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Firefox 3.0 beta release adds security, search	20 November 2007
Mozilla has released a beta version of Firefox 3.0, moving its next-generation browser one step closer to general release.Close to 75,000 developers have been testing early "alpha" versions of Firefox 3.0 code for several months now, but this first beta release of the code, unveiled Tuesday, should open up the software to a much larger group of testers, said Mike Schroepfer, Mozilla's vice president of engineering. "The move from alpha to beta typically means that we've hit a point of quality where we believe the browser is usable as a daily browser," he said. "For us, it's a step up in terms of getting closer toward the final release."Schroepfer expects a second beta to follow by year's end, followed by a final beta 3 update in early 2008. By the time the finished product is unveiled, sometime in 2008, the team hopes to have close to half a million users testing its software.One of the big changes with Firefox 3.0 is an overhaul of the way the browser bookmarks and keeps track of browsing history. With this new feature, called Places, browsing history will now be stored in a database, meaning that it will be much easier for Firefox users to search for sites they've visited. "Because of the new Places infrastructure, we're able to store a much larger component of your history," Schroepfer said.And the browser will now be able to search what is being typed into the address bar to see if it's relevant to previous Web visits. For example, someone who had recently visited a Web page entitled "Review of 2008 Toyota Prius," could type "Prius" into the address bar and would be directed to the review page.Security has also taken a front seat with Firefox 3.0.The browser is now integrated with Google's database of known malicious Web sites and will warn users before they visit sites that are considered to be dangerous.And Firefox's download manager is now better integrated with anti-virus software, making it easier to spot malicious files before they are placed on the desktop. The browser will no longer allow add-ons to be downloaded from insecure sites, mending a practice that could have serious security ramifications, according to some.Much of the hardest work has been under the hood, however. Firefox sports a new HTML rendering engine, called Gecko 1.9, that will make it perform better in the graphically rich Web 2.0 world, where developers are trying to find new ways of running software whether the PC is connected to the Internet or not. "You won't see those as a user right away," Schroepfer said. "But you'll see Web applications do more interesting things and run more quickly in Firefox over time."
SEO Software - Important Features	14 November 2007
SEO software or search engine optimization software can help you climb up the search engine ladder faster than a mouse being chased by a cheetah. It is of great importance as an internet marketer to rank high in search terms relevant to your niche.
Update: Yahoo settles Chinese dissident lawsuit	13 November 2007
Jailed Chinese dissidents have settled a lawsuit they filed earlier this year against Yahoo in which they alleged the Internet company should be held accountable for their imprisonment and torture.The settlement comes after Yahoo executives last week went to Capitol Hill to apologize to family members of the dissidents and to get a tongue-lashing by lawmakers for the company's role in the jailings.On Tuesday, the company and the plaintiffs settled, ending the lawsuit that was filed in April in U.S. District Court for the California Northern District.In their joint stipulation filed with the court, the parties said they had agreed to dismiss with prejudice all claims "based on a private settlement understanding." In addition, Yahoo agreed to cover the plaintiffs' legal costs.The document doesn't contain any other details about the settlement agreement.The dissidents remain in jail, which is obviously something that this settlement doesn't resolve, said Theresa Harris, international justice project director at the World Organization for Human Rights USA, the Washington, D.C., group representing the plaintiffs.By settling the case under terms they consider fair, the families of the plaintiffs can focus all their energies on helping their loved ones regain their freedom, Harris said.In a written statement, Yahoo said it will provide "financial, humanitarian and legal support to these families" and create a separate "humanitarian relief fund" for other dissidents and their families."After meeting with the families, it was clear to me what we had to do to make this right for them, for Yahoo and for the future," Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang said in the statement, adding that Yahoo is committed to matching its actions with its values worldwide.Although this particular lawsuit has been settled, Yahoo and other Internet companies will continue grappling with the larger problem: complying with local laws and regulations that may violate human rights and freedom of speech.Shareholders, human rights groups, press freedom watchdogs and lawmakers have turned on the heat on Yahoo, Google and other U.S.-based Internet companies for what they consider questionable policies abroad.Some of these practices are providing information to governments so that they can hound individuals and curtail their freedom of expression, as well as censoring search-engine results that governments find politically objectionable.In late August, Yahoo requested that the court dismiss the case with its chief argument being that the U.S. justice system was the wrong venue for the case."This is a lawsuit by citizens of China imprisoned for using the Internet in China to express political views in violation of China law. It is a political case challenging the laws and actions of the Chinese government. It has no place in the American courts," the 51-page filing read.After stating that Yahoo "deeply sympathizes with the plaintiffs and their families and does not condone the suppression of their rights and liberty by their government," the company stated that it and its Chinese subsidiaries must comply with the laws of China.The plaintiffs had argued in their lawsuit that Yahoo and Yahoo Hong Kong Ltd. violated a series of U.S. and international laws by providing information to the Chinese government that led to the arrest and torture of journalists Wang Xiaoning and Shi Tao.The plaintiffs sought, among other things, awards of a variety of damages; declaration that the defendants violated international law; a requirement that the defendants actively help to secure the release of detained plaintiffs; and an injunction barring the defendants from "any further disclosures of user information" to prevent future abuses.Last week, Representative Tom Lantos, a California Democrat and chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, ripped into Yang over Yahoo's role in the case.During the hearing, Lantos also blasted Yahoo General Counsel Michael Callahan for testimony Callahan gave last year to Congress about the jailing of the dissidents.This story was updated on November 13, 2007
Opposition to Google's DoubleClick deal mounting	07 November 2007
For some privacy advocates, Google's proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick represents a major threat.Privacy groups such as Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), which have raised red flags ever since Google announced its planned acquisition in mid-April, are finding new support this week. The acquisition would marry the leading Internet search provider with a huge provider of display advertising, a "merger of two No. 1's," said Jeffrey Chester, CDD's executive director.On Tuesday, a group of 12 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives called for hearings on the merger. The 12 sent a letter to Rep. Bobby Rush, the Democratic chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, saying they are concerned over the privacy implications of the merger."Google and DoubleClick would have one of the largest search query databases with one of the world's largest online user behavioral profile databases," said the letter, signed by Rep. Cliff Stearns, of Florida, the senior Republican on the subcommittee, Rep. Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican and former speaker of the House, and 10 others. "The privacy implications of such a merger are enormous, and without an in-depth examination, we and the American public will not fully understand what all of those implications are."In addition to the congressional letter, the American Antitrust Institute, which generally opposes large mergers, released a position paper opposing the DoubleClick deal on competition grounds. The merger "short-circuits what otherwise was shaping up to be a healthy competition between two market-leading firms in each other's core markets," the group said.A Google spokesman suggested privacy concerns about online advertising are broader than the DoubleClick acquisition. Last week, at a U.S. Federal Trade Commission workshop on online targeted advertising, FTC commissioner Jon Leibowitz noted that an FTC review of the DoubleClick acquisition was focused on competition issues, not privacy."Google has taken a number of industry-leading steps to improve privacy for our users, and the success of the DoubleClick acquisition depends on our retaining our users' trust," said Google spokesman Adam Kovacevich. "We think that Congress would be best served by taking an industry-wide look at the issue, just as the FTC did at last week's town hall."Google officials have repeatedly defended its privacy record, saying that their company was one of the first to announce it would anonymize the captured IP addresses of its users, in Google's case after 18 months. In addition, DoubleClick doesn't own the user data when it serves advertisements to client Web sites; instead the Web sites own the data, said Nicole Wong, Google's deputy general counsel, speaking last week at a U.S. Federal Trade Commission workshop on targeted online advertising.Users can access many Google services without logging in, and Google constantly works on making its privacy policy easier to access and understand, Wong said. Google recently posted videos on YouTube explaining its privacy policy, she added."Our users' trust and their privacy are critical to our business," Wong said at the FTC workshop. "Our users are free to pick up and leave, and because of that, we have to work every day, on every product, to earn their trust and their business."Privacy concerns about the DoubleClick deal aren't going away, however.CDD, EPIC, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) filed an 11-page complaint about the Google-DoubleClick merger with the FTC on April 20. CDD and US PIRG filed a supplemental complaint about industry-wide privacy practices on Thursday, as the FTC opened its two-day workshop on online behavioral advertising."There are profound consequences to the outcome of this deal," said CDD's Chester. "We have to have safeguards here."Google has largely avoided commenting on the specific complaints, which fall generally into three categories:-- Google and DoubleClick would hold a huge database of information about Internet users.The acquisition "will give one company access to more information about the Internet activities of consumers than any other company in the world," CDD, EPIC, and US PIRG said in their April complaint. "Moreover, Google will operate with virtually no legal obligation to ensure the privacy, security, and accuracy of the personal data it collects."Google officials have in part disputed those claims by saying DoubleClick doesn't own data on users and by saying its anonymization of IP addresses after 18 months will protect privacy.-- Secondly, privacy groups complain that Google isn't transparent about what privacy information it collects. The April complaint noted that Google does not explain that it saves users' search terms in connection with their IP addresses on its privacy policy highlights page, but Google does explain what information it collects in a link on that page. Google's layered privacy policy is organized the way it is so that it's easy for readers to digest, Wong said.Google tries to make its privacy policies sound like they're not written in lawyer-speak, she added. Her work on the privacy policies was "an exercise in creative writing I haven't had since graduate school," she said.-- Finally, privacy advocates say DoubleClick has a record of questionable information collection practices. EPIC, in February 2000, filed an FTC complaint saying the company was illegally tracking the online activities of Internet users with detailed personal profiles contained in a national marketing database. In March 2000, DoubleClick issued a statement saying the merged database was a mistake. In January 2001, the FTC reached an agreement with DoubleClick, in which the company agreed to disclose its tracking practices and to allow users to opt out of data collection.CDD's Chester said he will continue to push the privacy issue with the FTC and with other government officials. CDD and US PIRG filed an FTC complaint a year ago on targeted advertising in general, not focusing on Google.But the DoubleClick deal ratchets up the problems, he said. "The failure of Google to acknowledge that the merger poses unique privacy concerns illustrates a real deficit ... in Google's top management," he said. "They don't even acknowledge that there is a greater privacy concern."
Update: Google continues to boom in third quarter	18 October 2007
Google continues to grow revenue at a healthy clip, reporting an increase of almost 60 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year.Third-quarter revenue for the search giant reached $4.23 billion, up 57 percent over the same quarter last year.Net income for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 was $1.07 billion using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), compared to $733 million in the same quarter last year. On a non-GAAP basis, net income reached $1.24 billion in the third quarterEarnings per share on a non-GAAP basis were $3.91, beating analysts consensus as polled by First Call, which was $3.78.Google's core search advertising business, as well as expansion of services into international markets, drove growth, Google said. Revenue from outside of the United States was $2.03 billion, representing 48 percent of revenue in the quarter. That compares with 44 percent of revenue coming from international markets in the same quarter last year.Executives speaking during a conference call to discuss the earnings pointed to a number of areas where they expect to see continued growth, including mobile. The use of Google's mobile services, which include search, maps, and YouTube, is growing with some services doing particularly well in certain areas, such as Japan and Korea, said Larry Page, co-founder and president of products of Google.Many of the leading online services providers, including Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, have been jostling for a lead position in the emerging mobile Internet market. So far, none has emerged as a clear leader, but Google thinks that's about to change. "There's some evidence that we're becoming a leading mobile application provider, at least in certain segments," said Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google.The executives did not reveal any decisions about the company's participation in the upcoming U.S. 700MHz wireless spectrum auction or information on the rumored Google phone. Google is happy with the provisions the Federal Communications Commission put on the auction that will require auction winners to keep some of the spectrum open, Page said. But he wouldn't say whether Google had decided to bid. "We have many options available to us as a company in terms of spectrum and connectivity for people. I don't think we feel like there's a desperate need for us to have to bid to win," Page said.Likewise, the company doesn't have to build mobile phone software or hardware to be successful in the mobile market, said Sergey Brin, co-founder and president of technology at Google. The company hasn't commented on rampant speculation that it is developing a mobile phone or software for phones.During the conference call, Google also said it has high hopes for its new Gadget Ads capability. The technology allows advertisers to embed functions within their ads. For example, Nissan is running an advertisement that lets users type their ZIP code into the ad to get the local traffic report. Airlines are allowing users to enter a flight route and click on the ad to find results.The search giant is also seeing growth in its Google Apps suite. Institutions including the University of Phoenix and Northwestern University are offering Google Apps to students. New capabilities like presentations are helping to round out the package, Brin said.This story was updated on October 18, 2007
Save Your Website - Generate Traffic Posted By : Joshua Watson	17 October 2007
When people use the internet, they are very specific in their search terms and expectations. Placing your website in front of the right people at the right time will ensure your success.
2007 SAB ENVIRONMENTALIST AWARDS - WINNERS !!!	16 October 2007
2007 SAB ENVIRONMENTALIST AND ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTSOF THE YEAR AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED![Johannesburg, 11 October 2007] Green and brown issues took centre stage at the SAB Environmentalist of the Year and Environmental Journalists of the Year Awards which were held at the SAB World of Beer in Newtown.Andrew Muir, executive director of the Wilderness Foundation, was named Environmentalist of the Year and received the Nick Steele Memorial Award for his work. The award is given in honour of the late legendary game ranger Nick Steele, and honours an environmentalist who has promoted the cause of conservation and whose work will leave a legacy for years to come. The merit award in this category went to Joe Matimba, project manager at Food and Trees for Africa.Karl Ammann was named SAB Environmental Journalist in the broadcast category for his documentary The Cairo Connection, which was broadcast on SABC2’s 50/50. Ammann is one of the world’s top environmental journalists – he is already the winner of the prestigious Dolly Green Award for Artistic Achievement at the Genesis Awards, for his work on the illegal bush-meat trade in Cameroon. The Cairo Connection looks at the illegal smuggling of primates from Africa.Honoured alongside him as SAB Environmental Journalist in the print & internet category was Elise Tempelhoff of Beeld. The judges’ commended her for the huge amount of research that goes into her stories – some, like her article on the impact of gold mines in the West Rand on the environment, were investigated over a period of five years. Merit winners in the broadcast category were Anneliese Burgess for Heat and Running on Empty broadcast on SABC3’s Special Assignment; Liz Fish for SABC’s poignant The Spirit of the Mountain and Tekweni Television’s Sandra Herrington for her documentary on the illegal development at Kosi Bay.Print & internet merit winners were Jorisna Bonthuys of Die Burger for a body of work; Roberta Griffiths for the youth publication EnviroKids; freelancer Leoni Joubert, who has specialised in climate change in the South African context; Leon Marshall of The Star for a series on transfrontier-park development in Southern Africa, and Sophia Swanepoel and Laskarina Yiannakaris for the Eco Babe column in True Love Babe, which integrates green living into everyday lives rather than treat it like a fad.Along with the coveted title, the three category winners each took home R15 000. Merit winners received R2 000.In an effort to make the event more carbon-friendly, a tree will be planted in each guest’s name/on behalf of each guest? in Soweto as part of the 2010 Soweto Greening Project. There were a record number of 127 entries this year but according to the panel of judges, what was even more gratifying was the high standard of entries received for the awards. The judges were JP Louw; Jeunesse Park; “The Lion Man” Gareth Patterson; Dr Ian Player; Windsor Shuenyane and John Yeld.Says Tony van Kralingen, MD of SAB Limited: “We are both honoured and proud to see how the awards have gone from strength to strength over the past two decades, and become South Africa’s most prestigious accolade for journalists producing crucial environmental coverage. The number and quality of entries is a clear indication that the South African media are placing a stronger focus on environmental matters – and for this we commend them. As the gatekeepers and voice of our society, the media have a defining role to play in educating the public about the ever-increasing environmental challenges our country, and our world, face.”ENDSEditor’s Notes:The full list of winners of the 2007 SAB Environmentalist and Environmental Journalist of the Year Awards, including merit awards, are:The Nick Steele Memorial Award for the SAB Environmentalist of the YearAndrew MuirExecutive director of the Wilderness FoundationAndrew Muir is recognised as one of South Africa’s leading conservationists, who has raised over R200-million for conservation and social development programmes and who has had an impact on the lives of thousands of South Africans.Muir, during 20 years of concentrated work, has been actively linking environmental and social solutions at critical junctures in South Africa’s history. Concentrating on wild habitats, he has understood natural areas as a context for both social and environmental reform. Programmes that he initiated since 1987 have impacted on nearly 100 000 South Africans, dominated by those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. As an environmental activist and leader who targets community influencers – youth leaders, politicians and opinion leaders – Muir develops opportunities for extending socio-political perceptions (among youth during the apartheid era), reforming environmental legislation (opinion leader trails at birth of democratic governance), developing environmental awareness among emerging young black leaders (Imbewu trails led by previously unrecognised role models) and for activating a future for orphans of the Aids crisis (Umzi Wethu, an environmentally focused skills development initiative for job placement). In 2000, Muir joined the Wilderness Foundation as the executive director in South Africa. It aims to protect and sustain the African wilderness and wildlands through holistic and integrated conservation, social and educational programmes and political lobbying.He has a Masters Degree in Environment and Development from the University of Natal and serves on a number of non-profit and conservation boards. In addition, he is a co-founder and trustee of Usiko Rites of Passage, chairman of the Wilderness Leadership School Trust, board member of the WILD Foundation (US), associate of the Gaia Foundation (UK), director of the Board of Open Africa Initiative and Member and deputy chairperson of the Eastern Cape Provincial Parks Board. He has presented keynote addresses throughout the world.Environmentalist of the Year Merit AwardJoe MatimbaProject manager at Food and Trees for AfricaFood and Trees for Africa is the first and only national non-government, non-profit, greening organisation in South Africa. In 2006, 194 communities received 32 723 trees. Matimba’s contribution to the organisation is huge. He is involved in developing environmental upliftment and educational projects in communities and schools while working with schools, churches and youth organisations in greening initiatives and permaculture food gardening projects. He also promotes self-sustainable development, organic food production and environmental greening activities in schools, home-based care centres, hospices, prisons and communities, while promoting sustainable utilisation of natural resources for environmental, economic growth, educational, recreational, cultural, health and spiritual purposes. He also compiles reports for sponsors, and course and workshop educational materials for project members. SAB Environmental Journalist of the Year (Broadcast)Karl AmmannThe Cairo Connection50/50 SABC 2 Hundreds of primates – including Africa’s big apes, chimpanzees and gorillas – are being smuggled out of Africa. Ammann painstakingly researched and tracked the way these apes are being smuggled “legally” and illegally out of central Africa to the Middle East and then on to the rest of the world – this while some authorities are fully aware of what is going on. The programme was self-funded and not produced on the instruction of a particular broadcaster – the idea being to expose a terrible wrong, regardless of cost and effort. After the programme was aired on 50/50 the show received immense feedback from viewers, who were shocked and angry at what had been exposed. These included influential people with government connections in some African countries who requested copies to show abroad and possibly put pressure on those who can make a difference to the suffering of these defenceless wild animals. The judges felt that productions like The Cairo Connection endure in the mind of the viewing public and make a lasting impression regarding important environmental concerns. Broadcast Merit WinnersAnneliese BurgessHeat/Running on EmptySpecial Assignment SABC 3 Anneliese Burgess won this award for two of her programmes broadcast on Special Assignment – Heat, which looked at how global warming will affect South Africa, and Running on Empty, which focused on Marine and Coastal Management (MCM), one of the country’s most important environmental agencies, which has run out of money. The judges praised them for being “polished productions which got to the core of the issue and are immensely thought-provoking. They importantly underline that environmental issues are not separate to human issues and that when we speak about the environment we are also speaking about our own survival”.Liz FishThe Spirit of the MountainSABC 3 Lindela is raised in the Eastern Cape by his grandmother until being taken to Cape Town at the age of 12. His life is changed forever when he climbs Table Mountain. The lyrical story from this veteran anti-apartheid film maker is a quintessential SA story about the children, women and old people forgotten in the rural areas – and the pain of being abandoned. The story stood out because of the filmmaker’s ability to blend spirituality in an inspirational human-centred environmental story. The impact is an inspirational one for South Africa’s youth, reinforcing important links between young people, the environment and spirituality.Sandra HerringtonKosi Bay illegal developmentTekweni TelevisionThree years ago Sandra Herrington reported on the environmental degradation in the Kosi Bay area of the greater St Lucia Wetland Park. A revisit showed an area in serious trouble. More and more people are moving into the area and laying claim to the land. The programme examines whether it is possible to successfully accommodate communities inside a World Heritage site. The judges praised the programme for its vibrant portrayal of a pressing environmental issue. The production emphasises once again that environmental concerns of South Africa's coast, of which people are the core, cannot be ignored.SAB Environmental Journalist of the Year Print & InternetElise TempelhoffBeeldEnvironmental journalist for Beeld, Elize Tempelhoff, has won for her impressive body of work. The judges commended her for the huge amount of research that goes into her stories – like her article on the impact of gold mines in the West Rand on the environment were investigated over a period of five years. Tempelhoff’s tenacity has certainly paid off and she has convinced her editors to give her substantial editorial space over time. Elise also realises that follow up is an integral part of an environmental journalist’s work. Her stories have real impact in terms of showing results – some have been quoted in scientific articles by the CSIR, which has also used them in presentations. Other issues she has focused on during the past year include the search for cheap coal in South Africa’s vulnerable wetlands and the story of the controversial De Hoop Dam. Tempelhoff presented a paper “A Story of Two Dams” on the De Hoop Dam and the Nandoni Dam in Finland in June.Print & Internet Merit winners:Jorisna BonthuysDie BurgerJorisna Bonthuys’ body of work examines the impact of biodiversity losses involving the habitat, agriculture and climate change as well as policy issues and the impact they have on both humans and ecosystems. Articles focused on the impact of development decisions and the continued pressure on water sources and biodiversity along the South Coast; rooibos tea farming in the country and mining in the Richtersveld. The judges said: “Bonthuys’ commitment to the issues she covers really stands out in her work. She clearly does a huge amount of research, which she is able to synthesise into a very readable whole.” Roberta GriffithsEnviroKidsFor nearly three decades EnviroKids (previously Toktokkie magazine) has strived to promote environmental awareness and education among children. It’s published quarterly by the Wildlife and Environmental Society of SA and plays a strong role in environmental education. It produces stimulating articles that are easily understood by first- and second-language readers. The magazine content is in demand by school text book publishers and four themes have been reprinted at the request of government agencies for their own use. The judges regard the magazine as “a real investment in the future” and believe that the presentation meets the needs of young people and is both informative and entertaining. Leoni JoubertFreelanceLeoni Joubert’s interest in climate change began with a trip to Marion Island in 2003 to study its impact on the natural environment of this remote sub-Antarctic wilderness. She went on to write a series of articles also focusing on climate change in South Africa. The result was Scorched: SA’s Changing Climate, which was published in November 2006 by Wits University Press. Since the launch, she has been commissioned to write articles on the subject for many different titles. The judges said “her work is remarkable in terms of the depth and breadth of material covered. She explains climate change in the South African context relating it to the global concern for this phenomenon”. Leon MarshallThe StarThe three articles that won Leon Marshall a merit award are representative of a series the journalist did on transfrontier park development in Southern Africa. The series has dealt with the tough realities of trying to put the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park together, the resounding success of Kgalagadi and the dream of one day having a continuous parkland reading from SA’s Augrabies National Park along the entire coast of Namibia and across the Kunene to include Angola’s Iona Park. The judges’ felt Marshall shows “an innate ability to take a subject and research it very thoroughly then communicate it in a very reader friendly understandable way. He has trailblazed some very important issues that others have then picked up on”.Sophia Swanepoel and Laskarina YiannakarisEco Babe Column, True Love Babe The magazine realised that many young consumers in their target market were ill aware of environmental concerns and that green issues were not regarded as very “glam”. Against this background Sophia Swanepoel and Laskarina Yiannakaris – both avid environmentalists – started a monthly column to gradually create awareness and understanding of earth crises. They believe it is important to integrate green living into everyday lives rather than treat it like a fad. The judges were knocked out. “It’s fun! They’re reaching a new market in a really accessible way, and people who will be very influential in the future.”Media queriesHannalie CoetzeeDlamini Weil CommunicationsHannalie@dwcs.co.za011 804-1485
What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? By Definition for Newbies	17 September 2007
Search engine optimization (SEO) by the definition is actually an organic or algorithmic process helping to improve the quality and volume traffic of your web site from search engines, producing best search results. Its goal is to present this site to higher ranking from the search engines. The fact is, the higher the ranking of your site, the higher chances of getting more visitors, resulting to higher results in terms of sales and affiliates program performance. Search results are based on choices of keywords, contents and including images on your website. As you know, internet users, search and look for information from the search engines' search box using keywords relevant to what they are looking for. So choosing the right keywords for optimization is also critical to your goal of getting higher ranking and best search results.
Programming less	28 November 2007
A programming lesson I keep relearning. The design of the central data structure of an app determines the quality of the app, in every way. Any extra thought that goes into this, will pay off in: 1. Maintainability of the code. 2. Size of the code (you'll write less code with a well thought-out central data structure). 3. Simplicity of the user interface (the structure inevitably shows through in the UI). 4. Ability to respond to feature requests. 5. Adapt to new hardware, OS changes, other apps. 6. More "it just works" experiences. This is why it's sometimes the right thing to start over from scratch. Programmers often want to start over because they look at the code and it looks complicated, and they think they can make it simpler if they start over. They're right, of course, it will be simpler when they start over, because it won't do nearly as much as the mature product does. Once they finish building out the feature set, it may well be just as complicated. It's a judgement call. I remember looking at the source of Unix kernel for the first time as a grad student in Wisconsin, and being amazed at the simplicity and obviousness of the code. I couldn't believe something so simple actually worked. Your code at its kernel level must have this simplicity. But at the edges, where you're accomdating the minds of users, inevitably it gets a little messy. The key thing to look for is how hard is it to add a completely new feature. It should be easy to do that. If it's not, it's likely because of a poorly organized (and therefore not well-understood) central data structure. I've rewritten apps many times, over many years, because when I wrote the first or second versions, I didn't understand the problem well enough, and the code had turned into a morass of patches and workarounds. Right now I'm recoding the internals of a special-purpose aggregator. I've written many of these, over the years, always quickly, trying to get something running fast, and then lived with data structures that resulted. This time I'm going slowly and carefully, with an installed base of one (me) and ripping up the pavement whenever I find even a slightly better way of doing something. I have other users who are waiting, but that's life. 5/7/97: "When a programmer catches fire it's because he or she groks the system, its underlying truth has been revealed."
Higher Royalty Rates Are Killing AOL and Yahoo's Web Radio Stations	28 November 2007
The recent hike in royalty rates for internet radio stations put many smaller stations out of business. Now it looks as though it will also kill AOL and Yahoo's radio services, which the two companies spent hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire.