Archive for March, 2006

Beginner’s Guide to Online Reputation Management

Andy Beal of Fortune Interactive has written a great piece on reputation management over at Marketing Pilgrim that is definitely worth a read if you are at all concerned about your brand. Let’s face it, if you are out there at all, people are talking about you. The question is are they speaking well of you, creating buzz for your products and/or services or are they criticizing you? Andy points out the obvious, that it can take months, even years to build a good brand. It can also take a lot of money. It is something that should be held dear and precious. At the very same time your brand can be easily tarnished by someone who is upset with you.

Roster or Rooster? Common Mis-spellings

We just re-designed our SearchRank site and as my father was looking it over, he brought to my attention that we had the clients list section improperly called”Client Rooster”. He pointed out that it should be “Roster” not “Rooster” which is related to the male chicken. I immediately checked Webster’s and sure enough he was correct. Boy do we look stupid. Maybe people think we have roosters as clients?

Another Internet Censorship Issue – Craigslist

Seems like Internet censorship has been getting a lot of press lately, the Google/China issue attracting most of the media attention. Now the spotlight is on Craigslist, one of the largest classified ads sites on the Internet. The latest debate is over whether Craigslist should be more proactive in censoring those who post on it. The all began when some apartment listings appeared to be racially slanted. This and other events lead us to once again visit the questions, “Should the Internet be censored?”

Forum Anonymity May Become a Thing of the Past

From Threadwatch, the New Jersey state legislature is considering a bill that would disallow anonymous speech on forums. While this only relates to New Jersey law, the proposed bill is pretty bold in its attempts and could set a precedent for other states or even national law if passed.

Google Setting Up Shop In Tempe, For Now Anyway

The Business Journal of Phoenix reports today that Google is planning to move into large, temporary office space in Tempe and is expected to end up permanently in either Tempe or South Scottsdale at a newly constructed facility near Arizona State University. News that Google was coming to Arizona originally broke last October.

New Site Helps Keep Track of Sexual Offenders

A new site has been launched by the National Coalition of Victims in Action called “Family Watchdog.” The site uses a local map search function powered by Google which then displays sex offenders in specific geographical areas. One can search by address, city, state and zip code.

What Is the Deal With Duplicate Content Anyway?

“Can duplicate content hurt me?” This is a question that comes up in forums on almost a weekly basis. So what are some scenarios where duplicate can exist and what can web site owners do to make sure duplicate content doesn’t come back to haunt them?

First of all some practical tips from panelists on a recent session dealing with duplicate content issues at Search Engine Strategies New York.