Archive for February, 2005
· February 28, 2005 at 4:47 pm · Odds & Ends
Everybody else and their grandmother is sounding off about this topic, so I guess I will toss my proverbial hat into the ring and sound off as well. Many more popular or more brilliant minds than my own have pretty much said everything I could say on the topic. The person I tend to agree with more often than not on the whole AutoLink problem is Robert Scoble.
I believe that anything that changes the linking behavior of the Web is evil. Anything that changes my content is evil. Particularly anything that messes with the integrity of the link system. And I do see this as a slippery slope. Today users have to jump through hoops to use this feature. What about tomorrow? Oh, and Google says they won’t be evil, but what about their competitors who haven’t taken such an anti-evil stance? (Hint: Microsoft isn’t the only Google competitor).
Steve Rubel has also had a stance on this that I very much agree with as well.
I agree with Scoble. This is a pivotal discussion that bloggers, journalists, PR professionals and marketers need to jump into. Do you really want Google, Microsoft, George W. Bush, God or anyone adding links to your content? You know my position here. If I were you, I wouldn’t want this – unless the site is intentionally part of the read/write web, such as a wiki or a blog that is open to comments. Your content is your content. If you care about the Web, I urge you to sign this petition that I created and spread the word. We need to send a message to Google and others that messing with content is just plain wrong.
Now that you have heard two opinions I agree with, it is my turn to take a stab at Google’s new AutoLink dilemma.
I have worn many hats in my twenty-two years on this Earth, but the one I am proudest of is writer. You see I earn my “bread and butter” from my own thoughts, articles, columns and input. I am a content creator. Every single word I write, I look at as my child. It is mine to do with as I wish, but I would not give that same right to just anybody. As a content creator, I am very picky about how my content is used. It came from my head, so why shouldn’t I be a little picky about how it is used once it leaves my brain and finds a home Online?
Nobody has the right to change my content but me. How is this any different than the fight by the music and movie industries looking to protect their own content? What is you were in the middle of listening to your favorite tunes, and all of the sudden they mention a soft drink. The song suddenly stops, then you are told where you can purchase this soft drink the cheapest.
You would say the song was ruined, wouldn’t you? Well that is the same thing I’d say if Google or anybody else decided, “Hey, I think that would be a good place for us to link to this Web site” and dumped it onto my Web site. It might not be that tricky yet, but you just wait and if this goes through without a problem, that will be what is coming up next.
For the folks who say, “Well I am free to do what I want with it once it comes to my browser!” you are a misguided. The same people who said, “Hey, I just like to listen to the MP3s because I found them Online.” What did that create? You had to start paying for your music after that battle was said and done. Do you really want to start having to pay for Web site articles and content? If AutoLink goes through, you might just have to.
When Microsoft tried this a few years back, they were called evil. Now that Google tries it, they are all of the sudden heros and innovators? I don’t think so. The fact of the matter is people are more willing to let Google get away with this sort of thing because they have yet to be labeled an evil monopoly like Microsoft has been by some. The facts are that it wasn’t a good idea four years ago, and it isn’t a good idea now. I don’t care if the Pope said he was going to launch the service. It would still leave a nasty taste in my mouth.
So what is a content creator to do? There are already several different “AutoLink blocking” scripts available Online. Just paste it into your code and you should be safe, for now. Should I really have to “patch” my Web site from things I don’t want troubling me, as I would patch my operating system? No I shouldn’t. Will I be forced to? Probably so. There is also an Online petition that Steve Rubel started that I as for all of you who agree with me to sign. Hopefully this will help show Google that this is the wrong road to go down.
I might have to start a topic about this on the next edition of my Web hosting podcast, the Web Hosting Show. Didn’t get time to fit it into today’s episode.
· February 28, 2005 at 5:26 am · Odds & Ends
The Web hosting book I slaved through for the first few months of this year is now up for sale. Many thanks goes out to Lockergnome (Chris, Bob and Jake) for getting things together on the distributor side. If you are a fan of odd ball writing, need to know more about Web hosting or feel like there are a few things yet to be known about the Web hosting world to you, this is your book.
I can honestly say I have not been prouder of anything else I have done in my entire life. I put a lot into this book, to hopefully help more than a few people through the world of Web hosting. So there you have it, the Web hosting book’s final chapter has been written, and now it is up to the public to decide if there should be a volume two.
In this new book, Lockergnome’s Guide to Web Hosting, Mitch Keeler walks you through every single step of the Web hosting world explaining the differences and holding your hand along the way. There are too many Web sites and books that promise to teach you everything to know about Web hosting, but do a sorry job at it. This book gives you step by step definitions and help on the entire Web hosting world. Through eleven chapters, you will learn about the Web hosting basics, the differences between accounts, what to do with your account once you get it, and so much more.
Go ahead and read the rest, then go buy my book!
· February 25, 2005 at 4:27 pm · Odds & Ends
Yeah, that is right. With a little well placed JavaScript you can now choose to “opt out” of Google’s new AutoLink feature in the new version of the Google toolbar. It is no secret that I don’t like everything that Google does. Don’t get me wrong, they have done some great things as well. However this is one I have to put in the “loser” column. Now I can rant and rave about this all day long, but you came to learn how to fix the problem right?
The fix comes from the folks at Search Guild. It is an easy “cut and paste” job into your own Web site’s HTML. Once done, then you don’t have to worry about Google and the attack of the AutoLinks.
Get the JavaScript code at Web Developer News!
A Web site has a right to keep it’s content the way it wants it to be seen. This script just puts the control back into the hands of the content creator.
· February 24, 2005 at 2:09 am · Odds & Ends
A few people have been asking me how the creation process for the Web Hosting Show happens. Just in case there are any future podcasters out there listening, I thought I would share some of the tricks of the trade with all of you. This is by far not the one and only way of doing things, but I have found all these steps very useful.
Step 1: Find Talented Folks Who Did It First!
I have to say a lot of the beginning aspiration for the Web Hosting Show came from Brandon and Matt at Changing Media and Chris with the Chris Pirillo Show. I had listened to a few other shows out there, but never really enjoyed it till they came along. Both Brandon and Matt were really helpful in answering some of my questions about how they handled the backend of their recordings they had done as well.
Step 2: Capture Your Voice!
Thanks to Matt and Brandon’s suggestions, I started using Audacity for my audio recording and Wav2MP3 Wizard to convert the wav file into an mp3. The Logitech mic I bought was also a suggestion of Brandon’s. Now I had all the tools, and I was ready to go.
Step 3: Find a Place to Put it All!
Once I started the Web Hosting Show, I needed an external place to host the audio files. David and the whole Web Hosting Chat crew came in for me there. They offered to host the audio files for the Web site (hence the reason why they are listed as the main sponsor of the show). They have also created a special forum for all the Web Hosting Show fans as well on Web Hosting Chat. Check it out if you want to talk with other fans of the show!
Step 4: All the Other Crap…
The guys at the Web Host Industry Review offered to let me use their news for my “Hosting Headlines” segment. Then you have Meka, who was nice enough to be my announcer for the show. A few other companies have shown interest in helping out as well, and honestly I couldn’t have wished for a better experience. All and all, I am really happy that so many people have decided to get behind my effort to launch my Web hosting podcast. So here is to many years to come, and thanks to all of you who have helped make it happen thus far.
· February 21, 2005 at 4:34 pm · Odds & Ends
My apologies for now being around as much over the past two weeks. Pre-production for the Web Hosting Show has been kicking my butt. The more I do it though, the more I feel like I am starting to get it worked into my regular day to day life. So things should start to get back to normal with other areas of my professional career soon.
Speaking of the Web Hosting Show, episode two is now up and available for download!
· February 17, 2005 at 10:23 pm · Odds & Ends
So far I have done two big interviews with two folks in the Web hosting world. Both of the interviews have done pretty well as far as comments and feedback, so I thought I would issue this out to the public to see who might give me their thoughts. Should I do more interviews with folks in the Web hosting and Web development world? Is that something you’d like to read?
The reason I ask is I really enjoyed doing the few interviews that I have done so far. If I were on the other side, I’d say, “Go for it Mitch!” but since I’m not I thought I would issue the question to the public. If I did, what kind of questions would you like me to ask? Just looking for some feedback here, so many thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
Also, I made some changes to the Web Hosting Show’s Web site. Take a look at let me know what you think!
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