Fri, 2008-Sep-5 by nmw.

How will Google be making out with its users when they fire up an instance of chrome?

Will the hash be open or closed? Will the URLs that Google is tracking remain top secret?

I have asked on Matt Cutts’ blog…

and I received no response — and that means (to me): people who want Google tracking their every move should go ahead and install Google Chrome. People who prefer to remain untracked (and free from Google’s soliciting practices) would do well to “wait and see”.

Especially because there doesn’t seem to be any compelling advantage to download and install Google software on your personal computer (and therefore all of the privacy organization alarm bells are ringing loud and clear).

But suit yourself — just don’t come back and say I didn’t tell you so (because that’s what I just did! ;) ….

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Wed, 2008-Jul-23 by nmw.

Yesterday

ah, all that business seems so far away! :D — So what do I recommend for “summer reading”? How about Groundswell? I am happy that MWJV has received a personalized copy of this book ( via the very influential Susan Bratton ;) ! OK, before you start calling me a shill, let me explain why I think you should read Charlene Li’s book.

I agree

( First of all: note I haven’t read all of the book yet — and so if you would like to read it for me and then tell me what you think of it, then please: be my guest! ;)

But second of all, I have read and been inspired by Ms. Li’s work over the years, and especially (third of all): Charlene’s interview with Susan was very interesting and insightful ( and maybe even a little revealing ;)…. The crux of Mrs. Li’s research lies at the intersection of people with technology — and this is basically what language is all about (indeed: it is very closely related to issues raised in the Wisdom of the Language article) — language is the technology we use to communicate how we understand the world we live in (and [according to Chomsky] it’s actually deeply intertwined with our nature [as human beings] — in other words: language is the quintessential “hermeneutic tool”).

The reason why I am eager to read Charlene’s book is to learn more about the those aspects of the intersection of people and technology which are apparently independent of language (and many of these, I feel, may very well be addressed in the book). Currently the book is making its rounds through the office, and I have already set it on my “Indian Summer” reading list — and I look forward to poring over all of the nitty-gritty details!

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Sun, 2008-Jun-15 by nmw.

For a good time, call: http://bargains.at/domainermeeting

( Use the link above to arrange an appointment to discuss collaborative opportunities, deals, share stories, whatever. :)

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Fri, 2008-Jun-13 by nmw.

A little over a month ago I commented on Paul Krugman’s blog — he wrote about the “fruits of globalization” (and that is something I have spent well over 3 decades discussing with my father).

My comment on his blog was not about the “fruits of globalization” per se — but rather about the fact that the PDF he mentioned cost less via Amazon.COM than via the publisher of the book itself.

I don’t know why my comment wasn’t printed — it probably tipped off some kind of spam-filter because I didn’t use PG-13 talk or something like that. But even my poor language or the censorship of reader comments by some pencil-pusher at the New York Times are not what this is about, either. So now you may be thinking (or even crying out loud):

Where’s the beef?!?

Oh — sorry about that, chief. Well, last week while I wasn’t looking, Mr. Krugman pulled a fast one — he wrote something that I know something about while I wasn’t watching! :O

Oh, well, too late now. It’s all over now, baby blue. This may be the last time — I don’t know. Give my regards to Esther Dyson — I think she’s onto something (probably because she was 10 years ahead of the market about 5 years ago; 20 years ahead of the market 10 years ago — maybe someday we’ll catch up with her).

I’d sure like to….

btw: look NYT — no links!

:D nmw

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Wed, 2008-Jun-11 by nmw.

“What Taylor did for the work of the hand, Google is doing for the work of the mind.”

Not quite: Google is simply sitting back and counting the money.

See the Hard Copy in the Current Atlantic Monthly

I’ll bet advertisers will be happier if you take the printed copy to the beach rather than just skimming the article online.

Why I’ll give you a link even though Mr. Carr’s article currently does not permit comments.

Because I want you to travel lightly through time and space.

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Mon, 2008-Jun-9 by nmw.

This is a thread to discuss “The Wisdom of the Language“.

Please join in the discussion!

:) nmw

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Sun, 2008-Jun-1 by nmw.

Why did GOOG shares recently fall about 5% overnight?

It seems like hardly anyone even noticed that it happened. Even more remarkable (sort of) is the fact that Google’s own “finance” site did not show any news which might help explain why it happened (I find Google’s launch of another “health” property does not suffice to explain very much).

So I did some research

It turns out, Microsoft (MSFT) announced its “Cash Back” program the next morning — so I assume perhaps some people on Wall Street were betting on rumors they might have heard regarding the new program (and/or its announcement).

When will Google launch Google BS?

But things get even curioser and curiouser! I did a “Google News” search — currently, the top result for “Microsoft Cash” includes a video hosted on youtube.com ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSS4xuwuMLE ) that has nothing to do with the Microsoft announcement, but displays the Google logo prominently at the beginning and repeatedly throughout the video (see this screenshot) What a laughable “search engine”!

Why did Wall Street sell GOOG on the MSFT news?

This is particularly intriguing — especially because the tech news reporting was quite reserved about Microsoft’s “new & improved” approach. Perhaps investors have a different view about the direction the tech market is headed than do tech analysts? “Fascinating!”…

PS / Addendum: I notice that I can no longer replicate the split-second flash of the Google logo at the beginning of the video (perhaps this was a “bug” at Google News?) — indeed: very curious….

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Mon, 2008-Apr-28 by nmw.

What is an Advertisement?

I admit that on a very basic level, I do not understand “advertising” at all — I mean: what is the difference between an ad and so-called “content”? An ad is content too, isn’t it? Isn’t everything content?

Commercial Search Engines for Advertisements?

I know that such search engines exist: Google itself will let you search exclusively through its index of “sponsored links“. Likewise, YouTube can also be used as a layman’s “spot search tool”. Will people eventually start searching more through such special vertical indexes? I suppose so. Indeed: Keyword domain names lend themselves very well as professional business directories — they allow users to focus their attention on the exact information (and in that sense, direct navigation is a very crucial “user behavior” — and on that is increasingly becoming tracked more and more).

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