Web Publishing

Why did Google consolidate all of their privacy policies?

Perhaps it is in preparation for “Do Not Track.”

A “Do Not Track” system only works when a user is anonymously browsing a website. Once a user logs in to any site, they are tracked.

When we do not know a user’s basic demographic structure and what they are looking for, the value of internet ad inventory displayed to that individual drops precipitously (heck, is it even an individual?) Unlike the print publishing industry where an advertiser gains clout by purchasing prominent inventory, digital advertising relies on hyper targetting to squeeze out acceptable earnings. Even then, the earned revenue often dissapoints. Just ask the newspapers.

What happens if “Do Not Track” means ad networks know nothing about a user?

In the short term, Facebook becomes the only place you can purchase massive volume and still target users. Its simple, a user enables “Do Not Track”, and Facebook politely mentions that logging in no longer works.

Google could easily do the same thing. Their privacy policy consolidation makes me expect it.

If a “Do Not Track” visitor is worth 5-10% of what a normal visitor is worth, it is easy to imagine every web site that can will force users to log in. I can’t be certain about the loss of value, but I don’t think internet businesses will be giving away their content for free.

This is how we transition from an internet advertising model that guesses who you are to one that knows exactly who you are.

“Do Not Track” is a joke. Google, Facebook, and the FTC think you are pretty stupid and will easily be fooled.

“Let’s siphon off some of this traffic for ourselves”

Both Google and Firefox see a future of their web browsers free of the address bar. Coupled with an evolving search engine results landscape that favors paid traffic, the world of web site publishers in 2011 looks dramatically different than it did when I started this blog nearly six years ago back in 2005.

What better way to ensure that maximum value flows to you than to get rid of the most common points users leak out of your traffic ecosystem: own the web browser, eliminate the address bar, maximize users clicking advertisements, fill your free listings with sites that drive massive volume through your display ad network, replace the URL with the “app.”

Eric Schmidt was dead serious when he said “The fastest path to wealth is the construction of these digital platforms, where other people depend on you.” You better believe that Larry, Sergey, and Eric are damn annoyed that Apple is worth over $300 billion, and they are going to do everything they can to be #1.

This is the pace of change which technology brings. Even if the DOJ and the EU dropped the anti-trust bomb on Google tomorrow, there would never be a traffic environment circa 2005 ever again. If you don’t like change, and your value stream flows from the old way, it might be time to sell your company to someone who enjoys change.

My final blog posts are coming soon.

If Elisa Cooper at MarkMonitor has her way, it will soon be much easier for other people to steal your domain names!

The URS has a shortened time frame for domain owners to respond, so short that if you go on vacation your likely to miss the time, and parts of the proposal under consideration include one where a domain owner who loses a fixed number of URS in a certain time frame may be barred from even filing a defense to future URS filings.

Moreover Mark Monitor wants the Global Trademark Database which is part of the new gTLD process to apply to .Net’s as well.

The problem with that is the WIPO database which is already up and operating, in anticipation of the passage of the final gTLD rules, contains over 630,000 entries, including most dictionary words, two and three letter combo’s and all sorts of generic terms. Hell even the letter ‘F” is in the database.

Via TheDomains

After over 5 years of blogging on WebPublishingBlog, I’m shutting it down!

The goals I set for the blog, when I created it, were accomplished long ago. I’ve been running a multi-million dollar company for the past few years which requires 100% of my attention.

Before I “close the gates” I have two blog posts that absolutely need to be published. They are already written in some form and really need to see the light of day.

The first is a summery of the biggest mistakes I have watched entrepreneurs make. This stuff happens over and over again and doesn’t need to.

The second and final post will be about how I cured my “carpel tunnel” (RSI.) From when I started this blog until late last year I had severe wrist and hand pain when experiencing any type of strain, keyboard, mouse, picking up heavy shit. This was a serious handicap that cut down on my productivity. I had spent thousands of dollars on ergonomic keyboards and chairs — both keyboards and chairs that cost me over $1k a pop. I had completely given up.

These posts should be up in the next week or two. And with that I will lock down the blog. It won’t get deleted, but no more updates and comments.

I can’t remember the last time I saw viagra/cialis/offtopic spam appear in Google’s SERPs. Just a fluke or a sign of things to come?

When you own a contextual advertising network the most important thing is the content of a page rather than the details of its users.

So, if one of your biggest competitors is about to launch a demographically targeted display ad network why not make it easy for your user base to cripple their tracking methods?

The change in Google CEO’s triggers the beginning of an escalating war between the web’s largest giants..

Is your audience dumber than a pile of bricks? Google’s new reading level results give publishers and online advertisers a glimpse in to whether readers struggled through 4th grade English class or polished off textbooks for dinner in college.

I ran a few popular news websites through Google and came up with some interesting data points. Perhaps the secret to Gawker’s successful blogging empire is that their audience isn’t even as sophisticated as Sarah Palin? After all, FoxNews.com has even more intermediate and advanced text content than NPR.

Future ideas for Google’s rating tools: estimating individual users’ IQ based on public social network profile content, gmail reading level, and demographics.

I through in a science site as a baseline to “higher end” content:

Intentional focus, exceptional management, and robust balance can go a long way to keeping you in business. Often what appears to be a dead end is simply a navigable roadblock.

Curiously since entering the industry full time around 6 years ago I’ve seen a lot of different people share in the same small pool of mistakes. Most of these mistakes are the result of a complete lack of focus, exceptional mis-management, and a total personal life imbalance.

Cynicism aside, the industry is only getting more interesting, not less. I thoroughly enjoy the dynamic of a rapidly evolving environment that makes the “veterans” heads spin. These mean more opportunities not less. When markets have big shakeups it becomes evident who are the innovative thinkers, and who just got lucky and followed somebody elses’ instructions. If you don’t find innovation fascinating, your in the wrong industry.

Here is a way to practice innovative thinking over the holidays: take the Groupon challenge and think about how you could re-invent your business model so it could reach a $1 billion valuation in the next 16 months. And for 2011, don’t forget what I wrote in this post.