Expert help from Google Answers

Expert help from Google Answers

by: Jakob Jelling

Web users turn to search engines for answers to their questions. This is usually done through various levels of searching the engineกs database. Sometimes though, no matter how hard they try, searchers can’t find the information they need. Maybe they’re not familiar with how to narrow and focus searches, or they may not have enough background in the subject they’re researching to recognize the answer they need. Google Answers offers a solution.

With Google Answers, you hire an experienced researcher or specialist in your field of inquiry to provide answers to your questions. In a sense, this process works much like bidding on an item at eBay or hiring work done through a freelancer web site. You will create a Google Answers profile, a nickname, enter your credit card information, and when you post your questions, you specify how much you’re willing to pay for answers and an expiration date for replies.

There is a 50 cent per question listing fee, and your payment offer for an answer can range from $2.00 to $200.00 currently. Your offered price needs to be high enough to justify and compensate the time a Google researcher will spend finding an answer. Researchers receive 75% of your offered fee, and Google receives the remainder to help support the Google Answers service. Once you receive an answer, your credit card will be charged the offer amount you made for that answer.

Previously asked questions and answers are posted, searchable, and freely available at the Google Answers site. Other users may make comments on the questions and answers, to help clarify the information you receive.

Google Answers isn’t magic. They can’t answer unanswerable questions, and they won’t provide medical, legal, or financial advice. But for other tough questions that you just can’t find an answer for on your own, Google Answers may be, well, the answer!

By Jakob Jelling

http://www.sitetube.com

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on September 29, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

What is Gmail?

What is Gmail?

by: Jakob Jelling

Like most other prime search engines, the ability to freely giveaway an email account is a positive tool that signals to the user community that this search engine is here to stay! Google is no different in this approach. Recently, Google has been beta testing Gmail. Google’s very own email services repository. Best of all, it’s free! Well, it’s going to be free, its currently available only in Beta mode, if you are lucky enough to have received an invitation to sign up for a complimentary account you currently enjoy the benefits of ubiquitous Gmail.

Found at gmail.google.com, users were at a frenzied pace to secure the names and aliases that may be snatched up once the floodgates were open. People are exclusively invited to partake in the beta testing were selling their names and invitations for quite a handsome sum on eBay. Most users will have to wait until Gmail goes live before actually trying it out. However with all the functionality at a price like this, how could anyone refuse?

Unlike MSN and Yahoo! Google’s approach to space was a little more liberal. Google provides 1000 MB of storage space so you would never have to worry about limited space requirements. All messages are displayed intact as well as the replies. Messages can be searched upon as well. Google’s approach was to give as much flexibility to the user so the user in turn would use only Google.

Much like the antipop up ad theory of The Google Toolbar, there will be an antiSpam product built into Gmail that will help thwart out unsolicited email.

Currently, new users can ask for a preview address from Google, although there is no guarantee they will get one. Interested parties should go to http://gmail.google.com/gmail/help/about.html and fill in their email addresses at the bottom of the page.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on August 23, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

Is Desktop Search Deserving?

Is Desktop Search Deserving?

by: Jakob Jelling

Google, in their march to stay ahead of the pack of competition, has released Google Desktop Search. With Microsoftกs MSN in the lead position and nipping at Googleกs heels, and Googleกs new shareholders to please, Google has more incentive than ever to deploy technology both better than the other guyกs, and sooner. After all, the first to get loaded to the desktop is more likely to build and retain user loyalty.

Google Desktop Search allows you to search within various types of files on your computer. Itกs still in beta, but is available for download by anyone. It requires Windows XP or Windows 2000 with at least Service Pack 3. It runs as a memoryresident application, with a system tray icon, so that it can index new documents as they are created.

For example, if you know a certain word or phrase was in a Word document, but you don’t remember which one, you can easily locate all documents on your computer that contain that word. Desktop Search can search through email, text, and HTML files, your cached web pages, and MS Office Documents (Word, Excel, and Powerpoint only).

By way of comparison, there is a competing application, also free, from Copernic, not surprisingly called Copernic Desktop Search. At the moment, it is perhaps more advanced than Googleกs. For example, Copernicกs software scans the same type of files as does Googleกs, but also scans music and video files and PDF documents, while Google does not. Both products can only scan Outlook or Outlook Express email at present.

But don’t count Google out. Webmasters know itกs never wise to do that! After all, they’re still in beta with Desktop Search, and they are as surely aware of Copernicกs product as they are of MSN. Google has both the resources and motivation to not only keep but expand their market leadership.

By Jakob Jelling

http://www.sitetube.com

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on October 28, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

Get Personal With Google

Get Personal With Google

by: Jakob Jelling

Anyone whoกs been on the net any time at all knows that Google has been the search engine of choice for many for a while now. Whether that continues remains to be seen, but for now, with MSN still in development and Yahoo going through some growing pains, many still feel that Google is the leader. As such, itกs worth dropping in to the Google Labs every now and then to see whatกs going on there.

For example, Googleกs Personalized search offers a fun and useful way for searchers to interact with part of the mysterious and closelyguarded Google search algorithm. You can set a search profile thatกs stored as a cookie on your computer. The easytouse Google profile interface allows you to pick specific topics that interest you. Once chosen and saved, you can then do a search from the Personalized search page. At first, youกll see normal Google results. But at the top of the page is a slider bar, and by moving this to the right, those same search results will be dynamically altered to narrow in to focus on your personalization settings.

For example, a standard search for ‘restaurantsก (without the quotes), will return several large, wellknown sites among the first 5 results. These include restaurants.com, zagat.com, restaurantrow.com, the official Subway corporate site, and the Yahoo restaurants directory. But letกs say youกve selected Texas as a geographic area of interest in your personalization profile. Move the personalization slide all the way to the right on the same search, and now the top 5 results are from guidelive.com, Landrysseafood.com, Houston Citysearch, and Austin360, followed by restaurants.com. Each of your personalized results are marked with small spheres of red, blue, and yellow.

There are many personalization topics to choose from, including Arts, Business, Computers, Health, and many other categories which can be further narrowed.

By Jakob Jelling

http://www.sitetube.com

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on September 14, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

Google Groups

Google Groups

by: Jakob Jelling

Some very early users of the Internet not the worldwide web as we know it today but the Internet from the early 1980s, will have heard of, and likely used, Usenet. This was the collective name applied to textbased electronic bulletin boards that were used to communicate in the days before the web and email existed, and that are still in use today. The Usenet posts were first collected and organized for worldwide web use in 1995, by a company called Deja News. In 2001, Google bought Deja News and applied their considerable search expertise to Usenet posts. The result is Google Groups.

There are well over 30,000 Google Groups today. These are hosted on servers all over the world, and Google Groups provides a browserbased interface to them, as well as creating searchable archives. From a very clean interface, users may search any of the various subsections of Google Groups. In the same way a clothing web site may be divided into sections for menกs, womenกs, and childrenกs wear, Usenet is divided into sections such as biz (business related), comp (computer related), humanities (art, literature related), and so on. From there, subsections may be divided into more specialized subtopics where necessary.

Sadly, many Google Groups are now spammer hangouts more than anything else. Widely available web access and programs that can automatically post to thousands of newsgroups in just a short while have destroyed much of the original spirit and usefulness of the Usenet groups. And parents need to know that on some sections of Usenet there are some very inappropriate topics that have been started over the years, so they should exercise due caution in protecting their children from those sections.

For those who don’t mind a bit of digging through the virtual trash can, there are still many, many useful and active Google Groups, full of friendly, helpful people, so be sure to check out this oftenoverlooked resource.

By Jakob Jelling

http://www.sitetube.com

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on September 29, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

Stay In The Know With Google SMS

Stay In The Know With Google SMS

by: Jakob Jelling

The Short Messaging Service (SMS) from Google sends short, quick, text answers in response to your queries from an SMSenabled mobile device, such as a cell phone. For example, you can look up phone numbers and addresses of local restaurants, do local phone book searches, compare prices from online merchants in Froogle to those you find in local stores, even look up definitions of words from the dictionary.

SMS has long been a common means of mobile communication in Europe. It has been available in the US for some time, but hasn’t been widely used. You don’t need a phone with a web browser to use Googleกs SMS. Since the information is transmitted as text only, without graphics, only the ability to send and receive SMS messages is needed. At present, the service is only available only in English, through major US wireless carriers like AT&T, Nextel, Sprint, and TMobile. Your service plan must allow for SMS messaging also. Use of SMS doesn’t generally count against minutes under most plans, but both your SMS to Google and the answer received from Google will typically count towards messages allowed.

Use of the Google SMS service is free at present, though of course users will need to pay any connection and messaging charges from their wireless carriers.

Google SMS can be handy for travel in particular. For example, letกs say youกve arrived at your hotel, and really have a taste for Chinese food. You may be able to use Google SMS to enter กChinese food deliveryก followed by the zip code of your hotel. Google will return, usually in less than a minute, a list of local Chinese restaurants that offer delivery. This is a nice alternative to looking in a phone book, where you may not know the city, and also is handy for situations where you may not be able to connect to the Internet easily.

By Jakob Jelling

http://www.sitetube.com

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on November 08, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

Destination: Desktop for Google

Destination: Desktop for Google

by: Jakob Jelling

First we had the original Google search that evolved into the leader in its class. In fact, it became so popular that the word กgoogleก worked its way into our everyday language as a verb, as in ‘to googleก something. Google later introduced a toolbar that was plugin for some browsers like Internet Explorer. The Google toolbar features a direct Google search box with quick access to image and group searches, a popup blocker, and for Internet marketers mostly, a PageRank (PR) indicator.

With competition like Yahoo and MSN threatening to start nipping at Googleกs heels, Google has introduced several new services to try to stay ahead of the pack. Recently they introduced Gmail, their webbased free email service (currently offered by invitation only). And still in the Google lab is the Google Deskbar (for Windows users only).

The Google deskbar is a plugin that resides in the Windows taskbar, the little control panel that contains your start button, perhaps some quick launch icons, the clock, and the system tray. Search engines and marketers have realized that to maintain and increase their competitive status, they will need to find ways to get surfers and customers to invite them to their desktops.

The deskbar features quick access to Googleกs results, no matter which application you’re currently using. Researching a class report? Check facts and sources quickly. Working in Excel? Look up the formula to calculate the volume of a tube easily. Following breaking news? Check it from the deskbar without leaving Photoshop! Youกll be able to preview your search results with the small กfloaterก window that will close automatically.

From students to senior executives, from casual surfers to serious Internet marketers, the Google Deskbar may add to your productivity and fun online. Itกs worth a look.

By Jakob Jelling

http://www.sitetube.com

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on September 14, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

What is The Google Sandbox Effect?

What is The Google Sandbox Effect?

by: Jakob Jelling

In the age of fair competition you may find it hard to believe that a search engine may hinder the appearance of a new website. This is what is currently believed to be happening on more web servers today. Some programmers have viewed Google as uncomfortable to rank newer websites until they have proven their viability to exist for more than a period of ขxข months. Thus the term ขSandbox Effectข applies to the idea that all new websites have their ratings placed in a holding tank until such time is deemed appropriate before a ranking can commence.

However the website is not hindered as much as the links that are reciprocated from other users. Newer links that are created are put on a ขprobationaryข status until again they pickup in rank from other matured sites or placed directly by an ad campaign. The idea behind the hindrance is to prevent a fast ranking to occur on a new website. The usual holding period seems to be between 90 and 120 days before a site would start obtaining rank from reciprocal or back linking.

Some advice has been given to have companies you are going to reciprocate back add your link first to the website. This may help grandfather your site in, thus reducing the waiting time associated with ขnewข websites. People have noticed a 0 page rank when first signing up and receiving a bolstering 7 page ranking after 4 months. Why the delay? The fact is, that if people realized how easy it would be to get a high ranking, would that take away the credibility of the engine. It depends on whom you ask, but it does seem to be happening frequently to newer subscribers. Do not discontinue back linking, your rank will eventually appear.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on August 23, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

The Opera Alternative

The Opera Alternative

by: Jakob Jelling

Security flaws have long plagued Internet Explorer (IE), the marketdominating web browser from Microsoft. IE won the early browser wars, not only because it was free and bundled with Windows, but because it had some features and capabilities that its only real competitor, Netscape, didn’t have. But the behindthescenes programming that makes those features possible is the very coding that also leaves wide gaps in IEกs defenses against viruses and malicious scripting. Among several browser alternatives for Windows users, the Opera browser stands out in functionality and integration, and is gaining a wider following as a safer surfing alternative to Internet Explorer.

To be sure, there are other browsers such as the one from Mozilla and their newest release, Firefox. There are several flavors of IE กoverlaysก, which use the core IE programming for web page display, and thus aren’t any safer than the original IE. (You should of course always use antivirus software to protect your PC, regardless of browser. Many viruses arrive as email attachments, and opening those on a Windowsbased PC will cause problems). Among nonIE browsers, it seems to be down to a twohorse race between Mozilla and Opera.

Opera, from Oslo, Norway, based Opera Software ASA, provides many popular features. An integrated email client, contact book, bookmarks with searchable notes, tabbed multiple windows, a builtin password manager, a popup blocker, multiple language support, saved sessions, privacy controls, builtin chat, and the ability to read RSS feeds from within Opera mail make the Opera browser a very powerful and worthwhile IE replacement candidate.

Unless you have special need for IE, such as a browser toolbar or web interaction software that you use, there is really no reason not to give Opera a try if you’re worried about safe surfing. While Opera does have a paid version, you can also download a sponsored version (with ads unobtrusively placed in the browser control area), which is free.

By Jakob Jelling

http://www.sitetube.com

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on October 11, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

Don’t Shoot The (Yahoo) Messenger!

Don’t Shoot The (Yahoo) Messenger!

by: Jakob Jelling

Most anyone whose kids have become teenagers over the last few years has almost certainly at least heard of กIMก. Itกs become a verb among not only teens, but many adult surfers too. As in กIM me later!ก. For anyone who doesn’t know, IM, or Instant Messaging, is software that lets people communicate over the Internet, well, instantly. Or nearly so with only slight delays most of the time, instant messaging has always allowed users to type messages back and forth over the Internet. Itกs a lot like passing a note in class, with new parts of a conversation added on to the end of previous parts. Yahoo Messenger was one of the first to offer both IM software and a lane on the information superhighway for IM messages to travel.

But as the kids have grown, so has Yahoo Messenger. Itกs a lot more than a mere teen toy now. Yahoo, in an effort to attract and retain loyalty to itกs brand, offers email, a personalized My Yahoo Portal, an address book, calendar, maps, bookmarks, a toolbar, and other services, many of them integrated to work together. But they seem to have paid special attention to Yahoo Messenger, especially recently. As more surfers have moved to highspeed internet connections, Yahoo has upgraded Yahoo Messenger to include Launchcast Radio, Yahoo Games, and of course, a considerable selection of customization options.

Perhaps the biggest change, and one many adult surfers will most appreciate, is the addition of Webcam, photo, and voice chat capabilities. Voice chat, in particular, will probably appeal to a broad audience. With it, a pair of speakers, and a microphone, you can talk live with contacts, over the Internet, even internationally, for free, using voice over IP technology. Most of the time, depending on network traffic between you and the other party, the conversation is loud & clear, and there is very little delay.

You may have wondered why your teens would prefer to type messages when they can just as easily call their friends. Now, with Yahoo Messenger, they, and you, can do both, using the same software!

By Jakob Jelling

http://www.sitetube.com

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on October 11, 2004

by Jakob Jelling