Have you ever asked a friend to recommend a nice French restaurant? A high-minded independent film? A fun bar to take a visitor from out of town?

If you have asked any of these questions, you have done a “social search,” and if you are anything like me, you probably rely on social searching and Google searching to garner most of your information about entertainment.

Google noticed. And while other companies like Eurekster have experimented with social search in the past, in a recent interview with Google’s Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Products and User Experience, Mayer explains how social search may look in the coming years, or months, as it were. While Mayer mentions several times in the interview that it is too early too tell exactly how all of this might pan out, we know by now that Google moves fast. But I’m not holding my breath.

Yes, it may be interesting to see what my social network has searched for recently - as long as that information isn’t too personal. As I’ve told friends on countless occasions in the past, “There are some things I just don’t need to know.”

What films are they planning on seeing? Where did they take their last vacation? What’s the name of that new clothing store on La Brea they keep telling me about? All things I would love to know. Maybe we can go see that film together. Maybe I’ll check out that vacation spot for the little getaway I’m planning. I bet that store on La Brea has those boots I’m been wanting. Etc.

Yet, beyond any entertainment or shopping recommendations, I prefer not to see my friends’ deep, dark secrets displayed via my web browser. Just the thought of it gives me the creeps. I trust my friends well enough to know that if there is something they want to tell me, they will, and if there is something personal they want to discuss, they know I am here. But trusting Google to determine what I want to broadcast and what I’d like to keep private? I don’t think so.

I understand that Google isn’t sure how it would all work, that they would require explicit permission from users to broadcast their search results, and that one of the first steps in implementing social search might be to ask the user to tag those searches they want to share - but what about the recent Google reader fiasco? Countless users were subjected to an unapproved broadcasting of their information to all of their Gmail contacts, with no warning, no chance to remove the things they considered “private” before Google did it’s work.

Not to mention the influence it would have on Google’s rankings. Even if regular Google search results were viewed separately from social search results, wouldn’t the increased traffic to certain sites affect organic search results? How would you factor that into the algorithm? How would it affect SEOs who make a living getting their clients’ sites to rank highly?

The questions surrounding social search are many. I am curious to know what you think. But please keep in mind there are some things I just don’t need to know.

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Even in the midst of the current economic downturn, online research firm Jupiter Research has predicted that local online advertising will prosper in 2008, growing 12% by 2012.

An interesting prediction, especially when you consider the current financial troubles at Yahoo! as it struggles to recover from a loss of earnings and compete with Google in the search arena. Still, if you think about it, it does make sense.

More often than not, if I am looking for a particular product, service, or experience in my neighborhood or those surrounding, I will search the product name, the service, or the type of experience I am seeking (i.e. sushi restaurant, vintage clothing stores, yoga classes), along with the city name or zip code to denote the area in which I am looking. More than half of the time I will visit one or more of the local businesses that come up in the first page of search results.

Likewise, comScore reported the following similar findings in a relevant report detailing the search behavior of U.S. internet users in July 2006:

59% were searching for a restaurant or other entertainment venues
52% were searching for business phone numbers

47% visited a local merchant after searching
41% made contact offline
37% made contact online

All of this fares rather well for Wpromote’s recently launched MarketLocal service.

And maybe it is true what they say - that attitude is half the battle.

So what if people might spend less on advertising during a recession (if it even gets to that point, which remains to be seen)?

Local businesses are only now discovering the power of the web, and it can only go up from here.

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It’s Monday, January 28th, 2008. The start of a new workweek for many, the end of a workweek for some, and just another day for so many young twenty-somethings in Los Angeles who, uh, “don’t work.” You know who I mean.

That being said, it is also “Data Privacy Day,” according to a representative of the Bush Administration, and the IAPP.

What is the IAPP, you ask? Good question. I had never heard of it until today, which is curious, considering that I’ve been working in the online sphere for quite some time, and have blogged about the topic of online privacy on more than one occasion. At any rate, perhaps I am just late to the party on this one (or perhaps not).

The IAPP is the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Their mission, according to their website, is as follows:

” The mission of the IAPP is to define, promote, and improve the privacy profession globally. The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) is the world’s largest association of privacy professionals. Based in York, Maine, U.S.A., the organization represents over 4,000 members from businesses, governments and academia across 32 countries. Founded in 2001, the IAPP was established to define, promote and improve the privacy profession globally. The IAPP is committed to providing a forum for privacy professionals to share best practices, track trends, advance privacy management issues, standardize the designations for privacy professionals, and provide education and guidance on opportunities in the field of privacy. The IAPP is responsible for developing and launching the first broad-based credentialing program in information privacy, the Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP). The CIPP remains the leading certification for privacy professionals today. In addition, the IAPP offers a full suite of educational services tailored to privacy professionals, and holds the annual Academy and the Summit conferences, recognized as the principal medium for the discussion and debate of issues related to privacy policy and practice.”

Founded in 2001? Umm. Okay. So I’m seven years late to the party. Add the fact that there are corporate members of the IAPP who exist at various “levels” to the mix and the whole operation becomes even more curious. So curious, in fact, that I decided to go ahead and call the number listed on their website for more information.

Unfortunately, there was no live receptionist (although one is listed in their “Staff” section) and no menu option for those looking for answers to “General Questions.” Hmm. I ended up leaving a message for their Marketing Director, the closest thing I found to a PR rep. I’ll let you know if I receive a call back.

Onward, back to “Data Privacy Day.” Apparently this is the first year that the United States and Canada are joining in the celebration, which culminates in a conference on privacy at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina entitled “Data Privacy in Transatlantic perspective: Conflict or Cooperation?” Huh?

Likewise, Google, who is listed as a “corporate member” of the IAPP, is also doing its part, and today released the third video on search privacy on it’s Privacy Channel, as hosted by YouTube, which was recently launched in November 2007.

Oh, and the whole thing is sponsored by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), among others.

Alright, I’m going to call a spade a spade here and admit that I’m not very knowledgeable about the origins of this “Data Privacy Day,” certainly not enough to wax poetic on the subject. And I find it interesting that the information I have come across thus far online all seems to regurgitate the same facts over and over, facts I have already mentioned in this blog - and I’m writing about it for these very reasons.

I am curious how all of this came to be, and why. And I’m curious as to whom “Data Privacy Day” really benefits in the end.

Any insight on this mystery is welcome. Please post your thoughts below.

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Hulu.com.

Some of us have heard of it, many have not. The brainchild of media conglomerates NBC and Fox, Hulu started beta testing their site towards the end of last year, and I recently received my beta login. My feelings are mixed.

First of all, no, I am not one of those elitist writer types who is going to sit here and pretend I don’t watch TV. I do. And despite the claims of critics over the last year or so (the folks at Google/YouTube reportedly dubbed it “Clown Co.“), I think Hulu is a great idea. As someone who recently ditched their cable box in favor of a DVD-by-mail service, only to find myself watching more TV than I did when I had cable (umm, what??), Hulu is a great way to catch some of my favorite network shows (Family Guy, Grey’s Anatomy, House, The Simpsons, etc.). I’ve only had the beta login for a week or so and while I’m not one to remain glued to the television set (which is why I tend to miss most of my favorite shows), a little Simpsons on demand after work now and then is a great way to unwind.

At any rate, Hulu has gone under attack in the blogosphere for countless reasons, some of which I think are semi-legitimate (how can it compete with YouTube?) and some not (Hulu means “butt” in Indonesian. Really? Really?).

My biggest complaint? There are no music videos (there are 3 or 4 “excerpts,” but that doesn’t count). I get that most of us go to YouTube to watch music videos and live performances of our favorite bands, and even though the video and sound quality is often less than stellar, we do it anyway — we love our YouTube. Still, in my opinion Hulu’s main attraction is the fact that the content is so well-organized (and the design is pretty rad, too). What you see is essentially what you get - it’s all right there in front of you, minus the distractions of YouTube.

You want to watch House? Search “House” and you’ll get a list of episodes.

You want to watch Grey’s Anatomy? Do a search for it and you’ll get linked to the episodes available at ABC.com. No, Hulu isn’t hosting that content themselves, and yes, I could do a Google search for “Grey’s Anatomy” or go to ABC.com - but why bother? All I need to do is login to one website to find what I want. Brilliant.

Now, what would make Hulu even better? A nice and hefty selection of music content. Add that to the Hulu library, and YouTube may very well become a distant memory from the past.

But that’s just my opinion. There are die-hard YouTube fanatics out there who think the that user controlled content is where it’s at - frankly, I don’t. If I want my friends or colleagues to see a video, I’ll post it in my blog, send it in an e-mail, or link them up via IM. I don’t need to make YouTube money by posting my favorite content on their site. If I was making my own videos and trying to get famous doing it, well, that it would be an entirely different story. But we’re talking about professionally produced content here, and, assuming whatever fee they end up charging isn’t outrageous, with a little development and a sizable expansion of their content library, Hulu just might kick YouTube out of the water.

Snicker as you must, post your remarks below. I know you’re thinking them.

Cheers.

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Most people probably do not consider a presidential candidate’s stance on Internet security, online privacy, or the hotly debated “net neutrality” when deciding whom to vote for this November. I do. Maybe it is because I am a writer who thinks about these sorts of things, maybe it is because I blog, or maybe it is because I am a politics junkie and just plain curious. Maybe it is all of these things. Either way, now that the results of the 1st few US primary elections are in, it seems like a good time to do a little investigation into what our presidential candidates think about the Internet.

Last year, SaveTheInternet.com posted an article detailing the candidates’ then current stance on net neutrality, but I haven’t heard much about it lately. I also found it a tiny bit odd that when I Googled “presidential candidates’ views on the Internet,” all of the relevant links on the first page of results were from 2007. I know it is only January of the new year and journalists are busy with more pressing matters like war, celebrity, and crime, but shouldn’t there be recent coverage of an initiative that has the potential to limit the public’s access to information by making the internet a “pay-to-play” forum?

I think so, and to that end, I am pleased to report that Slashdot.org is compiling a Slashdot reader-generated interview of Internet-related questions and sending it to the 2008 presidential candidates. Whether or not the candidates respond is yet to be determined, but as Slashdot points out, a candidate’s silence on the issue may speak for itself.

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Did Google start yet another trend?

Power-players shifting roles is par for the course in the business world. Top executives and creative talent leave their well-respected posts at the companies that have allowed them to flourish to engage in new ventures, taking their knowledge, flair, and passion with them. Nevertheless, lately, Google has seen a virtual exodus of some of its top talent.

Often referred to as the “godfather” of AdSense, developer Gokul Rajaram left Google in November 2007, curiously declining the opportunity to stay on board for the pending DoubleClick acquisition. Former “head of special initiatives” Chris Sacca left the company last December, after playing a large and somewhat controversial role in making Google’s presence known in the wireless world, and Nathan Stoll, former Product Manager for Google news, announced his departure just a week ago.

This time, it’s Kevin Fox on the go, who announced in his blog today that he is ending his four-and-a-half year stint as Google’s lead user experience designer to join an as of yet undisclosed start-up.

While Rajaram, Sacca, and Stoll played significant roles at the company, Fox’s job was to make our lives easier by designing Google applications to be fast, effective, user-friendly, and fun. Fox was there during the development of Google’s G-mail, Calendar, and Reader, and while no one can say to what degree Fox is responsible for the actual Google user experience, I am curious to see what direction Google takes in customizing our favorite Google apps now that Fox has left the building.

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Greetings, and happy new year!

It is the first day back to work after the holidays and the office is already buzzing with activity. I love it. Not only is this the start of an exciting new year for Wpromote, we are also celebrating the launch of our new website, which went live over the weekend, thanks the the tireless efforts of our web development team, who worked throughout the weekend to ensure a timely launch. Thanks, guys!

Please take a look and let us know what you think in the comments sections below. We are looking forward to your feedback.

In addition to celebrating the new year and the new site, we are also celebrating the launch of MarketLocal, a forward-thinking marketing service that promises to become an integral tool for business owners looking to maximize their online presence in a fast, cost-effective, and creative way.

The first and only end-to-end online marketing solution, not only does MarketLocal offer first-class, customizable, and industry specific websites, it also solves the problem of online marketing, offering business owners a professionally managed search engine marketing campaign to help drive leads to your business.

“I cannot wait to see how our new website performs. I have been looking forward to this day for a long time because it also marks the unveiling of our innovative new service, MarketLocal, which has been in the planning stages for the past six months. Finally, the idea behind MarketLocal has now become a reality.” - Mike Wilde, MarketLocal Guru, Wpromote

Likewise, 2008 also brings a big push behind Wpromote’s SEO services. While not a new product, Wpromote has been working to build a more comprehensive online marketing campaign for many of our paid search clients by adding the element of SEO, which is now highlighted as a distinct offering on the new site.

“Wpromote has recently been working with its current PPC client base and some new, interesting clients in the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Companies with great sites rank much better in the natural search engine rankings, and our goal is to help businesses who are already working online to increase their visibility in natural Google searches and rank higher for their top keyphrases.” - Aaron Kronis, Lead SEO Campaign Manager, Wpromote

Yes, there is a lot to tackle this year at Wpromote. So check out the new site, read up on our services, and as always, give us your feedback by commenting below.

Finally, on a related note, check out this interesting list of web predictions for 2008. There seems to be a consensus amongst the people at ReadWriteWeb that Google is going to take some sort of dive in popularity in 2008, or at least experience some sort of backlash from users in the social networking sphere as they work to compete with top dogs like Facebook and MySpace. Are these predictions at all related to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s infamous “one-trick pony” comment from last year? Thoughts? Opinions? Anyone? Bueller?

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