Web
An (G)oogle at a cynical conspiracy
An (G)oogle at a cynical conspiracy
Google has always seemed to be a friendly company, and have always taken the face of a company with a smile. Are they starting to change that and take a more underhanded approach, or have we just never known what goes on behind the scenes?
I work for a company that deals with Google and several financial services companies, and therefore keep a very close eye on the rankings for various forms of insurance and so on. With us keeping such a close eye, we notice trends as they develop, and watch how the rankings fluctuate on a long term, as well as a short terms basis.
As we monitor this space, we realize how highly saturated as well as how competitive it is. And this is how the perfect opportunity for the development of a cynical view point arises.
Google is the leader in the search market all over the world, and therefore has many companies in the palm of its hand. Google is in an extremely strong position in terms of manipulating the market.
Step back and get your critical thinking hats on: when Google makes changes to the rankings, it often results in many companies frantically running around trying to get back to where they were – or better.
It is suddenly a mad frenzy, which leads to actions without thought, and they simply end up throwing money at the problem. Where does that money normally go? PPC advertising. You might think this is normal and there is nothing cynical with that, but what many don’t realize that the money going to PPC is in fact going into Google’s AdWords campaign and therefore going into Google’s pocket.
Captain Awesome’s Opinion: MWEB Sucks
With the good news for the South African Internet market over the last few weeks, we highlighted the many uncapped ADSL options that providers are bringing to the table.
This is my story of using uncapped ADSL so far.
I initially was very skeptical as there were previously uncapped options already available, and they were all much more expensive than the latest offerings. I wanted to know why there was such a difference and how come, all of a sudden, uncapped Internet was affordable.
Chris over at iMod had been set up with an account from Mweb, and he seemed very happy. They were an option I thought. I was currently with Afrihost and was extremely happy with their service, and therefore was seriously considering them. I had used OpenWeb in the past and therefore I decided not to rule them out.
I did the normal thing when one is about to spend a fair amount of money or change a service provider: research. This lead me to discover that Afrihost had thresholds and essentially meant that their service would not be truly uncapped. This service with its great pricing would be sufficient for someone using around 60-100GB a month. I was looking for more.
My next step was to try Mweb as Chris seemed very happy with them. I automatically assumed that a “top” company like Mweb would have a simple sign up process, and I would be online in minutes. Boy oh boy was I wrong. The sign up process after about 10 minutes lead me to a hanging server error. It appears that my request was just simply not being picked up. There was no notification to say there was an error, or if it was successful. I was left with the worst situation possible: was my money being deducted with no product, but I had no idea as there simply was no information provided.
Things To Do With Local Cap
Here is a fantastic list of things to do when your international cap has run out and all you have left is local cap. The list is courtesy of The Local List. I have just got my uncapped account from Open Web and I am absolutely loving it! I pity those that don’t have this luxury!
So list is quite out of date, but most of it seems to be still up and running. I haven’t actually linked to the sites as that would just be crazy from an SEO point of view, but all you need to do is simply copy the link into your address bar and away you go!
Search:
http://www.live.com
http://www.ananzi.co.za/
http://www.aardvark.co.za/search/
http://www.search24.com/
http://www.funnel.co.za/
http://www.mylocal.co.za/google
http://www.mylocal.co.za/answers
News:
http://www.thetimes.co.za/home.aspx
http://www.news24.co.za/
http://www.iol.co.za/
http://www.mg.co.za/
http://www.dieburger.com/
http://www.sabcnews.com/
http://www.ananzi.co.za/news/
http://www.702.co.za/news/news.asp
http://www.sbsun.com/home
http://www.chron.com/
http://www.myfoxny.com/
http://www.foxnews.com/
Computers / IT / Tech:
http://www.shockwave.com/home.jsp
http://www.itweb.co.za/
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/
http://cooltech.iafrica.com/
http://www.pcformat.co.za/
http://www.philips.com/
http://www.logitech.com/
http://www.nvidia.com
http://www.benq.com/
http://www.corel.com/
http://www.amd.com/us-en/
http://www.intel.com/
http://www.ati.com
http://www.wug.za.net/
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/
http://www.appriver.com/
http://www.altova.com/
http://www.spamfighter.com/
http://www.tech2.com/
http://www.wired.com/
Cellular:
http://www.vodacom.co.za/
http://www.vodacom4me.co.za/
http://www.mtn.co.za/
http://www.cellc.co.za/
http://www.virginmobile.co.za/
http://www.ericsson.com/
http://www.nokia.co.uk/
Internet / ADSL / ISP
https://secure.telkomsa.net/titracker/
http://userstats.adsl.saix.net/
http://www.saix.net/
http://www.telkom.co.za/
http://www.telkomsa.net/
http://www.neotel.co.za/
http://www.webmail.co.za/
http://www.mweb.co.za/
http://www.do.co.za/
Sports:
http://www.uefa.com/
http://www.wwe.com/
http://www.nba.com/
http://msn.foxsports.com/
http://www.rugby365.com/
http://www.supersport.co.za/
Bulletin Boards / Forums:
http://aas.uct.ac.za
http://forums.xploit.co.za
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/
http://forums.prophecy.co.za/
http://www.pcformat.co.za/modules.php?name=Forums
http://forum.mxit.co.za/
Maps / Travel / Motoring:
http://www.gotravel24.com/
http://www.brabysmaps.co.za/
http://www.shellgeostar.co.za/
http://www.bmw.com/
http://www.audi.com/audi/com/en2.html
http://www.cardomain.com/
http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_INTL/homepage
http://www.airtran.com/Home.aspx
http://www.jetstar.com/au/index.html
http://www.garmap.co.za/
http://www.garmin.co.za/
Help Sponsor Me Please!
Yes, I am completely shameless.
I need YOUR help.
I am looking to do the Quirk eMarketing Course, but unfortunately it is WAY out of my budget. It costs roughly R6700 which is more than I earn a month!
Here is where you come in! :)
I am looking for any form of sponsorship for this. Be it half, 25%, 10% what ever. Something that helps bring down the cost for me to something that I can actually afford! I know this is a HUGE ask but I really want to do this and the entries close on the 26th February which is this Friday!
SO PLEASE HELP ME!
I am willing to negotiate with people and do things in return such as advertising, helping with your website, what ever you can think of!
I really am relying on help from you! Not the person next to you, or across from you, but YOU!
Please email me if you want to discuss this further and make my day! Please let me know if you know of anyone that could possibly help me out even just slightly!
Email: jbigmac(at)gmail.com
Google Docs: 12 Cool Features You Didn’t Know
Here is an article I found on Shakk.us. I would recommend reading it here though as the grammar and layout over there is shocking. I have edited this to make it far easier to read. Enjoy.
Slick and simple, Google Docs is the online office suite for people who don’t need bells and whistles. You can open and edit most office document, spreadsheet and presentation formats in Google Docs – and view PDFs. It autosaves your work, so it’s crash proof, and you can share documents publicly or with selected contacts.Google Docs looks underpowered, but dig deep and you’ll find smart features that other suites can’t beat. Here are 12 of the best.
1. Recover old revisions. Go to File > Revision History and the entire past of the current document will be revealed. This powerful feature allows you to select and edit any version of your document. Compare revisions side by side too – new edits are colour coded to their author.
2. Create HTML tables. You can access a document’s underlying HTML code direct by going to “Edit > Edit HTML”. There are lots of uses for this. For example: use Google Docs WYSIWYG table making tools – then go to “Edit HTML”. Paste the code into any input window that expects HTML. Instant, painless table coding.HTML VIEW: Handy for chucking together web page content, Google Docs are rendered in HTML.
3. Add CSS. Google Docs allows you to add CSS styles to any document. Try this. Make a new document, highlight it and choose “Heading 3″ from the Styles dropdown. Next, go to “Edit > Edit CSS” and enter this code: { font-size: 200%; font-family: Georgia,”Times New Roman”,Times,serif; }Click “OK” and the change should be instant. Go to “File > New > New from Template” to investigate more complex CSS examples.
South African Celebrities On Twitter
So Skattie recently released a list of South African celebrities that are on Twitter. The list is quite varied with rugby players, models, blog award winners etc listed. One thing they all have in common is that they are definitely the people to follow. Here is the list:
Gareth Cliff – @GarethCliff (Radio DJ, TV Show host)
DJ Fresh – @DJFreshSA (Radio DJ)
Anele – @Anele (Radio DJ)
Charlize Theron – @charlizzetheron (International Actress)
Tanit Phoenix – @tanitphoenix (Actress, Model)
Tanya van Graan – @tanyavg (Actress, Model)
Kerry McGregor – @kerrymcgregor (Model)
Lieschen Botes – @LBotes (Model)
Chris Chameleon – @chrischameleon (Actor, Singer/Songwriter)
Koos Kombuis – @KoosKombuis (Singer/Songwriter)
Barry Ronge – @RatherRonge (Entertainment Journalist)
Mark Pilgrim – @Mark_Pilgrim (Radio DJ)
Lee-Ann Liebenberg – @leeannl (Model)
Arno Carstens – @ARNOCARSTENS (Singer/Songwriter)
Bianca Trytsman – @boonks (Model)
Brandon October – @BrandonOctober (Singer/Songwriter)
Colin Moss – @Colin_Moss (Actor / TV Show Host)
Danny K – @dannykmusic (Singer/Songwriter)
Elana Afrika – @ElanaAfrika (Radio DJ)
Hip Hop Pantsula – @HipHopPantsula (Singer/Songwriter)
Jo-Ann Strauss – @jo_annstrauss (Model / TV Personality)
Karen Zoid – @karenzoid (Singer/Songwriter)
Kurt Darren – @KurtOfficial (Singer/Songwriter)
Seth Rotherham – @2oceansvibe (Media Mogul, Horse Whisperer)
Leigh-Ann Mol – @LeighAnnMol (Radio DJ)
Lisa Marie Schneider – @electricvenus (Model)
Margaret van der Westhuizen – @MagsSouthAfrica (Radio DJ / Personality)
Michael Mol – @DrMichaelMol (TV Personality)
Nicola Breytenbach – @NicBrey (Model)
Roger Goode – @DjRogerGoode (Radio DJ)
Sasha Martinengo – @F1sasha (Radio DJ / Personality)
Khanyi Mbau – @TheRealMissK (Actress / Personality)
Emanual Castis – @EmmanuelCastis (Actor / Personality)
Brigette Willers – @Brigittewillers (Model / Personality)
Bob Skinstad – @BobSkinstad (Ex Springbok Rugby Player / Personality)
Landi Swanepoel – @landiswanepoel (Model)
John Smit – @johnsmit123 (Springbok Rugby Player / Personality)
Victor Matfield – @VictorMatfield (Springbok Rugby Player)
Morné Steyn – @mornesteyn (Springbok Rugby Player)
Megan Coleman – @Meg_Coleman (Model / Personality)
Tamara Dey – @tamaradey (Singer/Songwriter)
Tracey McGregor – @tracymcgregor (Model)
Poppy – @poppyismyname (Radio DJ / Personality)
Grant Nash – @grantnash (Radio DJ / Personality)
Sureshni Rider – @Sureshnie (Radio DJ)
Jennifer Su – @jennifer_su (Personality)
Charné Jade Slee – @CharneJade (Model)
AB De Villiers – @AB840217 (Proteas Cricket Player)
Gurthro Steenkamp – @gurthro (Springbok Rugby Player)
Francois Louw – @FloLouw (Springbok Rugby Player)
Ross Skeate – @RossSkeate (Springbok Rugby Player)
Os du Randt – @osdurandt (Ex Springbok Rugby Player)
AJ Venter – @Braaibroer (Ex Springbok Rugby Player)
Helgaard Muller – @helgardmuller (Ex Springbok Rugby Player / Provincial Coach)
Graeme Smith – @GraemeSmith49 (Proteas Cricket Player / Captain)
Christopher Mills – @ChristopherM (South African Blog Award Winner)
Hanyani Shimange – @hshimmi (Ex Springbok Rugby Player)
JP Dumminy – @JPDumminy21 (Proteas cricket player)
Darren Scott – @JustPlainTwit (Radio DJ / TV Personality)
Hunter Kennedy – @Huntervancoke (Band Member of Heuwels Fantasties / Fokofpolisiekar)
Aidan Bennets – @AidanBennetts (Model / TV Personality)
Jeannie D – @jeannieous (Radio DJ / TV Personality)
Trevor Noah – @trevornoah (Actor / Comedian)
Casper de Vries – @casperrasper (Comedian / TV Personality)
Bobby van Jaarsveld – @bobbyvjaarsveld (Singer / Songwriter)
Heinz Winckler – @heinzwinckler (Singer / Songwriter / Idols South African Winner)
Paul Snodgrass – @snoddie (Comedian / TV Personality)
Dave Duarte – @DaveDuarte (South African Blog Awards 2009 Winner)
Boitumelo Molekane – @TfromtheV (Singer / Songwriter)
Heather Moore – @skinnylaminx (South African Blog Awards 2009 Winner)
Trevor Immelman – @TrevorImmelman (South African Golfer / Masters Champ)
Gary Player – @garyplayer (South African Golfer)
Facebook Wins $711 Million From Spammer
Facebook has won a multi-million dollar payout from spammer Sanford Wallace.
Social networking site Facebook was today awarded $711 million in damages in a suit against serial spammer Sanford Wallace.
The LA Times reports that Wallace sent millions of unsolicited emails to registered Facebook users, tricking many of them into divulging their login information or redirecting them to sites that paid him for each visit. A judge yesterday said that the spammer had acted with blatant disregard for Facebook users.
“Wallace willfully violated the statutes in question with blatant disregard for the rights of Facebook users whose accounts were compromised by his conduct,” U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel in San Jose said, according to the LA Times.
Now $711 million is a lot of money, especially when the person you’re trying to extract it from is a total crook. But it seems Facebook is fully prepared to wait for the cash.
“While we don’t expect to quickly collect the full amount, we’ll work hard to get everything we can,” Simon Axten, a privacy and public policy associate at Facebook, said in a statement.
Ouch! I like to see Facebook follow up incidents like this as no one enjoys spam!
[Via: Toms Guide]
Who Broke Facebook?
Sigh. This post is more than a post depicting my annoyance more than informing you to anything. Yes you might have noticed that I like to lambast things that do not quite work how I want, such as MXit and my Nokia N78.
Well the next thing that has disappointed me is one of the great ways I keep in touch with everyone. Yes, you guessed it: Facebook. The stupid hunk of social media has gone wonky once again. Firstly, they have changed the layout of the inbox. Once again, most changes they seem to make don’t benefit the social platform in many ways, but still they go along with them. I like the new look and feel in terms of the new buttons, except now everything feels a bit big and almost childish, or it’s aimed at the older generation whose telescopes, oops I mean glasses, need to magnify things more than a microscope to look at a single atom. Everything just seems a bit squashed and not as tidy as before.
Look what you made me do! You made me divert off the lovely subject. How could you do that to someone who simply wants to provide you with only top class entertainment and such a deep love for writing absolute nonsense? Well, luckily I am back on track. So the main reason I am complaining about Facebook now is that my news feed is becoming decimated with horrid unwelcome little updates of four days ago. I don’t want to read what people did four days ago!? That kind of defeats the point of real-time updates does it not? It gets better. In the mix are there statuses from yesterday, 2 and 3 days ago, as well as some from about a week ago. This really doesn’t help me, and hogs all the space for the relevant news to come through.
MWEB More Bandwidth for Your Buck
MWEB today announced that it is offering subscribers ‘more bandwidth per buck’
MWEB today announced that it will increase the amount of bandwidth of its current ADSL bundles. “From September 2009, MWEB ADSL customers will get more data to use each month for the same price,” MWEB said.
Carolyn Holgate, GM of MWEB Connect, said that while South Africans waited for the positive effect of additional international bandwidth to be felt, MWEB was already taking real action to make broadband more affordable by increasing the amount of data that subscribers could use in a month.
“Consumers and businesses will feel the benefit of the increased data caps, as the changes are to be felt across the MWEB ADSL product offering,” she said.
“Under the new pricing structure, MWEB ADSL members with a 1GB data cap, (where their ADSL line is obtained directly from Telkom), will now get 2GB for the unchanged price of R145 per month. Members with a 2GB cap will now get 3GB for R219, and 3GB customers will get 5GB for R299. Customers with 6, 9 and 12GB caps will now enjoy 7.5GB, 10.5GB and 13.5GB caps respectively.”
“MWEB’s All-Inclusive ADSL subscribers, who get their ADSL line and subscription in one account from MWEB, will also benefit. Customers with 2GB caps will now get 3GB for the same price, while 3, 6, 9 and 12GB customers will now receive 5GB, 7.5, 10.5 and 13.5GB of data each month respectively.
MWEB will increase the amount of data provided per booster, but keep the price the same. R99 will now buy a 1.5GB (previously 1GB) booster and R250 a 3.5GB (previously 3GB) booster. Both booster options will still include data carry-over.”
Who wants 10GB free internet!?
Well it seems Webafrica are making a serious move in the ISP market. It seems that they are tired of not being viewed as the clear cut leader and have set out to try and clear up that bit of confusion. They have decided to drop IS and SAIX and are now moving over to Seacom. I think this is awesome news, but wait, it actually gets better. Not only will their prices drop and they claim their speed will be better, but they are also running an awesome competition.
They are going to be trialing the Seacom line, and they need some feedback on the service. What better why to tempt people into being part of the trial than to give them 10GB free cap!? Why are you still reading this!? Go sign up here!
