ArticleSnatch Blog

You are browsing the search results.

China Central Television (CCTV), the largest state-owned television network in China, recently ran a report accusing Baidu of questionable practices regarding medical search advertising. The accusations suggest that Baidu was allowing non-licensed medical companies to advertise while preventing some of the licensed ones from bidding on popular medical terms.

Baidu engaged in talks with CCTV to learn more about their accusations. They also removed paid search listings of medical companies who did not have proper licensing on file with Baidu.

Baidu maintains that they do not prevent the licensed companies from advertising. Advertising by medical companies makes up about 10-15% of Baidu’s revenue.

Of course, this is not the first time that state entities in China have caused unnecessary, undemocratic problems for Baidu.

Related Reading:
Baidu’s Profit Increases 91% in Third Quarter 2008

Ok, this is isn’t search related, but it’s too much fun not to cover. Gmail has released another Labs feature. This one is called Mail Goggles and it’s intended to help you avoid sending those late night or weekend emails that you’ll regret later.

When the feature is enabled, you have to answer simple math problems before an email will send during those most vulnerable emails-I-will-later-regret times.

Of course, if you’re having a perfectly sane moment but math isn’t your strong suit, you’ll need to break out your trusty calculator (or enter that math problem into Google search).

But at least now there’s technology that has your back in those weak moments.

Related Reading:
Google Responds to Gmail Privacy Concerns
Gmail and Search/E-Mail Integration

If you keep up with politics, then you know that a recent McCain ad portrayed as Obama as simply a celebrity, and included pictures of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

Paris Hilton has responded to the ad with a hilarious video on FunnyOrDie.com, a popular online video sharing and voting site, where many celebrities have appeared before.

Hilton broke from her normal persona to reveal the intelligent side of herself. Yes, you read that correctly. She was poised (albeit in a bathing suit by the pool), and spoke with more clarity about politics than any Washington official.

But her energy plan is where the genius is truly revealed. Perhaps, Paris Hilton should run Yahoo? Hey, Carl Icahn is looking for a two people to join him on the expanded board, especially after TimeWarner nixed Jonathan Miller’s chances of being part of Icahn’s coup d’état. After watching this video, I’m convinced Paris could broker a deal with Microsoft that will leave everyone happy. Well, except Bostock and Yang. But they had their chance.

New Blog Post - Carl Icahn Returns to Letter-Writing; Microsoft Open to Deal with a .. http://tinyurl.com/6cdc6h #
New Blog Post - Google Adds Privacy Link in Wake of Viacom Ruling; YouTube Addresses.. http://tinyurl.com/6yq7l5 #
New Blog Post - Compete Unveils Premium Version of Analytics Product: Compete.com ha.. http://tinyurl.com/6rswjz #
New Blog Post - Yahoo Responds to Icahn’s [...]

New Blog Post - Ways to Earn Money Writing: Ways to Earn Money Writing If you are a .. http://tinyurl.com/5z6fz4 #
New Article - How to Make Proper Web Content for Small Business Posted By : Henal Pate.. http://tinyurl.com/6ot7vy #
Thinking about Marketing Stickiness Posted By : Ben Needles: A new idea is delicate http://tinyurl.com/62qxfh #
New Article [...]

Yahoo has responded to the letter Carl Icahn issued this morning. Here’s the statement

Yahoo!’s Board of Directors continues to stand ready to enter into negotiations with Microsoft Corporation for an acquisition of Yahoo!. Indeed, as recently as June, Yahoo!’s independent directors and management approached Steve Ballmer about just such a transaction, only to be told that Microsoft was no longer interested even in the price range which they had previously proposed. Now Mr. Ballmer and Mr. Icahn have teamed up in an apparent effort to force Yahoo! into selling to Microsoft its Search business at a price to be determined in a future “negotiation” between Mr. Icahn’s directors and Microsoft’s management. We feel very strongly that this would not lead to an outcome that would be in the best interests of Yahoo!’s stockholders. If Microsoft and Mr. Ballmer really want to purchase Yahoo!, we again invite them to make a proposal immediately. And if Mr. Icahn has an actual plan for Yahoo! beyond hoping that Microsoft might actually consummate a deal which they have repeatedly walked away from, we would be very interested in hearing it.

Yahoo’s Chairman of the Board Roy Bostock fired back a reply, on behalf of the beleaguered board members Carl Icahn has been trying to replace, stating Icahn had a “significant misunderstanding of the facts about the Microsoft proposal and the diligence with which our board evaluated and responded to that proposal”.

Icahn had sent an open letter to the board informing them of his intended proxy fight, Kevin Newcomb reported earlier today.

Read Bostock’s letter after the jump:

Click to read the rest of this post…

New Article - Affiliate and Referral Program Posted By : Jack Chevalier: Every busines.. http://tinyurl.com/3l9av6 #
The 6 Phases of Building a Log Home Posted By : Pamella Neely: A snapshot view of what it takes to .. http://tinyurl.com/52aumb #
New Article - Seven Inside Tips to Launching Your Career as a Financial Advisor Posted.. http://tinyurl.com/5lpsyx #
Get [...]

New Article - Affiliate and Referral Program Posted By : Jack Chevalier: Every busines.. http://tinyurl.com/3l9av6 #
The 6 Phases of Building a Log Home Posted By : Pamella Neely: A snapshot view of what it takes to .. http://tinyurl.com/52aumb #
New Article - Seven Inside Tips to Launching Your Career as a Financial Advisor Posted.. http://tinyurl.com/5lpsyx #
Get [...]

On Saturday, Microsoft formally withdrew its proposal to acquire Yahoo. With the Microsoft-Yahoo mashup scrapped (for now), who are the hidden winners and losers?

I’m not talking about the stockholders, advertisers, employees, CEOs, management teams, boards of directors or other stakeholders of Google, Yahoo or Microsoft. They are the obvious winners and losers.

No, I’m talking about the hidden winners and losers – or, at least the ones that have been hidden in plain sight. I may have missed some. I’ve been busy. (I’ve got a day job.) But, here are the ones I was able to find on Sunday:

Hidden Winners of the Scrapped Microsoft-Yahoo Mashup

The biggest hidden winner is AP photographer Mark Lennihan. His May 4, 2007 file photo of a Times Square news ticker flashing a headline about Microsoft above a billboard for Yahoo became one of the most used images in Google News to illustrate stories about Microsoft’s unsolicited bid for Yahoo.

Another hidden winner is the Flickr group photo pool, “Microsoft: Keep You Evil Grubby Hands Off Our Flickr.” Its About Us statement reads, “THIS GROUP WILL STOP MICROSOFT FROM BUYING YAHOO! AND DESTROYING THE FLICKR WE KNOW AND LOVE OR WE WILL DIE TRYING.” Put down the camera, son. It’s over.

Kevin Ryan on the Microsoft Yahoo bid (Associated Press)

The final hidden winner is Kevin Ryan, the global content director for Search Engine Strategies and Search Engine Watch. His comments to AP on what the possibility of a Microsoft-Yahoo conglomerate means for the online marketplace ranks #1 in YouTube if you search for the two-word term, Microsoft Yahoo.

Hidden Losers of the Scrapped Microsoft-Yahoo Mashup

The biggest hidden loser is the Y-Que T Shirt Superstore. While it ranks #1 in Google Product Search for MircoHoo, that wasn’t as popular at term as “Microsoft Yahoo,” according to Google Trends. And now it’s stuck with a bunch of funny t-shirts commemorating the takeover of Yahoo by Microsoft.

Another hidden loser is Kevin Heisler, executive editor of Search Engine Watch. What was he doing Saturday night at 9:59 p.m.? He was posting a story to the Search Engine Watch Blog entitled, “Microsoft Withdraws Yahoo Offer; Yahoo Responds.” He should have been out watching Iron Man, like Deborah Richman.

Steve Ballmer going crazy

The final hidden losers are the Rapid Response Team at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide and the staff at Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher. Do a search for Steve Ballmer on Google. See the YouTube video of Steve going crazy? I’ve got four words for public relations professionals: Search Engine Reputation Management.