InsideGoogle: 08/01/2004

Welcome to InsideGoogle

InsideGoogle will be a mirror of http://www.livejournal.com/community/insidegoogle/, which you can see is a comprehensive source of Google and search engine news. I am still in the process of creating this blog, so for now just use that site.
If anyone would like to help with designing the site (I am going for a clean, Google-like look), just contact me. I am offering an enourmous number of Gmail invites for it, something along the lines of 50.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/31/2004 12:23:00 PM 0 comments

Search Engine Tool Directory

Michael Wong has now released Search Engines 2, a directory of 12,500 search tools. If you have reason to be reading this, you have a reason to bookmark this site. Hell, I'll probably get 50 blog posts out of it.
(via Resource Shelf)

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/31/2004 12:15:00 PM 0 comments

Lycos Discussion Forum Search

Lycos is now beta-testing a discussion forum search engine. It allows you to search all the forums over the internet (presuming it has indexed all of them). This is definetly something Google should have done a long time ago, much like the blog search engine we keep hoping they release. Must suck getting beaten to the punch by Lycos, doesn't it?
(via Pandia)

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/31/2004 09:48:00 AM 0 comments

Search Harder?

SEO Roundtable says there is another new Google feature that I can't reproduce, but they have a link that shows what it does. Apparently, Google has added a button to the bottom of some search engine results pages (SERP) that says "Search Harder". A normal search for cars gives you 83,600,000 results. The "Search Harder" result is 341,000,000 strong (check the URL to see how it differs). What is the difference? The "Search Harder" search is the slowest search Google has ever released. The normal search took a Google-typical 0.23 seconds. This expanded search took 9.54, which is most likely why it is not the normal Google search. Could this be why even though we got our third backlink update of late, we have not seen a PageRank update in months? Has Google's database finally gotten too large for its computing power, and the company cannot make that new database available for fear of losing customers due to reduced speed? Is "Search Harder" a test to see if we will accept a far slower Google? Time will tell.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/31/2004 08:40:00 AM 0 comments

GOOG Faces Major Test In Just Two Days

SAP Info says that Google's stock price will be tested Thursday, when the first "lock-up" period ends. The lock-up period, which normally lasts 180 days, prevents certain insider investors from dumping their shares so soon after an IPO. Google decided to do several lock-up periods, to avoid releasing 270 million shares at once, so instead we see 4.6 million new Google shares Thursday, an unprecedented 15 days after going public. Google has been breaking all the rules, so we'll have to see if avoiding one bad day by creating a lot of smaller bad days pays off. It may not, since two venture capitalist firms already want out.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/31/2004 08:28:00 AM 0 comments

Search Engine Radio

Yup, there's an internet radio station dedicated to search. Shows are Tuesday at noon Eastern time. The archives contain host Brad Fallon talking to John Battelle, Barry Schwartz, Andy Beal, and several other experts in the world of search or SEO. Tres' cool.
(via Google Blogoscoped and John Battelle's Searchblog)

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/31/2004 08:18:00 AM 0 comments

WinFS Ain't Coming, Google Plans Party

In possibly the best news for Google since they made several billion dollars, Microsoft has announced it is scaling back Longhorn, specifically removing WinFS. Longhorn, Microsoft's next OS due in 2006, will no longer contain a Google-like file system, designed to take on the number one search engine's move into the desktop. Google's major future strategy is rumored to involve producing Google for the desktop, allowing users to search the massive amounts of data they store on large hard drives. By delaying Longhorn, Microsoft is ceding the battle to Google, and will be forced to play catch-up when WinFS finally releases.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/30/2004 02:49:00 PM 0 comments

The Incredible Linktron5000

Google Blogoscoped brings us The Incredible LinkTron5000, which takes any web site and gives you its Unbreakable Link, that is a link that will bring you to the page through Google, even if the page moves, because Google can always find it. It works by including the most obscure terms on the page. This is also known as a memomark or a Google URL. Phillip has his own version, but it uses the most common words on the page, so it is less precise. My site worked perfectly in the LinkTron, but not in his Memomarker.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/30/2004 02:23:00 PM 0 comments

Why Gmail Is A Spam Killer

Sushubh Mittal at Search Engine News Journal points out problems email marketters face with the advent of Gmail and context sensitive ads. The main problem is that when they spam you, a relevant ad, most likely from a competitor, appears next to the email, and the user is more likely to click on that than your spam. It points out two solutions: either eliminating Gmail from spam mail lists (which would push everybody to use Gmail) or delivering all ads as images, which would clog up all the smaller than Gmail inboxes and eliminate relevant ads. I propose a different solution for spammers, that Gmail users will hate. Spammers can send emails to only Gmail users that contain specific fake words. They can then buy those fake worde for next to nothing in AdWords. When a user looks at those fake emails, they see that companies ads, and are so frustrated by the spam that they are more likely to click on the ad, which in turn costs the advertiser next to nothing. If an advertiser tries this, feel free to skewer me.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/30/2004 12:43:00 PM 1 comments

Google Adware? Shudder...

John Battelle, and before him, Gary of SearchEngineWatch, discuss a patent Google filed three days ago. The title: Serving content-relevant advertisements with client-side device support. Read the whole thing (it's one paragraph, ya lazy bum), but the gist is its a patent for a program that delivers ads to your computer. Since Google has sworn never to deliver spyware, this patent either (a) covers somehow a previous Google app, just in ways that are not obvious, or (b) Google is designing a program you will want to install to deliver ads. I'm thinking an offline Gmail POP3 app that still contains Google AdWords. A great way of keeping things profitable and delivering what users want.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/30/2004 12:31:00 PM 0 comments

The Final Olympics Google Doodle

Sniff... Back to our regularly scheduled Google logo.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/30/2004 12:17:00 PM 0 comments

What Does Google Know About You?

Google Blogoscoped points us to a list of things Google knows about you, or more accurately, a list of data which has passed through Google's servers. Of course, the same data, and much more, passes through your ISP, and in the same vein, through the telephone companies lines, through which also passes through classified conversations and phone sex, so the whole list is kind of silly. But it did make me realize something. Google Adsense lets users of blogs now monetize their daily ramblings, by posting ads relevant to what they are talking about. Advertisers pay small amounts of money that add up considerably to get people to check out their ads. I hate spam as much as the next guy, but what if I could sell my info to companies, making money off telling them what I want to buy? They would be getting info on the fact that I want roller blades, they would all pay for that info, and I could take that money and the information they send me on roller blades and use it to buy them. Win-win if you ask me. Obviously, the more money you have the more they would pay to market to you, and even selling to a lot of companies might only net a few bucks, but cutting a few dollars off the price of anything just so the companies can market directly to you seems a fair deal. Thoughts?

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/30/2004 12:15:00 AM 0 comments

I Don't Know Googles From Donuts

Davenetics points out a San Francisco Gate article warning Google about how IPO fervor can fade, as in the case of Krispy Kreme. Good stuff.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/29/2004 11:52:00 PM 0 comments

Use Gmail As A Storage Device

GmailFS (or Gmail File System) allows you to use Gmail (in Linux only) as an actual storage device on your system. Presuming this works as advertised, its a brilliant hack, and I can't wait for the Windows version. Imagine saving your entire MP3 collection over several Gmail accounts. That would be great for my tiny hard drive, and a great backup as well.
(Via Boing Boing)

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/29/2004 11:45:00 PM 0 comments

Gmail Tightens Interface

I noticed something had changed in my Gmail account about the way it handled adding labels. If you haven't seen it yet, labels are now added from the "More actions..." drop box. Google Blogoscoped has a screen shot, and some free Gmail invites in the forum. I've decided to be a little generous as well, so the first member of this community to post a comment to this message gets an invite.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/28/2004 10:23:00 PM 0 comments

Google Newsletter Powered By Yahoo

The Google-Friends Newsletter is powered by Yahoo Groups. Ha!

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/28/2004 09:24:00 PM 0 comments

Logo!

Dakri says in the LiveJournal InsideGoogle:
volleyball

*sigh* This should be the second to last logo for the Athens 2004 olympics.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/28/2004 03:51:00 AM 0 comments

Google Talks To You

Google Talks uses Google to complete your sentences. The results can be fun or weird. I typed in "Google is a big" and got "Google is a big name in the world of computers and the Internet". However, if you don't tell it to stop, it keeps going, and after I got tired of laughing and finally did stop it, this is what it said:
Google is a big name in the world of computers and the Internet computers and technology in the th century, the drive to scale up the production of high quality animal. protein sources in diets for segregated early weaned Pigs. from a commercial swine operation. in Northeast Kansas with a combined population of million These coins were people.
(via Spare Change)

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/27/2004 06:46:00 PM 0 comments

Yahoo Sells Most Of Its Google Shares

Yahoo sold 2.3 million of its 2.7 million Google shares on Tuesday, netting a cool $191 million. The shares were given to Yahoo by Google in return for a dropped lawsuit and a patent license. Strangely, Yahoo sold the shares at an average of $82.62, well below the 103.57-111.60 Google traded at on Tuesday, or the 106.15 Google is worth at the close of this week's trading. By selling the shares for far below their value, Yahoo lost between $51 and $68 million.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/27/2004 06:32:00 PM 0 comments

Who's Better? Google or Yahoo?

Now, there is a site that compares Google and Yahoo search results side by side. While it is pretty obvious that I am a big Google booster, I gotta say I am pretty pleased that Yahoo lists my site second while Google places it sixteenth. And no, this is a pretty fair comparison. I'm searching for it by name, and none of the fifteen results above my site have that name, they mention my site. Pretty inaccurate if you ask me. Google! Help me out here!
(via Google Blogoscoped)

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/27/2004 06:07:00 PM 0 comments

Google Employee Blogs

Google Blogoscoped contains a Google news feed, which is automatically updated with the latest reports from news sources, including the number one source for Google news. Now following a post Phillip made a few days ago about Google employees who have blogs, we now have a blog feed of Google employees. This has definitely been added to the list of sites I visit looking for updates for this site.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/27/2004 06:00:00 PM 0 comments

KDE Trying To Beat Google And Longhorn To The Desktop

As reported by ZDNet, developers of the KDE desktop for Linux are planning to include, in their own words, "a Google like search system" for the desktop. Their goal is to complete it in 18 months, while Longhorn is expected for 2007. Competition is good for everyone, and Windows users can be glad to know that Microsoft is guaranteed to take all the good features from KDE and incorporate them into WinFS. They always do.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/26/2004 11:09:00 PM 0 comments

GOOG Gives You Some Options

Starting as early as tomorrow, Google stock will be available on U.S. options exchanges, the fastest that has ever happened. Now what the hell is an option? Seriously.
Otherwise, GOOG traded up $1.91 today, reaching 107.91. For such an exciting and dynamic company, this is one dull stock. Of course, that is a testament to the fact that Google is the real thing, and not another Pets.com.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/26/2004 10:54:00 PM 0 comments

Desktop Search: The Next Frontier

As Microsoft has made abundantly clear, search is the major focus of its next version of Windows, Longhorn. Since Google is creating this massive the operating system of the internet, Microsoft is staging the war for control of your computer on two fronts. The first is Longhorn. By integrating a powerful search in the OS, you will rely on Longhorn for all your searches, or at least the theory goes. The first goal will only succeeds if the second one does. The second goal is to make MSN Search at least a decent competitor to Google. Microsoft's goal is to stop Google from taking over your life by trying to... take over your life. Presumably, Google will eventually release Google Desktop Search, and that's when the real war begins. Picasa is a good first step, by organizing your photos in a way Windows never could. Expect Picasa for MP3s within the next six months. Now there's the Recall Toolbar, which searches web pages saved on your computer. Google would be wise to add this functionality to its toolbar.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/26/2004 10:37:00 PM 0 comments

Because It Wouldn't Be A New Day...

Without a new Olympics Google Doodle!

It's Tae Kwon Do, and yes, I couldn't tell either until I checked the URL.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/26/2004 08:26:00 AM 0 comments

The Search Engine Belt Buckle

I promised I wouldn't link to it. I swore I was above such ridiculous news. But when everybody else started linking to it, I gave in. Peer pressure can lead to plug use, never forget that.
This is the search engine belt buckle, made by a bunch of guys with too much free time. They brought it to a dance, possibly not realizing it decreases their already infintessimal chances of getting laid. "Is that a Google or are you just happy to see me?"

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/26/2004 08:24:00 AM 0 comments

Google Store Gets A Makeover

As reported (reported? promoted?) in the Google Blog, the Google store has had a makeover. It definetly looks more Google-like now. Anybody have a screen shot of what it used to look like?

The coolest thing is probably the lava lamp, and I might just get the Laptop bag. Surprisingly, there is actual hardware, like the USB drive. I like the tie-dye shirt. And people, in case you were wondering, you will not look ghetto wearing a Blogger swearshirt. Just thought I'd clear that up.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/26/2004 08:11:00 AM 0 comments

Internet Going Down Tomorrow

Lifted from Slashdot:
Kobalt writes "A few news services are reporting that Russian computer expert, Aleksandr Gostev from Kaspersky Labs, has predicted that a large chunk of the Internet will be shut down tomorrow by cyber terrorists."
In the unlikely event this happens, some advice for all you Googleholics: Grab some crayons, a cardboard sheet, and scissors. Write "Google" on the cardboard in several bright colors, and cut a rectangle in the cardboard. Hold the cardboard up, announce your search, and look through the hole. Hopefully your search results will be relevant. Two notes: The search is more effective in a library, and you may be more satisfied if you write "MSN Search" instead of "Google", because at least then you'll be expecting irrelevant results.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/25/2004 11:59:00 PM 0 comments

Google Enters The Candy Bar Market

Saltwater Pizza has an explanation of why Google can be expected to dominate the candy bar market in the next few years.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/25/2004 11:46:00 PM 0 comments

Filter Google News By Country

Google has now added a drop box to the top of Google News that lets you quickly switch between different country-flavored versions of the site. It's useful because the news is still almost exactly the same, but the sources as skewed to other geographical locations. While you get the same thing clicking on the links at the bottom of the page, every time we see Google do something new, it tells us we can expect them to keep working to improve everything, something it would be nice to see from other companies.
(via Search Engine Roundtable")

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/25/2004 09:39:00 AM 0 comments

There's No Such Thing As The Google Bunny

Has anyone ever heard of the Google Bunny? It was created for Google by Ken Perlin of NYU back in 2000, whose site contains tons of fun little applets. You move the bunny around to catch Easter eggs and spell "Google". The game is cute and so simple that if you don't do anything, you'll still win!

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/25/2004 08:30:00 AM 0 comments

How Many Doodles So Far?

Anyone want to go back and count the number of Athens 2004 Google Doodles released so far?

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/25/2004 07:32:00 AM 0 comments

Google Can Be Very Sensitive If You Get To Know Him

Once again, a supposedly new Google search change that can't be replicated. First it was thumbnails, then related searches. Now we're hearing reports of case-sensitive searches, that is that you would get different search results for "Auto" than "auto". Google Blogoscoped brought it to my attention, but that post doesn't even ring true anymore, and it was just posted this morning. On the other hand, their source, Abakus Internet Marketing in Germany, was able to reproduce the results, but only in Google.de (auto, Auto). If anyone can pull this off in America, take a screenshot and post it.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/25/2004 07:30:00 AM 0 comments

Anyone want to go back and count the number of Athens 2004 Google Doodles released so far?

Once again, a supposedly new Google search change that can't be replicated. First it was thumbnails, then related searches. Now we're hearing reports of case-sensitive searches, that is that you would get different search results for "Auto" than "auto". Google Blogoscoped brought it to my attention, but that post doesn't even ring true anymore, and it was just posted this morning. On the other hand, their source, Abakus Internet Marketing in Germany, was able to reproduce the results, but only in Google.de (auto, Auto). If anyone can pull this off in America, take a screenshot and post it.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/25/2004 07:30:00 AM 0 comments

Picasa

About a month ago, Google bought Picasa, which makes image browsing software. Now you can download Google Picasa, which is being promoted at, you guessed it, Google Image Search. After testing out Picasa for a little while, two things pop out. First, the product seems very useful, but only if you specifically need it. It won't make you want to organize your pictures, but it sure as hell does the job right if you need to. The second is that the program doesn't have a Google feel. Hell, it doesn't have a Windows feel. It mimics the Mac OS on the PC, which is a neat design idea, but will drive PC users nuts. And Google programs aren't supposed to feel like they are programs at all, which this certainly does. It is the most unGoogle program they've ever released. Of course, its only been a month, and we can assume the next version will be very colorful and run entirely in JavaScript. I kid, I kid!

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/24/2004 10:17:00 PM 0 comments

Google's Hidden Labs

Many of us know about Google Labs, where Google publicly tests out new stuff. Google Labs is based on the fact that Google forces its workers to spend at least a few hours a week doing something that is "not their job". But there are some Google projects that you may have never heard of.
How about Google Print? It was supposed to be a search engine for books. The idea was you could search information that wasn't on the web, and Google would make a bundle helping sell you the book if you wanted it. Eventually, Google took down the search engine, presumably because it just didn't work on its own. They included the books in their regular search results (example) and you could click on them for info and to buy the book (example).
Then there's Google Special Search, where you can search Microsoft, Apple, and universities, among others. Each one even has its own version of the Google logo (the Linux one is pictured above).
A complete list of Google engines doesn't seem to exist. Even Google's Site Map has mistakes, as well as omissions. If you find a Google API, let me know.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/24/2004 04:14:00 PM 0 comments

The Google Playboy Interview 2.0

Myopicdystopian posts in the LJ blog:

Apparently, Google didn't reveal enough in Playboy the first time.
The original (now infamous) Playboy article, released in the September issue, threatened to delay the anticipated deal because of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules that bar executives from promoting their business before a public offering. To avoid a postponement, Google added the entire article, with corrections, to its paperwork filed with the SEC, days before its offering was approved.
Now Playboy is exposing a little bit more of the article that fell on the cutting-room floor....
The Google Interview 2.0 opens new window
The original September article opens new window

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/24/2004 03:59:00 PM 0 comments

Google Finally Has A Bad Day

Google dropped a bit this morning before running about even the rest of the day, so expect a closing price around 104, a 5.4% drop from yesterday's 109.40. Seems Google is now settling into a comfortable place. However, every single Gmail account seems to have gotten an invite, and that suggests Gmail is going public soo. Gmail should push up GOOG quite a bit.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/24/2004 03:23:00 PM 0 comments

News Maps

I love News Maps. These are (mostly) little web apps that analyze Google News and produce graphical ways to organize all that info. My favorite is Stamen's, which arranges the terms from the "In The News" box on the Google News home page from the last seven days. It lets you know who has gotten more press and who has had less over the last week. Noticeably, Google itself never showed up, even during the IPO craze. Guess they're biased... against themselves.
If anybody finds any cool apps, feel free to post them here.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/24/2004 07:15:00 AM 0 comments

Will There Be A PageRank Update... Ever?

Apparently, Google hasn't had a Google Dance in two months. A Google Dance, for the uninitiated, is when Google does a massive update of its search database, updating PageRanks over the entire internet, and web site operaters get all excited, watching their PageRanks bounce around. The situation has been highlighted at SEO Chat, with some surmising that Google refused to do an update till after the IPO, since PageRank updates anger more people than it helps. OF course, Google held a literal Google Dance this year for its employees, complete with BBQ, arcade games, and, well, dancing.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/24/2004 06:51:00 AM 0 comments

Another Google logo

Dakri posts in the LJ blog:

If anybody knows where I can access all the Google logos, do tell. That would be greatly appreciated. ;)

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/24/2004 02:08:00 AM 0 comments

Google IPO Receives Praise From Some, (Questionable) Criticism From Others

Two main Google stories on Google News - Business today: First, The Street is praising Google for sticking to its guns and winning, while explaining that Google won't start a revolution. Google's IPO was very rocky, and the only reason they survived was in spite of it, not because of it. On the other side of the coin, the Guardian points to an influential investor advisory group, who says Google has the worst corporate governance in the S&P 500. Of course, you must remember that groups such as this one lost a lot of money on Google's IPO, because Google refused to play their game. The bad blood from the investment community will take a while to fade.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/23/2004 11:36:00 PM 0 comments

Will Google Go For IM?

Well Slashdot seems to think Google's next target should be instant messaging, going after AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Personally, I think they just don't get it. Google is about finding online delivery systems for its highly lucrative advertising. Regardless of how well Google has monetized search and now email, there is absolutely no way to monetize IM. At least, there is no better way, and Google isn't about to be "just another player". If they can't innovate, they don't get involved. I'd expect to see a legal MP3 search engine and Google search for the PC first.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/23/2004 11:10:00 PM 0 comments

Google Continues To Rise

Unbelievably, beating all analysts expectations, Google has not hit its peak yet. As of 2:35, GOOG is at 111.65, rising 3.34% today, and has yet to stop moving up. This may prove bad for Google at some point, since the dot-com bust happened because stocks were overvalued, something Google tried to avoid with its dutch-style auction, but seems unable to prevent. Google needs to start justifying that $111. Perhaps a huge rollout of Gmail?

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/23/2004 02:39:00 PM 0 comments

Some Cool Stuff From Google Blogoscoped

While I want to alert readers to all the news about Google I can find, I'm not going to outright steal other websites. So, since Google Blogoscoped has several cool things today, I'm just going to alert you to them, and you can check them out yourself. Especially since Phillip was nice enough to add InsideGoogle to his Search Engine News page
First, Phillip makes an excellent point about one severe limitation Google has. The short story: some nice browser innovations allow web browsers to present content in whatever language you want it to be. Problem is, Google only reads the English page, so someone searching in another language won't find you. Read about the content negotiation problem here. My word of advice to Google: not everyone can buy domains in every country on Earth, like www.google.de and www.google.co.uk.

Also, he points out the picture at the right, which is a puzzle for people who want to work at Google. Solve it, and your resume moves to the front of the line. Google has been known for running contests like these, like the billboard (far right) which didn't even mention Google and featured an equation that led wanna-Googles to a website (http://7427466391.com/) for further puzzles and a chance to work at Google. ZDNet has a great article on that story.
Finally, you can listen to a speech by Google CEO Eric Schmidt at UC Berkeley during the EECS Annual Research Symposium in February. Fascinating stuff, if search engines are your thing.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/23/2004 02:16:00 PM 0 comments

Doodles For Everyone!

Today's Olympics Google Doodle: Table Tennis

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/23/2004 09:05:00 AM 0 comments

Gmail's New Feature Suggestion Form

Gmail now has a suggestion form, where you indicate your top 5 features you wish Gmail had, so the development team knows what they have to do. However, it is in many cases not a suggestion box, leaving out many features users wish they had (like importing mail from other systems, POP3 access, virus scanning) while including others (delete more than 100 messages at a time, Opera support) but mostly just ways to change the design of Gmail, rather than adding to it (customizing colors, deleting emails with a single click). Google should realize that thay should concentrate on adding as many new features as possible, not adding complexity to the interface. Here's my top 5:

Create unique nicknames for my contacts

Create mailing lists for my contacts

Delete more than 100 messages at a time

Control whether people I send mail to are added to Contacts

See the number of new spam messages from my inbox

(via Google Blogoscoped)

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/22/2004 10:59:00 AM 0 comments

Google Hits Its Mark

Sure, it took two days, but Google eventually hit its original target of $108, rising 7.975% Friday to settle at $108.31. Guess no matter how much bad press led up to the IPO filing, you simply can't keep a good company down.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/22/2004 02:15:00 AM 0 comments

Tennis Olympics Doodle

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/22/2004 02:05:00 AM 0 comments

Google Testing Related Searches

Search Engine Roundtable pointed out this new Google feature, which appears to still be in the testing phase: related searches. Apparently, Google is testing a feature that if you search for one thing, it lists a few possible searches that might be more specific. Of course, this is another of those Google features nobody seems able to duplicate, so if you see a related search, comment and point it out.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/22/2004 02:03:00 AM 0 comments

MoveOn.org Exposed

A lot of outrage is being expressed over the fact that you can search MoveOn.org's subscriber database was leaked to Google, but people need to remember that this is the fault of MoveOn.org and a bad server configuration, not Google. Thankfully, ResourceShelf makes this point abundantly clear, since they found the same information on Yahoo. Google may be #1 in the way people find stuff on the internet, but most things on the internet aren't their fault.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/22/2004 01:56:00 AM 0 comments

BugMeNot Is Back!

BugMeNot has found a new host, NearlyFreeSpeech, and is back in the business of helping us avoid giving our real names to (it claims) 22,250 websites. First time users would be wise to check out the Internet Explorer extension that lets you use BugMeNot by just right-clicking on the page, and there is also a bookmarklet and a Firefox extension. Interestingly, as Boing Boing reports, their new host plays host to a British neonazi group, but then again, it wouldn't really be NearlyFreeSpeech if it didn't.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/22/2004 01:49:00 AM 0 comments

Google Releases Gmail Notifier

Bad news for Elias Torrez and Gtray, but Google quietly released its Gmail Notifier, an application for Windows that sits in your system tray and lets you know when you have new Gmail. It even replaces Gmailto, which makes Gmail your primary mail app and lets you use it when you click on email addresses in your internet browser. The screenshot shows it in action, and it has that quirky Google sense of humor. Looks like Google's getting Gmail ready for prime time.
There's also a FAQ, which says Gmail Notifier can:

automatically check for new messages every two minutes

see a snippet of text from up to 30 unread messages

select a sound to indicate when you have new mail

make Gmail your default email application

Here are all the funny Google icons for Gmail Notifier:

Unread mail in your Gmail inbox

No unread mail in your inbox

Checking mail

Error
(via Boing Boing)

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/20/2004 09:58:00 AM 0 comments

Some Early Morning Reading

If you are looking for something to read this morning, I've got some good stuff for you. I found all of these articles via Yahoo's new YSearchBlog, which may be pretty but is light on content. However, the blog has a great list of "Industry Sources" that you can use to find great info on the search engine industry, even Google's own blog!
Dan Gillmor gives Google some advice now that they are a publicly traded company, and he's totally on the ball. (via John Battelle's Searchblog)
Think Google always beats Yahoo? Well here's one case where Yahoo is clearly more robust and useful: no limit query search. Google limits searches to 10 terms; no one has found Yahoo's limit. Very unGoogle-like for Google to operate this way, and lets hope they don't let Yahoo keep the upper hand here.
Microsoft Research has some brilliant people working there. Not all the PhDs go to Google. This paper talks about a theoretical system for building a better search engine: Block-level Link Analysis. If you understand technical terms, read the eight page paper. I did, and I gotta say, it's brilliant. If Microsoft can implement this in their next search engine, they've got the first Google-beater we've seen in six years. The wolves are truly at the door. (via SearchEngineBlog)
If anybody has any interesting articles, send them to me. We're all just looking for something to read.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/20/2004 07:02:00 AM 0 comments

And Business As Usual...

Yup, Google Doodle VIII continues, today with soccer. And this time, they didn't mess up on the SERP:

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/20/2004 05:52:00 AM 0 comments

BugMeNot, We Hardly Knew Yea

Longtime users of Google News like myself probably came to know and love BugMeNot, the website that provides you with bogus email addresses and passwords to use websites that require them. Anyone who didn't want to give out their personal information, receive spam from the New York Times or just didn't want to waste time, could just go to BugMeNot and get a way around that annoyance. Well, don't even bother clicking on that link, because as of yesterday, BugMeNot is gone, something I discovered trying to read Dave Barry's Olympics columns at the Miami Herald. According to boingboing, bugmenot was shut down by its hosting service, saying the site was blocked by Websense's site filtering. Of course, boingboing's sources are a bunch of guys on some forums, so be careful what you believe. Either way, until BugMeNot gets a new host, you can still get into these sites thanks to Mailinator, which provides you with a disposable inbox. I know it

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/19/2004 07:42:00 PM 0 comments

Google's IPO Is An Unqualified Success

At the close of trading, GOOG stands at 100.33, up 15.33, 18.04% above the opening value of $85. While Google has struggled through a rocky road to get to this point, dropping their original asking price from $108-135, the results are far higher than the $20 being discussed months ago. Google is now a publicly traded company, with the money it needs to expand its vision further than before.
Google's stock started at $101, dropped to 95, and slowly rose to 104.06 before settling to stay at 100.14. The stability of the stock suggests Wall Street is satisfied with the price Google has, and it won't see a drop anytime soon.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/19/2004 04:09:00 PM 0 comments

Google Is A Go!

Google is open at 96.00, up 12.9%. You can follow it here.
A funny little story: Just before Google opened, it said it was at 140.93, up 65%. NASDAQ was having trouble, having put through two trades before they were supposed to, messing up the system. Bet Sergey and Larry saw those numbers and flipped out, even if only for a second.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/19/2004 11:57:00 AM 0 comments

Google Trading At 11:40

CNBC just said shares of Google will begin trading at 11:40 A.M.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/19/2004 10:02:00 AM 0 comments

The Big Red Search Engine

For a little fun right before trading opens at 9:30, check out Toogle, which turns an image from a Google Image search into an ASCII text image. Check out Google:

google+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+lo oogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+log ogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+l ogogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle +logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoog le+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogo ogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logo google+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+lo gogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+ logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogl e+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoo gle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logog oogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+log ogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+l ogogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle +logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoog le+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogo ogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logo google+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+lo gogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+ logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogl e+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoo +logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoogle+logogoog

Ironically, I tried this with Clifford, the big red dog, but he was too big.
(via Google Blogoscoped)
45 minuted to go.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/19/2004 08:34:00 AM 0 comments

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