of service?

Google Maps representative, Tom, confirmed the issue, saying:

Thanks for letting us know about this. I saw a similar instance earlier today (German text though) and it's currently being investigated. I'll let you know the outcome when I have more information.

Forum discussion at Google Maps Help.

YouTube Videos Now Available in HD Format

Posted: November 26th, 2008, 3:46pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

This week, viewers on YouTube noticed that videos are now being offered in HD 16:9 widescreen format. This has also been announced on YouTube's blog, and it looks like it's here to stay.

Most of us are looking for a more powerful high-def experience, so not many are complaining about this feature. However, Barry notes at Search Engine Land that YouTube actually forgot to give users the ability to embed these high-def videos on their personal web pages. He says "the default embed code still uses the old 4:3 aspect ratio. Why not give the new format or at least an option for it in the “customize” section?"

Good question. And further, I noticed in the YouTube blog entry's comments, there's one REALLY disgruntled person who says that his movies look horrible and widescreen should be optional. Maybe they should have thought of those people who have really bad cameras. :)

Forum discussion continues at DigitalPoint Forums.

Google Enhances Street View

Posted: November 26th, 2008, 3:31pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google has announced that they have made some enhancements for Street View. Now, instead of clicking on "Street view" on the top rightmost corner of the map, you can click on Google's little "pegman" and put him on the map. As soon as you do, street view will be activated. Additionally, a mini-map is now visible on the bottom right hand corner that lets you see the map while enjoying street view. Google has also made navigation a tad easier with scroll-wheel-enabled mice and navigation control arrows on the upper left hand corner of the map. Finally, images can now easily be reported by clicking on the "Report a concern" link that's visible on all images.

Here's a video of these features:

What do you think? Google is taking your feedback in this form, so if you want to let them know what's on your mind, be sure to click on that link and give them some insights.

Forum discussion continues at Google Groups and Sphinn.

Google Plans Layoffs of Nearly 1/3 of the Workforce

Posted: November 26th, 2008, 3:19pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

According to WebGuild, Google has been quietly laying off hundreds of "employees" since August and had not reported it, getting around a legal requirement because most of these individuals were considered temporary contractors, thereby being considered "operational expenses." Those impacted by the Google layoffs were individuals who were hired full time at Google without being offered full-time benefits. After that WebGuild story broke, CNET said that there are 10,000 contractors on Google's staff and Google plans to "significantly reduce" that number.

At Sphinn, it's becoming increasingly obvious that Google is not the golden company it once was. Google is a "normal tech company" who does things just like other tech companies, though it's also a "powerful behemoth." Of course, being a temporary agent for the company is never a fun thing.

Forum discussion continues at Sphinn (and Sphinn).

Will Google Be Giving Holiday Gifts Out This Year?

Posted: November 26th, 2008, 2:33pm CET by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

For the past few years, Google has given AdWords advertisers and AdSense publishers pretty nice gifts.

In 2005, Google gave out a package of computer gadgets that was well received. In 2006, Google gave out these great Google digital picture frames, I still have it on my desk. Then in 2007, Google gave out a card and memory cards, which was less impressive for most people.

Now, we have a thread at WebmasterWorld worried that Google will either not give a gift at all, or it will be a worse gift than last year. Why are they worried? Well, I am sure you heard, we are having a global recession.

Typically, the Google holiday gifts arrive anywhere between the last week of November through middle of December. So, I guess we will find out within the next few weeks if Google steps up in these bad times. If I had to guess, we won't be seeing all that much from any search engine this year. But I can be wrong.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

The Value of a Link on Google's Home Page

Posted: November 20th, 2008, 4:19pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

Ever wonder what a link on Google's homepage would bring in terms of traffic? Let's take this G1 link:

The Compete blog gives some detail into the number of clicks that link had while it was extremely visible on Google.com.

First, some background. Google planned on running this between the 22nd and 29th of October. It was for Google's new phone with T-Mobile. What's was the value of the traffic to T-Mobile? Well, the visibility of the link did some incredible things:

* More than 800,000 unique visitors went to that page.
* In one day, more than 233,000 unique visitors were registered.

That's impressive. Too bad it didn't hit 1 million, but 800,000 in 7 days is pretty impressiveis

Forum discussion continues at Sphinn.

Google Maps Loses Saved Locations -- Fix in Progress

Posted: November 20th, 2008, 4:01pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

Numerous (10) Google Maps users are complaining that they are reliant upon Google Maps but the "Saved Locations" is empty even though some have saved 50 locations or so. Addresses are hard to remember by the human mind, so why is Google forgetting them too?

Fortunately, not all locations are lost. After the problem was reported by 10 different individuals, Maps Guide Mike jumped in on the thread, and as of early this morning, said that Google is working on a fix. Therefore, if you're having the problem too, hang on tight; Google is working on it. If all else fails, you can always join the forum discussion at Google Groups.

As a side note, a number of users relying on Google Maps Mobile are having a problem accepting the license agreement. What does this mean for them? They can't use the application. A relevant discussion is ongoing at Google Groups.

Google Image Search Now Shares LIFE Photo Archive

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 3:36pm CET by Tamar Weinberg

Tags: Other Google Topics

This is pretty awesome stuff for history photo enthusiasts. Google has shared great information that it is now hosting a never-seen-before LIFE photo archive. The LIFE photo archive photographs date back to the 1750s!

Stunning? Absolutely. And fascinating, too. One forum member even questions whether some of the photographs themselves are legit: "does a full frontal of a 1-2 year old boy qualify as kiddie pic? Is it legal to publish that online?" I suppose it's art and acceptable.

The next question is whether Google (or LIFE, I suppose) will give people rights to distribute these photos. I'm sure they can be used in a lot of great articles.

Forum discussion continues at WebmasterWorld.

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Posted: March 11th, 2010, 2:46pm CET by rustybrick

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