I came across a new Google+ YouTube video recently and was reminded of a cool feature; while not necessarily new I still thought I would bring it to your attention and also share the video as it’s pretty heart warming.
As shown in the video, you have the opportunity to instantly upload any pictures you take with your mobile phone. As soon as you snap a shot it is sent to an album of your choice on your Google+ profile. Users might be concerned that sensitive pictures (like baby photos as shown in the video) are exposed to the public but you have the ability to change privacy settings and then later re-allocate the pictures to albums of your choice. This allows your pictures to be stored safe and securely even if you lose the device they were taken on, pretty neat right?
Google have teamed their product Google Places with Zagat to create Google+ Local, a simple and efficient way to share and discover local knowledge using reviews and maps. Let’s say I had just arrived in New York and stepped outside my hotel wanting to try a pizzeria, using Google+ Local and a quick search of “pizzeria” I am presented with all the pizza establishments close to my current location along with reviews for each one. Thankfully this service is not restricted to mobile devices and is accessible via the desktop version of Google+ here, useful if you are planning to visit a location and want to check out reviews on businesses before you get there as you can set a location of your choice when carrying out a search.
So where do these reviews come from? The short answer is you. The internet is now saturated with review websites allowing the public to see what others think of a product, service or place before trying it out for themselves; the amazing thing is that this has become an online culture and people are willing to leave reviews for free generally without incentives. This is where Zagat comes in, using previous reviews left on the website before this partnership Google+ Local already has a database to offer to it’s users without having to frantically encourage it’s members to start leaving their own reviews. A scale system 0f 0 to 3 is used across different categories depending on what type of business is being reviewed (Atmosphere in a restaurant for example) and then multiplied by 10 to gain averages when compared against many reviewers scores. Upon completion of the review you are also given the opportunity to share it on Google+ to circles of your choice, an excellent (or negative) promotional feature for the business in question. I am just curious to what has happened to the original Google Places 5 star reviews…
Zagat's simple review system.
So after reading this I imagine a lot of you are quietly thinking, “Well this just sounds like a clone of Foursquare with an achievement system missing”. I am a loyal Google+ user but I would have to agree with you, I can’t see much difference apart from the fact that Google+ is a much larger medium to share information with and Google Places was already well established. I can’t see myself moving from Foursquare to Google+ Local due to the perk system offered by the former, perhaps Google will encourage their Google Places for Business users to start offering coupons or vouchers of some sort. Will you guys be using this new update?
Not too much has been happening in the world of Google+ recently but on Tuesday (April 24th) Google’s developers introduced a Google+ Share button. The basic idea is that while browsing content around the web you have the ability to share content to your Google+ stream without having to leave a +1 on the site. The idea might seem a pointless practice at first glance but Google (as always) have their reasons for the feature. Let’s say you were reading a controversial article about negative war practices for example, you wanted to share the article with your circles but at the same time did not wish to appear insensitive on the topic by giving a +1, the Share button gives you an opportunity to do this.
What is your opinion on the new button?
There have been a few Google+ users who are sceptical about the feature either claiming that it’s functionality isn’t different enough to have it’s own button separate to the standard +1 or that introducing an additional button will cause poor interface usability experiences. Cihan Demiral commented on the official Google+ Developer post the following -
“All right, let me get this straight: When you click on the +1 button, it lets you share via a pop-up — now we’ve got another button that only lets you share content, sans +1-ing it. Correct? Fantastic. You could’ve made it so upon clicking a +1 button, it would give you the usual sharing pop-up, but there could be a +1 button right next to that green ‘Share’ button; that +1 button I proposed would also function as ‘Close’ — ‘+1 and close this pop-up’. Boom, ~5kb less js on every page on the internet and, more importantly, less confusion about the functionality of G+. But no, it would be too simple. You’re right. Congrats.”
A discussion also took place in the official AdWords community on whether introducing the button would create too much clutter within threads - http://www.en.adwords-community.com/t5/Community-lounge/The-new-G-Share-Button/m-p/18617
I think it will be interesting to see whether websites make use of the Share button or simply leave it alone, what are your opinions on it?
Hey everyone, I thought I would freshen up the blog a little by introducing a guest poster. There is an amusing yet interesting trend on Google+ at the moment so I happened to stumble upon a great post by Spencer Cartwright who has kindly agreed to write about the topic:
“Yesterday (11th April) 204 days since Google+ opened its doors to the general public, the coolest social network received its first major makeover. The reaction has been very postive and it is clear that Google has been listening to its users. The new look Google+ interface boosts a customisable toolbar (Ribbon), a reformated comments and post interation area, a bigger emphasis on multimedia in posts and a general tidying up of the screen. However, one issue that dominated discussions yesterday was the increase in unused screen space, dubbed whitespace. So much chatter was generated that the #usesofwhitespace and #useofwhitespace hastags rapidly climbed into the top five trending topics for Google+. The whitespace is a result of the main conversation feed (Stream) has been moved over to the left which means if you’re viewing Google+ on a widescreen monitor (and who isn’t these days?) you have almost half your screen unused. To be fair, when you’re at the top of your Stream, there are useful elements such as the list of trending topics and contact suggestions. This has prompted many innovative suggestions for the bright white area of your screen. Many posts have appeared with people using it to illuminate x-rays, to rest their iPad against and to hang strips of bacon from (I kid you not!).
However, in the meantime, I would like to suggest some more practical uses for this space So here are my five top ideas for what they’re thinking: 1) Dockable window/pop-out for Hangouts - How cool will it be to have video chat going on while monitoring the Stream? 2) The return of YouTube - The YouTube player tab is no more, but the whitespace gives a great area for it to return to. 3) Custom Stream/Search - The ability to set up a second stream based on a custom search. You could keep your eye on a trending topic while still following the general conversations. 4) Widget area - As Google services become more integrated, the space could accomodate your stocks and weather widgets, your gmail notifications and Google Calendar. Think about how an iGoogle homepage looks. 5) Split pane - Have the stream on the left and the ability to open your Circles screen, photos or a game in the right hand area. True social media multitasking. It would be awesome to have your photos open on the right and then drag them directly into the Stream to create a new post. I can guarantee that those clever people at Google have already got ideas of what they’re are going to do with this space. All the designers will be working on widescreen monitors and they all know about good design. So there is no way the unused screen area hasn’t gone unnoticed. We are just going to have to be patient and wait and see. One final thought, this whitespace has arisen because of an efficient design by the Google team. To have all this functionality at our fingertips, for it to be intuitive and still have room to spare on the screen, I think is a testament to the skill of the Google+ team.”
Spencer Cartwright is an educator with a passion for the use of technology in the classroom. You can follow him on Google+ via his personal profile (bitly.com/spencermc) or his ICT blog (bitly.com/spenceict), on Twitter (@spenceict) or on his website www.spenceict.co.uk
April 12th, 2012 by Scott Dunroe | Permalink
When was the last time you saw a Facebook commercial while watching your television at home? I’m not sure whether it’s the same case outside of the United Kingdom but I’m fairly confident there has never been one aired here. The same goes for that of MySpace, Twitter and all the other mainstream social networks; yet to my surprise a commercial about Google+ appeared on my TV screen during an ad break this weekend, something unexpected in the social networking world as surely the best form of marketing would be… social.
So the main question that springs to mind is: Why? Why are Google pushing their new social network on British television? I imagine the initial reaction made by Facebook supporters and many other bloggers will be, “IT’S BECAUSE GOOGLE+ IS A FAILURE!” But I don’t believe this is the case. In the past we have discussed Google+’s initial growth in comparison to other social networks so I don’t think this is the concern, Obi Felten (Google’s EMEA director of consumer marketing) touched upon one of the reasons being that they wanted to rekindle the interest of original beta users who have missed out on all the updates released since June last year.
The commercial involves a touching life story of how one man progresses through family life as Google+ is used to record the most significant moments. Obi commented: “We realised we needed to drive awareness and show how Google+ is relevant and meaningful to people’s lives as it’s not easy to understand in one sentence – the best way to educate people about a product is to demonstrate it.” I was sceptical when first seeing the commercial but Obi’s comment clarified the need for a television ad; when trying to explain what Google+ is to people I always recommended that they check out the interactive demo for themselves, allowing the public to see it used first hand on their own television screens is probably one of the best ways to generate awareness for the product. I wouldn’t say this is a survival attempt by Google but instead an effort to push forward further, while still being around 750 million users behind Facebook we must remember that the social network is incredibly young and is growing at an exceptionally fast rate despite this.
March 14th, 2012 by Scott Dunroe | Permalink
Google+ Hangouts have had a lot of focus recently with regards to changes and updates being made to the exclusive Google+ feature. The most recent should be an asset to both businesses and regular users alike as another product is merged onto the social network. Google Docs is now accessible from within a hangout allowing users to share and edit files while being able to discuss them face to face at the same time. It is amazing that such a useful tool is being provided as a free service, one that could revolutionise online conference calls where business people originally would have to all open their individual copies of files and try to follow along in sync. The main features include:
The ability to either create a brand new document from scratch (ideal for brainstorming) or to open an existing document from your profile to share with others.
Easily switch between multiple documents at once meaning that comparisons can be made rather than being restricted to one document at a time.
The feature is placed within a collapsible sidebar meaning that there is plenty of room to edit the document while still keeping the principle Hangout features.
There is already (unsurprisingly) plenty of support from the Google+ community for this new update, I could definitely foresee businesses making the transition to Google’s social network purely for the free functionality of this new feature.
February 27th, 2012 by Scott Dunroe | Permalink
In the middle of September I created a post discussing how the three political leaders of the UK (David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg) had joined Google+ in order to build on their media presence. Google’s social network was new and fairly unknown at the time making it surprising that these individuals (or the public relation people behind them) recognised the future value in creating Google+ profiles.
Both Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have maintained updated profiles which allow the public to actively interact with their posts and media published. This gives the political leaders some sort of indication on what the Google+ community think of their thoughts and actions making it an excellent testing ground when used correctly. David Cameron’s last update was at the beginning of October making it clear that he (or his PR) were quick to give up on the social network; yet it’s interesting to note that he is still in more people’s circles than the other two party leaders, perhaps this proves that it’s worth having the Google+ presence regardless of whether a celebrity of influential figure is going to keep their profile updated. David Cameron can always return to that profile at a key time to promote himself and essentially target almost 140,000 people at the touch of a button.
By now you have most likely seen different famous icons from around the world join the ever growing social network but to keep relative to the subject I want to bring it to attention that Labour’s London mayoral candidate, Ken Livingstone, has joined Google+. The account has only recently been created so it will be interesting to monitor how the profile is used from a candidate’s perspective, what sort of success will be gained and whether it can have an impact during and leading up to the election period. These factors will depend on how effective Ken Livingstone manages the profile and whether he fully utilises Google+’s excellent features to interact directly with the British public, we have already seen Barack Obama address his nation live using Google+ Hangouts and constantly reach out to the public via posts.
February 15th, 2012 by Scott Dunroe | Permalink
While not strictly Google+ related I thought this excellent news definitely needed a mention. Over the last month I was given the great privilege and opportunity of creating “AdWords Wiki” articles in preparation to contribute them to the new Google AdWords community. This brand new site was released today and I suggest that all AdWords users (both new and old) check it out as it’s an excellent source of information. The AdWords Pros, Top Contributors and regular users from the original AdWords Help forum will be at the heart of this new community ensuring that knowledge is shared and all questions are answered concerning Adwords.
I hope you visit the new site and like what you see, it’s always good to meet new users and to help out with your AdWords related questions!
January 30th, 2012 by Scott Dunroe | Permalink
Times have quickly changed and Google are now enabling teenagers as young as 13 to also join the ever growing social network. There are obviously always concerns about younger ones being exposed to the social world of the internet but this update has been released along with the introduction of additional security features that will help keep both younger and older users’ privacy protected. Some of these features include:
Sharing content - Teens will now be encouraged to consider their sharing decision when attempting to post outside of their circles, I imagine this will be in the form of some popup prompt asking the user whether they really want to do share the content to such a wide audience.
Hanging out with friends - This one might prove frustrating for some users but basically whenever a stranger joins a hangout from outside a teen’s circles then that teen will be temporarily removed from the hangout in an attempt to protect their identity. It’s not ideal for the teen getting kicked out of a flowing conversation every time someone joins but I imagine many of you parents reading this wouldn’t be too happy with strangers seeing your child on a webcam either.
Receiving notifications - Currently people outside your circles have the opportunity to communicate with you (unless your adjust your privacy settings). Teenagers by default will only be approachable by users who are already within their circles.
While not the most advanced of security features it’s still good to see that Google are taking some sort of action to protect younger users online, you have most likely heard at least one horrible story which was caused by strangers targeting children via social networks so this is definitely a serious issue to address. If you want to find out more about keeping yourself or your child protected then I suggest you check out Bradly Horowitz’s post regarding the changes and also the Google+ Safety Centre itself.
Okay, so the video may have confused you a little but Your World is basically a social twist on the search results provided by Google. Enabling the “personalised” view of search results allows data from Google+ to be inserted into the list giving you an insight on how your friends / contacts are related to particular search terms.
Searching “Liverpool football club” for example might show me a number of “personal results” alongside the standard search results; these may include pictures from albums, videos that have been shared or simply posts belonging to people within my Google+ circles. There is also the chance that Google+ profiles and pages are included within these personalised search results if they have a strong enough relation to what is being search for at the time, Liverpool football player profiles might be show in “Liverpool football club” search for example. This might seem a novelty feature but imagine searching for a product or holiday destination you are interested in and then realising your contacts already have experience with it, you then have the ability to browse their pictures and comments to assist you in making a decision while also having the potential to open a dialogue with one of those contacts.
There are already privacy concerns with regards to personal photos being displayed on Google’s search engine but I am confident that this is something Google will address after the history of privacy scandals we have seen other social networks face (book) in the past. People are also stating that this is something they don’t want to see during their standard usage of Google’s search network but this is no problem as users can simply select whether they want it included or not via a click of a button.
For those of you interested in Your World and Google+ then I would suggest checking out the following link for now - http://www.google.com/insidesearch/plus.html
I came across a new Google+ YouTube video recently and was reminded of a cool feature; while not necessarily new I still thought I would bring it to your attention and also share the video as it’s pretty heart warming.
As shown in the video, you have the opportunity to instantly upload any pictures you take with your mobile phone. As soon as you snap a shot it is sent to an album of your choice on your Google+ profile. Users might be concerned that sensitive pictures (like baby photos as shown in the video) are exposed to the public but you have the ability to change privacy settings and then later re-allocate the pictures to albums of your choice. This allows your pictures to be stored safe and securely even if you lose the device they were taken on, pretty neat right?
Google have teamed their product Google Places with Zagat to create Google+ Local, a simple and efficient way to share and discover local knowledge using reviews and maps. Let’s say I had just arrived in New York and stepped outside my hotel wanting to try a pizzeria, using Google+ Local and a quick search of “pizzeria” I am presented with all the pizza establishments close to my current location along with reviews for each one. Thankfully this service is not restricted to mobile devices and is accessible via the desktop version of Google+ here, useful if you are planning to visit a location and want to check out reviews on businesses before you get there as you can set a location of your choice when carrying out a search.
So where do these reviews come from? The short answer is you. The internet is now saturated with review websites allowing the public to see what others think of a product, service or place before trying it out for themselves; the amazing thing is that this has become an online culture and people are willing to leave reviews for free generally without incentives. This is where Zagat comes in, using previous reviews left on the website before this partnership Google+ Local already has a database to offer to it’s users without having to frantically encourage it’s members to start leaving their own reviews. A scale system 0f 0 to 3 is used across different categories depending on what type of business is being reviewed (Atmosphere in a restaurant for example) and then multiplied by 10 to gain averages when compared against many reviewers scores. Upon completion of the review you are also given the opportunity to share it on Google+ to circles of your choice, an excellent (or negative) promotional feature for the business in question. I am just curious to what has happened to the original Google Places 5 star reviews…
Zagat's simple review system.
So after reading this I imagine a lot of you are quietly thinking, “Well this just sounds like a clone of Foursquare with an achievement system missing”. I am a loyal Google+ user but I would have to agree with you, I can’t see much difference apart from the fact that Google+ is a much larger medium to share information with and Google Places was already well established. I can’t see myself moving from Foursquare to Google+ Local due to the perk system offered by the former, perhaps Google will encourage their Google Places for Business users to start offering coupons or vouchers of some sort. Will you guys be using this new update?
Not too much has been happening in the world of Google+ recently but on Tuesday (April 24th) Google’s developers introduced a Google+ Share button. The basic idea is that while browsing content around the web you have the ability to share content to your Google+ stream without having to leave a +1 on the site. The idea might seem a pointless practice at first glance but Google (as always) have their reasons for the feature. Let’s say you were reading a controversial article about negative war practices for example, you wanted to share the article with your circles but at the same time did not wish to appear insensitive on the topic by giving a +1, the Share button gives you an opportunity to do this.
What is your opinion on the new button?
There have been a few Google+ users who are sceptical about the feature either claiming that it’s functionality isn’t different enough to have it’s own button separate to the standard +1 or that introducing an additional button will cause poor interface usability experiences. Cihan Demiral commented on the official Google+ Developer post the following -
“All right, let me get this straight: When you click on the +1 button, it lets you share via a pop-up — now we’ve got another button that only lets you share content, sans +1-ing it. Correct? Fantastic. You could’ve made it so upon clicking a +1 button, it would give you the usual sharing pop-up, but there could be a +1 button right next to that green ‘Share’ button; that +1 button I proposed would also function as ‘Close’ — ‘+1 and close this pop-up’. Boom, ~5kb less js on every page on the internet and, more importantly, less confusion about the functionality of G+. But no, it would be too simple. You’re right. Congrats.”
A discussion also took place in the official AdWords community on whether introducing the button would create too much clutter within threads - http://www.en.adwords-community.com/t5/Community-lounge/The-new-G-Share-Button/m-p/18617
I think it will be interesting to see whether websites make use of the Share button or simply leave it alone, what are your opinions on it?
Hey everyone, I thought I would freshen up the blog a little by introducing a guest poster. There is an amusing yet interesting trend on Google+ at the moment so I happened to stumble upon a great post by Spencer Cartwright who has kindly agreed to write about the topic:
“Yesterday (11th April) 204 days since Google+ opened its doors to the general public, the coolest social network received its first major makeover. The reaction has been very postive and it is clear that Google has been listening to its users. The new look Google+ interface boosts a customisable toolbar (Ribbon), a reformated comments and post interation area, a bigger emphasis on multimedia in posts and a general tidying up of the screen. However, one issue that dominated discussions yesterday was the increase in unused screen space, dubbed whitespace. So much chatter was generated that the #usesofwhitespace and #useofwhitespace hastags rapidly climbed into the top five trending topics for Google+. The whitespace is a result of the main conversation feed (Stream) has been moved over to the left which means if you’re viewing Google+ on a widescreen monitor (and who isn’t these days?) you have almost half your screen unused. To be fair, when you’re at the top of your Stream, there are useful elements such as the list of trending topics and contact suggestions. This has prompted many innovative suggestions for the bright white area of your screen. Many posts have appeared with people using it to illuminate x-rays, to rest their iPad against and to hang strips of bacon from (I kid you not!).
However, in the meantime, I would like to suggest some more practical uses for this space So here are my five top ideas for what they’re thinking: 1) Dockable window/pop-out for Hangouts - How cool will it be to have video chat going on while monitoring the Stream? 2) The return of YouTube - The YouTube player tab is no more, but the whitespace gives a great area for it to return to. 3) Custom Stream/Search - The ability to set up a second stream based on a custom search. You could keep your eye on a trending topic while still following the general conversations. 4) Widget area - As Google services become more integrated, the space could accomodate your stocks and weather widgets, your gmail notifications and Google Calendar. Think about how an iGoogle homepage looks. 5) Split pane - Have the stream on the left and the ability to open your Circles screen, photos or a game in the right hand area. True social media multitasking. It would be awesome to have your photos open on the right and then drag them directly into the Stream to create a new post. I can guarantee that those clever people at Google have already got ideas of what they’re are going to do with this space. All the designers will be working on widescreen monitors and they all know about good design. So there is no way the unused screen area hasn’t gone unnoticed. We are just going to have to be patient and wait and see. One final thought, this whitespace has arisen because of an efficient design by the Google team. To have all this functionality at our fingertips, for it to be intuitive and still have room to spare on the screen, I think is a testament to the skill of the Google+ team.”
Spencer Cartwright is an educator with a passion for the use of technology in the classroom. You can follow him on Google+ via his personal profile (bitly.com/spencermc) or his ICT blog (bitly.com/spenceict), on Twitter (@spenceict) or on his website www.spenceict.co.uk
April 12th, 2012 by Scott Dunroe | Permalink
When was the last time you saw a Facebook commercial while watching your television at home? I’m not sure whether it’s the same case outside of the United Kingdom but I’m fairly confident there has never been one aired here. The same goes for that of MySpace, Twitter and all the other mainstream social networks; yet to my surprise a commercial about Google+ appeared on my TV screen during an ad break this weekend, something unexpected in the social networking world as surely the best form of marketing would be… social.
So the main question that springs to mind is: Why? Why are Google pushing their new social network on British television? I imagine the initial reaction made by Facebook supporters and many other bloggers will be, “IT’S BECAUSE GOOGLE+ IS A FAILURE!” But I don’t believe this is the case. In the past we have discussed Google+’s initial growth in comparison to other social networks so I don’t think this is the concern, Obi Felten (Google’s EMEA director of consumer marketing) touched upon one of the reasons being that they wanted to rekindle the interest of original beta users who have missed out on all the updates released since June last year.
The commercial involves a touching life story of how one man progresses through family life as Google+ is used to record the most significant moments. Obi commented: “We realised we needed to drive awareness and show how Google+ is relevant and meaningful to people’s lives as it’s not easy to understand in one sentence – the best way to educate people about a product is to demonstrate it.” I was sceptical when first seeing the commercial but Obi’s comment clarified the need for a television ad; when trying to explain what Google+ is to people I always recommended that they check out the interactive demo for themselves, allowing the public to see it used first hand on their own television screens is probably one of the best ways to generate awareness for the product. I wouldn’t say this is a survival attempt by Google but instead an effort to push forward further, while still being around 750 million users behind Facebook we must remember that the social network is incredibly young and is growing at an exceptionally fast rate despite this.
March 14th, 2012 by Scott Dunroe | Permalink
Google+ Hangouts have had a lot of focus recently with regards to changes and updates being made to the exclusive Google+ feature. The most recent should be an asset to both businesses and regular users alike as another product is merged onto the social network. Google Docs is now accessible from within a hangout allowing users to share and edit files while being able to discuss them face to face at the same time. It is amazing that such a useful tool is being provided as a free service, one that could revolutionise online conference calls where business people originally would have to all open their individual copies of files and try to follow along in sync. The main features include:
The ability to either create a brand new document from scratch (ideal for brainstorming) or to open an existing document from your profile to share with others.
Easily switch between multiple documents at once meaning that comparisons can be made rather than being restricted to one document at a time.
The feature is placed within a collapsible sidebar meaning that there is plenty of room to edit the document while still keeping the principle Hangout features.
There is already (unsurprisingly) plenty of support from the Google+ community for this new update, I could definitely foresee businesses making the transition to Google’s social network purely for the free functionality of this new feature.
February 27th, 2012 by Scott Dunroe | Permalink
In the middle of September I created a post discussing how the three political leaders of the UK (David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg) had joined Google+ in order to build on their media presence. Google’s social network was new and fairly unknown at the time making it surprising that these individuals (or the public relation people behind them) recognised the future value in creating Google+ profiles.
Both Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have maintained updated profiles which allow the public to actively interact with their posts and media published. This gives the political leaders some sort of indication on what the Google+ community think of their thoughts and actions making it an excellent testing ground when used correctly. David Cameron’s last update was at the beginning of October making it clear that he (or his PR) were quick to give up on the social network; yet it’s interesting to note that he is still in more people’s circles than the other two party leaders, perhaps this proves that it’s worth having the Google+ presence regardless of whether a celebrity of influential figure is going to keep their profile updated. David Cameron can always return to that profile at a key time to promote himself and essentially target almost 140,000 people at the touch of a button.
By now you have most likely seen different famous icons from around the world join the ever growing social network but to keep relative to the subject I want to bring it to attention that Labour’s London mayoral candidate, Ken Livingstone, has joined Google+. The account has only recently been created so it will be interesting to monitor how the profile is used from a candidate’s perspective, what sort of success will be gained and whether it can have an impact during and leading up to the election period. These factors will depend on how effective Ken Livingstone manages the profile and whether he fully utilises Google+’s excellent features to interact directly with the British public, we have already seen Barack Obama address his nation live using Google+ Hangouts and constantly reach out to the public via posts.
February 15th, 2012 by Scott Dunroe | Permalink
While not strictly Google+ related I thought this excellent news definitely needed a mention. Over the last month I was given the great privilege and opportunity of creating “AdWords Wiki” articles in preparation to contribute them to the new Google AdWords community. This brand new site was released today and I suggest that all AdWords users (both new and old) check it out as it’s an excellent source of information. The AdWords Pros, Top Contributors and regular users from the original AdWords Help forum will be at the heart of this new community ensuring that knowledge is shared and all questions are answered concerning Adwords.
I hope you visit the new site and like what you see, it’s always good to meet new users and to help out with your AdWords related questions!
January 30th, 2012 by Scott Dunroe | Permalink
Times have quickly changed and Google are now enabling teenagers as young as 13 to also join the ever growing social network. There are obviously always concerns about younger ones being exposed to the social world of the internet but this update has been released along with the introduction of additional security features that will help keep both younger and older users’ privacy protected. Some of these features include:
Sharing content - Teens will now be encouraged to consider their sharing decision when attempting to post outside of their circles, I imagine this will be in the form of some popup prompt asking the user whether they really want to do share the content to such a wide audience.
Hanging out with friends - This one might prove frustrating for some users but basically whenever a stranger joins a hangout from outside a teen’s circles then that teen will be temporarily removed from the hangout in an attempt to protect their identity. It’s not ideal for the teen getting kicked out of a flowing conversation every time someone joins but I imagine many of you parents reading this wouldn’t be too happy with strangers seeing your child on a webcam either.
Receiving notifications - Currently people outside your circles have the opportunity to communicate with you (unless your adjust your privacy settings). Teenagers by default will only be approachable by users who are already within their circles.
While not the most advanced of security features it’s still good to see that Google are taking some sort of action to protect younger users online, you have most likely heard at least one horrible story which was caused by strangers targeting children via social networks so this is definitely a serious issue to address. If you want to find out more about keeping yourself or your child protected then I suggest you check out Bradly Horowitz’s post regarding the changes and also the Google+ Safety Centre itself.
Okay, so the video may have confused you a little but Your World is basically a social twist on the search results provided by Google. Enabling the “personalised” view of search results allows data from Google+ to be inserted into the list giving you an insight on how your friends / contacts are related to particular search terms.
Searching “Liverpool football club” for example might show me a number of “personal results” alongside the standard search results; these may include pictures from albums, videos that have been shared or simply posts belonging to people within my Google+ circles. There is also the chance that Google+ profiles and pages are included within these personalised search results if they have a strong enough relation to what is being search for at the time, Liverpool football player profiles might be show in “Liverpool football club” search for example. This might seem a novelty feature but imagine searching for a product or holiday destination you are interested in and then realising your contacts already have experience with it, you then have the ability to browse their pictures and comments to assist you in making a decision while also having the potential to open a dialogue with one of those contacts.
There are already privacy concerns with regards to personal photos being displayed on Google’s search engine but I am confident that this is something Google will address after the history of privacy scandals we have seen other social networks face (book) in the past. People are also stating that this is something they don’t want to see during their standard usage of Google’s search network but this is no problem as users can simply select whether they want it included or not via a click of a button.
For those of you interested in Your World and Google+ then I would suggest checking out the following link for now - http://www.google.com/insidesearch/plus.html
By selfseo.com Learn the secret methods to boost your adsense earnings overnight Most webmasters know that Adsense generates a sizeable source of additional advertising income. That is why most of them use it to go after high paying keywords. They have with them the lists that tells what the keywords are and have already used various methods of identifying them. And yet, after putting up these supposed-to-be high paying keywords into their pages, the money they expected to come rolling in is not really coming in.
Real source to educate you to save yourself from google click fraud punishment Many web site owners are getting their Google Adsense account terminated when they have done nothing wrong to deserve the punishment. Considering the money that they are getting from Adsense, they would certainly want to get back into it.
Adsense is Google's Advertising Innovation For Website Developers There's a report circulating on the Internet that the 'glory days' of Google Adsense are over -- because of a simple anti-website-publisher change that Google made to its Adwords program earlier this year.
The other roads Of Google Adsense Ever since the Google grand slam on affiliate marketing which basically paralyzes a lot of landing pages and their subsequent "commitment" to ensure that surfers and adwords advertisers have "good" experience using google by forcing up to 10x times the cost of per click (my personal experience is 16.18 per click), a lot of marketers is forced to relook at their marketing channel. In addition, there is this big sue against google for click fraud which google paid a small token somewhat in ...
With Google Adsense earnings, the possibilities are limitless. With Google Adsense earnings, the possibilities are limitless. Yet there is also the possibility of someone taking advantage of the easy money process that this internet marketing is doing. If you think more about it, these negative factors may force Google to break down and thrash Adsense in the process. If that happens, people would have to go back to the old ways of internet marketing that does not make money online as easy as Adsense earnings.
Google Adsense Profits Mixed In With Affiliate Marketing Are you a webmaster who needs funds to keep your website running? Or is your website the only way for you to earn income? Whichever you are, for as long as you are a webmaster or a web publisher and you need cash, affiliate marketing may work well for you. With affiliate marketing, you may get a lot of cash pouring into your bank account easily. And if your website is rich in great contents and you want to earn more profit, why not get into the Google Adsense program as well?
AdSense is Stupid When... There are times Google's heralded ad affiliate program isn't in your long term business interest. Oh no I said it!
5 Ways To Improve Your Adsense Earnings If webmasters want to monetize their websites, the great way to do it is through Adsense. There are lots of webmasters struggling hard to earn some good money a day through their sites. But then some of the “geniuses†of them are enjoying hundreds of dollars a day from Adsense ads on their websites. What makes these webmasters different from the other kind is that they are different and they think out of the box.
2 Surefire Ways To Maximize Your Adsense Earnings Most webmasters know that Adsense generates a sizeable source of additional advertising income. That is why most of them use it to go after high paying keywords. They have with them the lists that tells what the keywords are and have already used various methods of identifying them. And yet, after putting up these supposed-to-be high paying keywords into their pages, the money they expected to come rolling in is not really coming in.
The Basics On How TO Start Making Money With Adsense Adsense is considered as one of the most powerful tool in a website publisher’s arsenal. It enables a person to monetize their sites easily. If used properly, it can generate a very large and healthy income for them. However if you are not using them rightly and just maximizing the income you squeeze from it, you are actually leaving a lot of money on the table. Something all people hate doing.
Who Else Wants To Make Money With Adsense? Fact number 1: Kids in high school are making thousands of dollars every month with Adsense.Fact number 2: Housewives, retirees, mom and dads, who are just staying at home and have never made a dime on the internet have created full-time incomes by simply placing Adsense ads on their web site or blog. These are just some of the “super Adsense earnersâ€. You may have already heard about their story for they are among the few who are on their way to making millions worth of cash just ...
Google Adsense Policies Google Adsense is a program that allows businesses to advertise on other websites. They business only pays the host website when a consumer clicks on the link to take them to their website. This is a very effective way of advertising because of the millions of people who access the internet every day. It is also a low cost marketing method that businesses of all sizes can benefit from. Websites are eager to host advertisements for other businesses because it doesn’t cost them anything and ...
The Great Adsense Blend.. Adsense is a wonderful opportunity for you to generate additional income for your website. It doesn’t cost you anything is the best part! Adsense is also very simple. You have to complete an application with Google and be accepted to host advertisements for other businesses. Then you simply add lines of code to the html on the pages of the website where you are willing to have advertisements. With that all in place, how do you blend the Adsense Ads into your website so they don’t stick out ...
Google Adsense Advertising Policies Google Adsense is a program that allows businesses to advertise on other websites. They business only pays the host website when a consumer clicks on the link to take them to their website. This is a very effective way of advertising because of the millions of people who access the internet every day. It is also a low cost marketing method that businesses of all sizes can benefit from. Websites are eager to host advertisements for other businesses because it doesn’t cost them anything and ...
5 Ways To Increase Your Adsense Earnings If webmasters want to monetize their websites, the great way to do it is through Adsense. There are lots of webmasters struggling hard to earn some good money a day through their sites. But then some of the “geniuses†of them are enjoying hundreds of dollars a day from Adsense ads on their websites. What makes these webmasters different from the other kind is that they are different and they think out of the box.
Adsense Makes No Sense To Me You won’t find any Adsense ads on my website. Yes, I’ve read about the apparent “death of Adsense†and my inbox has been stuffed with claims and counter claims about the value of this product or that strategy. . But that is not the reason.You see, I am a writer. I love nothing more than to research and write material on the area of my passion. In fact I have devoted my life to that very thing. Other than a bit of housework and meal preparation in support of my ...
The Google Adsense Template Phenomenon For many affiliate marketers, Google Adsense templates are a god-send. In fact, they are now realizing that good money is made from this source of revenue. Try the simple mathematical computation of multiplying those clicks for every page on your website and you get a summation of earnings equivalent to a monthly residual income with that little effort you have made.
Tips For Maximum Adsense Content Relevancy One of the most essential aspects of getting the most out of your involvement with Google’s Adsense program is to be certain that Google serves up the most relevant ads possible on your site. The concept is easy to grasp--visitors travel to your sites in search of certain content on their topic of interest. If they see advertisements directly related to those content desires, they are far more likely to click on the ads than if they encounter only tangentialyl related material or, in a worst ...
Making Adsense Work In The Smart Pricing Era Smart pricing has changed Adsense. Publishers are seeing lower per click payouts and are lamenting the inability of their old methods and systems to produce a profit under the current circumstances. The old guard of Adsense gurus, meanwhile, continues to hold tight to a perspective born before smart pricing became a reality. They continue to encourage new publishers to follow their methods for Adsense success. Others have overreacted, announcing that Adsense is no longer a viable moneymaking ...
How Much Does Your Google Adsense Really Make Since its introduction in 2003, the Google Adsense program has greatly help bloggers defray hosting charges and other costs related to running blogs. Blogging can be very expensive especially when you have high levels of traffic and numerous pages. Many are turning to Google Adsense to generate some revenue from their blogs and what’s more, earn some extra on the side.
7 AdSense Tips for WordPress 1. Blend in your ads The most important thing to achieve is blending in your ads. Make sure the ads become a part of your content.This is important because your visitors are used to ignore banners, buttons etc. Therefor you should avoid using the 468X60 banner with borders and image ads on; people will recognize this as one of those annoying banners and ignore it. Match the colors of your ads to the ones you use on your website: Choose the same background, text and link color ...
9 Google Adsense Placement Recipes How to Increase Your Google Adsense CTR This is the first part of two series of articles about How to Increase Your Google Adsense CTR. Many people think that they just have to copy and paste Google Adsense code into their website and start earning a huge amount of money from it. What a huge mistake! I also thought the same way two years ago. Later I realized that without optimization, that's impossible. Here I will share all of the tricks to increase my Google Adsense CTR that I found within the last two years.
Top 10 AdSense Tricks To Boost Your Commission Google AdSense is fast becoming the preferred way for people to earn an income online. Forget eBay and multiple affiliate programs. Whether you are a work-at-home mom trying to make a little extra cash or an Internet entrepreneur with hundreds of monetized websites, AdSense is truly the easiest way to earn money. Simply sign up for a free account, grab your ad code and paste it in your site. But here's the amazing thing - no matter how much money AdSense is making for you right ...
Making Adsense work in the smart pricing era Smart pricing has changed Adsense. Publishers are seeing lower per click payouts and are lamenting the inability of their old methods and systems to produce a profit under the current circumstances. The old guard of Adsense gurus, meanwhile, continues to hold tight to a perspective born before smart pricing became a reality. They continue to encourage new publishers to follow their methods for Adsense success. Others have overreacted, announcing that Adsense is no longer a viable ...
By selfseo.com Learn the secret methods to boost your adsense earnings overnight Most webmasters know that Adsense generates a sizeable source of additional advertising income. That is why most of them use it to go after high paying keywords. They have with them the lists that tells what the keywords are and have already used various methods of identifying them. And yet, after putting up these supposed-to-be high paying keywords into their pages, the money they expected to come rolling in is not really coming in.
Real source to educate you to save yourself from google click fraud punishment Many web site owners are getting their Google Adsense account terminated when they have done nothing wrong to deserve the punishment. Considering the money that they are getting from Adsense, they would certainly want to get back into it.
Adsense is Google's Advertising Innovation For Website Developers There's a report circulating on the Internet that the 'glory days' of Google Adsense are over -- because of a simple anti-website-publisher change that Google made to its Adwords program earlier this year.
The other roads Of Google Adsense Ever since the Google grand slam on affiliate marketing which basically paralyzes a lot of landing pages and their subsequent "commitment" to ensure that surfers and adwords advertisers have "good" experience using google by forcing up to 10x times the cost of per click (my personal experience is 16.18 per click), a lot of marketers is forced to relook at their marketing channel. In addition, there is this big sue against google for click fraud which google paid a small token somewhat in ...
With Google Adsense earnings, the possibilities are limitless. With Google Adsense earnings, the possibilities are limitless. Yet there is also the possibility of someone taking advantage of the easy money process that this internet marketing is doing. If you think more about it, these negative factors may force Google to break down and thrash Adsense in the process. If that happens, people would have to go back to the old ways of internet marketing that does not make money online as easy as Adsense earnings.
Google Adsense Profits Mixed In With Affiliate Marketing Are you a webmaster who needs funds to keep your website running? Or is your website the only way for you to earn income? Whichever you are, for as long as you are a webmaster or a web publisher and you need cash, affiliate marketing may work well for you. With affiliate marketing, you may get a lot of cash pouring into your bank account easily. And if your website is rich in great contents and you want to earn more profit, why not get into the Google Adsense program as well?
AdSense is Stupid When... There are times Google's heralded ad affiliate program isn't in your long term business interest. Oh no I said it!
5 Ways To Improve Your Adsense Earnings If webmasters want to monetize their websites, the great way to do it is through Adsense. There are lots of webmasters struggling hard to earn some good money a day through their sites. But then some of the “geniuses†of them are enjoying hundreds of dollars a day from Adsense ads on their websites. What makes these webmasters different from the other kind is that they are different and they think out of the box.
2 Surefire Ways To Maximize Your Adsense Earnings Most webmasters know that Adsense generates a sizeable source of additional advertising income. That is why most of them use it to go after high paying keywords. They have with them the lists that tells what the keywords are and have already used various methods of identifying them. And yet, after putting up these supposed-to-be high paying keywords into their pages, the money they expected to come rolling in is not really coming in.
The Basics On How TO Start Making Money With Adsense Adsense is considered as one of the most powerful tool in a website publisher’s arsenal. It enables a person to monetize their sites easily. If used properly, it can generate a very large and healthy income for them. However if you are not using them rightly and just maximizing the income you squeeze from it, you are actually leaving a lot of money on the table. Something all people hate doing.
Who Else Wants To Make Money With Adsense? Fact number 1: Kids in high school are making thousands of dollars every month with Adsense.Fact number 2: Housewives, retirees, mom and dads, who are just staying at home and have never made a dime on the internet have created full-time incomes by simply placing Adsense ads on their web site or blog. These are just some of the “super Adsense earnersâ€. You may have already heard about their story for they are among the few who are on their way to making millions worth of cash just ...
Google Adsense Policies Google Adsense is a program that allows businesses to advertise on other websites. They business only pays the host website when a consumer clicks on the link to take them to their website. This is a very effective way of advertising because of the millions of people who access the internet every day. It is also a low cost marketing method that businesses of all sizes can benefit from. Websites are eager to host advertisements for other businesses because it doesn’t cost them anything and ...
The Great Adsense Blend.. Adsense is a wonderful opportunity for you to generate additional income for your website. It doesn’t cost you anything is the best part! Adsense is also very simple. You have to complete an application with Google and be accepted to host advertisements for other businesses. Then you simply add lines of code to the html on the pages of the website where you are willing to have advertisements. With that all in place, how do you blend the Adsense Ads into your website so they don’t stick out ...
Google Adsense Advertising Policies Google Adsense is a program that allows businesses to advertise on other websites. They business only pays the host website when a consumer clicks on the link to take them to their website. This is a very effective way of advertising because of the millions of people who access the internet every day. It is also a low cost marketing method that businesses of all sizes can benefit from. Websites are eager to host advertisements for other businesses because it doesn’t cost them anything and ...
5 Ways To Increase Your Adsense Earnings If webmasters want to monetize their websites, the great way to do it is through Adsense. There are lots of webmasters struggling hard to earn some good money a day through their sites. But then some of the “geniuses†of them are enjoying hundreds of dollars a day from Adsense ads on their websites. What makes these webmasters different from the other kind is that they are different and they think out of the box.
Adsense Makes No Sense To Me You won’t find any Adsense ads on my website. Yes, I’ve read about the apparent “death of Adsense†and my inbox has been stuffed with claims and counter claims about the value of this product or that strategy. . But that is not the reason.You see, I am a writer. I love nothing more than to research and write material on the area of my passion. In fact I have devoted my life to that very thing. Other than a bit of housework and meal preparation in support of my ...
The Google Adsense Template Phenomenon For many affiliate marketers, Google Adsense templates are a god-send. In fact, they are now realizing that good money is made from this source of revenue. Try the simple mathematical computation of multiplying those clicks for every page on your website and you get a summation of earnings equivalent to a monthly residual income with that little effort you have made.
Tips For Maximum Adsense Content Relevancy One of the most essential aspects of getting the most out of your involvement with Google’s Adsense program is to be certain that Google serves up the most relevant ads possible on your site. The concept is easy to grasp--visitors travel to your sites in search of certain content on their topic of interest. If they see advertisements directly related to those content desires, they are far more likely to click on the ads than if they encounter only tangentialyl related material or, in a worst ...
Making Adsense Work In The Smart Pricing Era Smart pricing has changed Adsense. Publishers are seeing lower per click payouts and are lamenting the inability of their old methods and systems to produce a profit under the current circumstances. The old guard of Adsense gurus, meanwhile, continues to hold tight to a perspective born before smart pricing became a reality. They continue to encourage new publishers to follow their methods for Adsense success. Others have overreacted, announcing that Adsense is no longer a viable moneymaking ...
How Much Does Your Google Adsense Really Make Since its introduction in 2003, the Google Adsense program has greatly help bloggers defray hosting charges and other costs related to running blogs. Blogging can be very expensive especially when you have high levels of traffic and numerous pages. Many are turning to Google Adsense to generate some revenue from their blogs and what’s more, earn some extra on the side.
7 AdSense Tips for WordPress 1. Blend in your ads The most important thing to achieve is blending in your ads. Make sure the ads become a part of your content.This is important because your visitors are used to ignore banners, buttons etc. Therefor you should avoid using the 468X60 banner with borders and image ads on; people will recognize this as one of those annoying banners and ignore it. Match the colors of your ads to the ones you use on your website: Choose the same background, text and link color ...
9 Google Adsense Placement Recipes How to Increase Your Google Adsense CTR This is the first part of two series of articles about How to Increase Your Google Adsense CTR. Many people think that they just have to copy and paste Google Adsense code into their website and start earning a huge amount of money from it. What a huge mistake! I also thought the same way two years ago. Later I realized that without optimization, that's impossible. Here I will share all of the tricks to increase my Google Adsense CTR that I found within the last two years.
Top 10 AdSense Tricks To Boost Your Commission Google AdSense is fast becoming the preferred way for people to earn an income online. Forget eBay and multiple affiliate programs. Whether you are a work-at-home mom trying to make a little extra cash or an Internet entrepreneur with hundreds of monetized websites, AdSense is truly the easiest way to earn money. Simply sign up for a free account, grab your ad code and paste it in your site. But here's the amazing thing - no matter how much money AdSense is making for you right ...
Making Adsense work in the smart pricing era Smart pricing has changed Adsense. Publishers are seeing lower per click payouts and are lamenting the inability of their old methods and systems to produce a profit under the current circumstances. The old guard of Adsense gurus, meanwhile, continues to hold tight to a perspective born before smart pricing became a reality. They continue to encourage new publishers to follow their methods for Adsense success. Others have overreacted, announcing that Adsense is no longer a viable ...
The Open Directory Project is a web directory of Internet resources. A web directory is something akin to a huge reference library. The directory is hierarchically arranged by subject - from broad to specific. The ODP is maintained by community editors who evaluate sites for inclusion in the directory. They are our experts, and all submissions are subject to editor evaluation. We care a great deal about the quality of the ODP. We aren't a search engine and pride ourselves on being highly selective. We don't accept all sites, so please don't take it personally should your site not be accepted. Our goal is to make the directory as useful as possible for our users, not to have the directory include all (or even most) of the sites that could possibly be listed or serve as a promotional tool for the entities listed. To keep the ODP running smoothly and to assist us in exercising our editorial discretion, we have set up policies for submitting sites for our consideration. We may reject, delete, or edit submissions that violate these policies or that we otherwise believe, in our sole discretion, should not be included in the directory. We may also reject, delete, or block other sites that we believe to be associated with a user who has violated these policies. You should take a few moments to understand these policies and the steps to submit a site before you begin. Failure to understand and follow these instructions generally will result in the rejection of a submission.
Step One
Determine whether a site is appropriate for submission to the ODP:
Do not submit mirror sites. Mirror sites are sites that contain identical content, but have altogether different URLs.
Do not submit URLs that contain only the same or similar content as other sites you may have listed in the directory. Sites with overlapping and repetitive content are not helpful to users of the directory. Multiple submissions of the same or related sites may result in the exclusion and/or deletion of those and all affiliated sites.
Do not disguise your submission and submit the same URL more than once. Example: http://www.dmoz.org and http://www.dmoz.org/index.html
Do not submit any site with an address that redirects to another address.
The Open Directory has a policy against the inclusion of sites with illegal content. Examples of illegal material include child pornography; libel; material that infringes any intellectual property right; and material that specifically advocates, solicits or abets illegal activity (such as fraud or violence).
Do not submit sites "under construction." Wait until a site is complete before submitting it. Sites that are incomplete, contain "Under Construction" notices, or contain broken graphics or links aren't good candidates for the directory.
Submit pornographic sites to the appropriate category under Adult.
Submit non-English sites to the appropriate category under World.
Don't submit sites consisting largely of affiliate links.
Step Two
Do a quick search in the directory at dmoz.org(the home of the Open Directory) to be sure your site isn't already listed.This saves everyone time.
Step Three
Identify the single best category for your site. The Open Directory has an enormous array of subjects to choose from. You should submit a site to the single most relevant category. Sites submitted to inappropriate or unrelated categories may be rejected or removed. Note: Some categories do not have "suggest URL" or "update URL" links. These categories don't accept submissions, so you should find a more specific category for your site.
Step Four
Once you've selected the best category for your site, go directly to that category on dmoz.org and then click "suggest URL." Follow the instructions on the submission form carefully.Descriptions of sites should describe the content of the site concisely and accurately. They should not be promotional in nature. Submitting a promotional description rather than an objective, well written description may significantly delay your site from being listed or prevent your site from being listed at all.Auto-submission software is (and always has been) a violation of this procedure. Sites submitted automatically are flagged and deleted after the submission is accepted, without notification to you. Persistent automatic submission may force us to ban you from the dmoz site, so we can provide resources to real human beings.
Procedure After Your Site is Submitted
An ODP editor will review your submission to determine whether to include it in the directory. Depending on factors such as the volume of submissions to the particular category, it may take several weeks or more before your submission is reviewed. Please only submit a URL to the Open Directory once. Again, multiple submissions of the same or related sites may result in the exclusion and/or deletion of those and all affiliated sites. Disguising your submission and submitting the same URL more than once is not permitted.
Updating Your Site
If a site has been accepted for inclusion in the directory but you are dissatisfied with how the site is described or titled, you may go to the category where it is listed, and fill out the "update URL" form. If you are dissatisfied with the category in which your site is listed, you may send an e-mail to an editor for the category explaining your disagreement. Be polite and civil -- threatening or abusive behavior will not be tolerated. If (but only if) you are dissatisfied with the editor's response, you may then use the "Feedback" link at the top of the page to "appeal" the editor's decision. Be specific concerning your disagreement (including why you believe the editor's response is inadequate). Comments made through the feedback link are reviewed by the ODP staff, who will make the final decision. Please do NOT send correspondence to Netscape, as that will only slow down and complicate the process. We take all feedback seriously and give it our thoughtful consideration. But please remember that we must exercise our discretion and make numerous judgment calls as to how to make the ODP as useful as possible -- no matter what decision we make, we may not always satisfy everyone.
Getting Your Site Into Portals and Search Engines Using ODP Data
If your site has been accepted into the Open Directory, it may take anywhere from 2 weeks to several months for your site to be listed on partner sites which use the Open Directory data, such as AOL Search, Google, Netscape Search, Yahoo Search,and hundreds of other sites. We make updates of the data available weekly, but each partner has their own update schedule.
Editorial Discretion
Please recognize that making the ODP a useful resource requires us to exercise broad editorial discretion in determining the content and structure of the directory. That discretion extends (but is not limited) to what sites to include, where in the directory sites are placed, whether and when to include more than one link to a site, when deep linking is appropriate,and the content of the title and description of the site. In addition, a site's placement in the directory is subject to change or deletion at any time at our sole discretion. You should not rely on any aspect of a site's inclusion in the directory. Please understand that an editor's exercise of discretion may not always treat all submissions equally. You may not always agree with our choices, but we hope you recognize that we do our best to make fair and reasonable decisions. The Open Directory team welcomes comments and feedback about the directory generally. Please let us know what you think, and how we can improve the service. Thanks!Proceed to the Open Directory home at dmoz.org - Start here to find a category to submit to.
The Open Directory Project is a web directory of Internet resources. A web directory is something akin to a huge reference library. The directory is hierarchically arranged by subject - from broad to specific. The ODP is maintained by community editors who evaluate sites for inclusion in the directory. They are our experts, and all submissions are subject to editor evaluation. We care a great deal about the quality of the ODP. We aren't a search engine and pride ourselves on being highly selective. We don't accept all sites, so please don't take it personally should your site not be accepted. Our goal is to make the directory as useful as possible for our users, not to have the directory include all (or even most) of the sites that could possibly be listed or serve as a promotional tool for the entities listed. To keep the ODP running smoothly and to assist us in exercising our editorial discretion, we have set up policies for submitting sites for our consideration. We may reject, delete, or edit submissions that violate these policies or that we otherwise believe, in our sole discretion, should not be included in the directory. We may also reject, delete, or block other sites that we believe to be associated with a user who has violated these policies. You should take a few moments to understand these policies and the steps to submit a site before you begin. Failure to understand and follow these instructions generally will result in the rejection of a submission.
Step One
Determine whether a site is appropriate for submission to the ODP:
Do not submit mirror sites. Mirror sites are sites that contain identical content, but have altogether different URLs.
Do not submit URLs that contain only the same or similar content as other sites you may have listed in the directory. Sites with overlapping and repetitive content are not helpful to users of the directory. Multiple submissions of the same or related sites may result in the exclusion and/or deletion of those and all affiliated sites.
Do not disguise your submission and submit the same URL more than once. Example: http://www.dmoz.org and http://www.dmoz.org/index.html
Do not submit any site with an address that redirects to another address.
The Open Directory has a policy against the inclusion of sites with illegal content. Examples of illegal material include child pornography; libel; material that infringes any intellectual property right; and material that specifically advocates, solicits or abets illegal activity (such as fraud or violence).
Do not submit sites "under construction." Wait until a site is complete before submitting it. Sites that are incomplete, contain "Under Construction" notices, or contain broken graphics or links aren't good candidates for the directory.
Submit pornographic sites to the appropriate category under Adult.
Submit non-English sites to the appropriate category under World.
Don't submit sites consisting largely of affiliate links.
Step Two
Do a quick search in the directory at dmoz.org(the home of the Open Directory) to be sure your site isn't already listed.This saves everyone time.
Step Three
Identify the single best category for your site. The Open Directory has an enormous array of subjects to choose from. You should submit a site to the single most relevant category. Sites submitted to inappropriate or unrelated categories may be rejected or removed. Note: Some categories do not have "suggest URL" or "update URL" links. These categories don't accept submissions, so you should find a more specific category for your site.
Step Four
Once you've selected the best category for your site, go directly to that category on dmoz.org and then click "suggest URL." Follow the instructions on the submission form carefully.Descriptions of sites should describe the content of the site concisely and accurately. They should not be promotional in nature. Submitting a promotional description rather than an objective, well written description may significantly delay your site from being listed or prevent your site from being listed at all.Auto-submission software is (and always has been) a violation of this procedure. Sites submitted automatically are flagged and deleted after the submission is accepted, without notification to you. Persistent automatic submission may force us to ban you from the dmoz site, so we can provide resources to real human beings.
Procedure After Your Site is Submitted
An ODP editor will review your submission to determine whether to include it in the directory. Depending on factors such as the volume of submissions to the particular category, it may take several weeks or more before your submission is reviewed. Please only submit a URL to the Open Directory once. Again, multiple submissions of the same or related sites may result in the exclusion and/or deletion of those and all affiliated sites. Disguising your submission and submitting the same URL more than once is not permitted.
Updating Your Site
If a site has been accepted for inclusion in the directory but you are dissatisfied with how the site is described or titled, you may go to the category where it is listed, and fill out the "update URL" form. If you are dissatisfied with the category in which your site is listed, you may send an e-mail to an editor for the category explaining your disagreement. Be polite and civil -- threatening or abusive behavior will not be tolerated. If (but only if) you are dissatisfied with the editor's response, you may then use the "Feedback" link at the top of the page to "appeal" the editor's decision. Be specific concerning your disagreement (including why you believe the editor's response is inadequate). Comments made through the feedback link are reviewed by the ODP staff, who will make the final decision. Please do NOT send correspondence to Netscape, as that will only slow down and complicate the process. We take all feedback seriously and give it our thoughtful consideration. But please remember that we must exercise our discretion and make numerous judgment calls as to how to make the ODP as useful as possible -- no matter what decision we make, we may not always satisfy everyone.
Getting Your Site Into Portals and Search Engines Using ODP Data
If your site has been accepted into the Open Directory, it may take anywhere from 2 weeks to several months for your site to be listed on partner sites which use the Open Directory data, such as AOL Search, Google, Netscape Search, Yahoo Search,and hundreds of other sites. We make updates of the data available weekly, but each partner has their own update schedule.
Editorial Discretion
Please recognize that making the ODP a useful resource requires us to exercise broad editorial discretion in determining the content and structure of the directory. That discretion extends (but is not limited) to what sites to include, where in the directory sites are placed, whether and when to include more than one link to a site, when deep linking is appropriate,and the content of the title and description of the site. In addition, a site's placement in the directory is subject to change or deletion at any time at our sole discretion. You should not rely on any aspect of a site's inclusion in the directory. Please understand that an editor's exercise of discretion may not always treat all submissions equally. You may not always agree with our choices, but we hope you recognize that we do our best to make fair and reasonable decisions. The Open Directory team welcomes comments and feedback about the directory generally. Please let us know what you think, and how we can improve the service. Thanks!Proceed to the Open Directory home at dmoz.org - Start here to find a category to submit to.
The Open Directory Project is the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.
The Republic of the Web
The web continues to grow at staggering rates. Automated search engines are increasingly unable to turn up useful results to search queries. The small paid editorial staffs at commercial directory sites can't keep up with submissions, and the quality and comprehensiveness of their directories has suffered. Link rot is setting in and they can't keep pace with the growth of the Internet. Instead of fighting the explosive growth of the Internet, the Open Directory provides the means for the Internet to organize itself. As the Internet grows, so do the number of net-citizens. These citizens can each organize a small portion of the web and present it back to the rest of the population, culling out the bad and useless and keeping only the best content.
The Definitive Catalog of the Web
The Open Directory follows in the footsteps of some of the most important editor/contributor projects of the 20th century. Just as the Oxford English Dictionary became the definitive word on words through the efforts of volunteers, the Open Directory follows in its footsteps to become the definitive catalog of the Web. The Open Directory was founded in the spirit of the Open Source movement, and is the only major directory that is 100% free. There is not, nor will there ever be, a cost to submit a site to the directory, and/or to use the directory's data. The Open Directory data is made available for free to anyone who agrees to comply with our free use license.
The Internet Brain
The Open Directory is the most widely distributed data base of Web content classified by humans. Its editorial standards body of net-citizens provide the collective brain behind resource discovery on the Web. The Open Directory powers the core directory services for the Web's largest and most popular search engines and portals, including Netscape Search, AOL Search, Google, Lycos, HotBot, DirectHit, and hundreds of others.
You Can Make a Difference
Like any community, you get what you give. The Open Directory provides the opportunity for everyone to contribute. Signing up is easy: choose a topic you know something about and join. Editing categories is a snap. We have a comprehensive set of tools for adding, deleting, and updating links in seconds. For just a few minutes of your time you can help make the Web a better place, and be recognized as an expert on your chosen topic.
Join the Open Directory Project
Find a category that you would like to maintain.
Follow the Become an Editor link at the top of the category page.
Note that some categories do not have a Become an Editor link; you should find a more specific category which interests you, and apply there. Once you have joined, and gained some experience, you can apply for more general categories.
Further Information
General FAQ - Want more info? Check out some general FAQs about us in our Help area.
Sites Using ODP Data - Category listing of all sites, search engines, portals, etc. using the ODP RDF dump.
The Open Directory Project is the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.
The Republic of the Web
The web continues to grow at staggering rates. Automated search engines are increasingly unable to turn up useful results to search queries. The small paid editorial staffs at commercial directory sites can't keep up with submissions, and the quality and comprehensiveness of their directories has suffered. Link rot is setting in and they can't keep pace with the growth of the Internet. Instead of fighting the explosive growth of the Internet, the Open Directory provides the means for the Internet to organize itself. As the Internet grows, so do the number of net-citizens. These citizens can each organize a small portion of the web and present it back to the rest of the population, culling out the bad and useless and keeping only the best content.
The Definitive Catalog of the Web
The Open Directory follows in the footsteps of some of the most important editor/contributor projects of the 20th century. Just as the Oxford English Dictionary became the definitive word on words through the efforts of volunteers, the Open Directory follows in its footsteps to become the definitive catalog of the Web. The Open Directory was founded in the spirit of the Open Source movement, and is the only major directory that is 100% free. There is not, nor will there ever be, a cost to submit a site to the directory, and/or to use the directory's data. The Open Directory data is made available for free to anyone who agrees to comply with our free use license.
The Internet Brain
The Open Directory is the most widely distributed data base of Web content classified by humans. Its editorial standards body of net-citizens provide the collective brain behind resource discovery on the Web. The Open Directory powers the core directory services for the Web's largest and most popular search engines and portals, including Netscape Search, AOL Search, Google, Lycos, HotBot, DirectHit, and hundreds of others.
You Can Make a Difference
Like any community, you get what you give. The Open Directory provides the opportunity for everyone to contribute. Signing up is easy: choose a topic you know something about and join. Editing categories is a snap. We have a comprehensive set of tools for adding, deleting, and updating links in seconds. For just a few minutes of your time you can help make the Web a better place, and be recognized as an expert on your chosen topic.
Join the Open Directory Project
Find a category that you would like to maintain.
Follow the Become an Editor link at the top of the category page.
Note that some categories do not have a Become an Editor link; you should find a more specific category which interests you, and apply there. Once you have joined, and gained some experience, you can apply for more general categories.
Further Information
General FAQ - Want more info? Check out some general FAQs about us in our Help area.
Sites Using ODP Data - Category listing of all sites, search engines, portals, etc. using the ODP RDF dump.
Publiser By Supetra Rahadiyono
