It’s Friday already!  You know what that means: it’s time to catch up on the search and social media news from this past week.  Let’s get to it:

Twitter adds Retweet function to web interface, tweeple revolt

Retweets, normally seen as “RT:” are simply a repitition of someone else’s tweet.  It’s been widely used by twitter users in order to repeat an important, useful, or otherwise interesting tweet while giving credit back to the person who originally said it.  This week, after some testing, Twitter released the new retweet function, but fundamentally changed how it worked, much to the chagrin of a vast majority of twitter users.

The difference is: when you retweet something (using the twitter web interface)  instead of “RT: @originalusername”, the original tweet will simply show up in your followers’ feeds avatar and all (regardless if they follow the person or not).  Another fundamental change is that the option to add to or change the original tweet is not a function of this feature.  These two differences (despite some advantages they may have) are the focus for most of the dissent.  Some users even suggested blocking users who use this feature as a measure to discourage its use.

Google Chromium OS project is official

Google recently (and officially) announced the coming of its open source operating system Chrome OS.  The announcement is not a big surprise, as it has been talked about for months now, and seems to be the next logical step for Google (who has their hands in just about everything these days).  It appears that the speedy Chrome OS is to be web based (looking and feeling more like a web browser) and probably won’t replace windows or other operating systems meant for hard drive based computers.  You can read more about the initial impressions about the launch on Search Engine Journal’s wrap up of the Chrome OS announcement.

Yahoo adds Social Content to search

Social and real time search continues to be a hot topic this week as Yahoo! adds real time functionality to its main search engine results.  Like a google news onebox result, when you search in Yahoo! for a topic that comes up with recent news results or buzz, you will now see a result for “Latest News” with options including: news, photos, videos, and Twitter.

Google to test new layout for search results

Google’s advanced features and search options have traditionally been kept hidden from users unless they click on a somewhat difficult to find button.  Soon, Google will be testing a new layout of search results that will make these features a static part of the layout.  The other main difference is the bolder blue “search” button (as opposed to the traditional white).  A screenshot of the new layout can be seen below (courtesy of searchengineland)

Youtube to get Subtitles

Youtube will be rolling out automatic subtitles for the user generated video website in order to make the videos more accessible to the deaf.  Mr. Harrinstein, The engineer in charge of the project, is also hearing disabled had this to say about the project:

“The majority of user-generated video content online is still inaccessible to people like me,”

The new feature will only be available on 13 channels at first, and while not perfect, the technology behind the automatic subtitle generator “should improve with time”.

The lighter side of Social Media

• A woman loses her benefits after posting photos to facebook of herself on vacation.
• Another woman uses facebook to her advantage by tracking down her attacker.
• A drunk Ninja impales himself on a fence…
• Here’s 5 “famous” last facebook updates (not real)…

It’s Friday again!  (Wow that week went quick)  It’s also already November, the cold is setting in, and Search & Social is starting to blend into one mashup of an industry.  Here’s what happened this past week:

Google Updates this week (a small sample):

Let me take this time to apologize for featuring so much Google news on these wrap-ups…Its becoming a trend that can’t be helped.  Here’s just a few:

• Google updated its search options by adding expanded snippets and image previews.  You can activate these option by clicking on the “+Show Options” button at the top of your search and selecting either “images from the page” or “page previews” for the images and longer snippets, respectively.
• A new e-commerce search product for e-commerce sites is now available (just in time for the holidays).  The product isn’t free, but seems to be a decent option for larger e-commerce sites looking to integrate an intelligent product search feature.
• Google Dashboard, another new product from Google is simply a snapshot of your use of select Google products.  It shows current Gmail conversations, Google Alerts, Recent Google Docs, and more.

Twitter getting ready for Retweets

Twitter tested integration of Retweets this week.  Not a “new” concept on twitter, it’s a feature that simply makes sense to add to the site.  Retweets (quite simply copying another user’s tweet) have generally showed up as “RT” followed by @(the user) and their tweet.  In screenshots of the recent test, however, the retweet will (instead) show up as an exact replication of the original user’s tweet in your follower’s feeds, avatar and all.  The only difference will be an added “retweeted by @(username)”.

Digg experimenting with Digg Trends

Digg is experimenting with a new front page voting method they call Digg Trends.  The application involves showing a trending story to a user that’s about to hit the front page.  The user can see how long before the story hits and is given an opportunity to choose if it is front page “worthy”.  This takes the voting mechanism to a whole new level for Digg, and time will tell if this becomes a full time feature.

Yahoo playing catch-up with Music & Real Time Search

In response to additions by Google and Bing in the social search arena, Yahoo! has announced testing their own real time search feature.  With partner OneRiot (a real time search engine) Yahoo! hopes to be able to join in on the fun.  They will be testing with other partners as well, according to reports.

Yahoo! reportedly tweaked it’s video search feature to allow users to more easily find music videos.  The feature allows users to click on albums to find videos from a variety of sources for that specific album.  This report comes just after Google released it’s new music search feature, although Yahoo! claims this is nothing new.

Myspace Traffic drop costs Parent Company $100 Million

The recent drops in traffic for Myspace.com has failed to satisfy requirements of an exclusive advertising contract with Google wired.com reports.  The contract which depended upon a minimum traffic level, was done in 2006 for $900 Million which more than covered the $580 Million purchase price of Myspace.com by News Corp.  Failure to reach the minimum level of traffic will cost News Corp. in the area of $100 Million according to sources.

The Lighter Side of Social Media

• Woman sues employer for losing her facebook friends.
• Teens sue their school after being punished for “racy” photos on Myspace.
• If Myspace and Facebook were combined, it would look something like this.  TheOatmeal.com gives you: FaceSpace

Twitter adds lists, Geocities is no more, and Google…well…does what Google does: adds a variety of new features and products for us to swoon over (or complain about).

Twitter Lists Launched

If you use a 3rd party application for twitter (like I’d imagine most tweeps do), then you probably have little reason to go to the actual site.  This week, however, Twitter launched a new feature called Twitter Lists.  Essentially, it’s a way to organize your tweeps into categories.  You can create up to 20 lists and add 500 people to each list.  While 3rd party tools already had similar features, this is certainly a nice way for people to organize their twitter feed on twitter itself.  Another nice bonus is the ability to see how many lists each user is on and what categories they belong to.

Yahoo! Closes Geocities

The long time running (since 1994) free web page service Geocities closed its doors this week.  The announcement has spurred a number of “retro internet” jokes the likes of: animated construction and email gifs, terrible backgrounds, and the “marquee” and “blink” html elements.  Goodbye Geocities, I already miss you!

Google changes this week (just the notable ones)

Google had a busy week this week adding a number of new changes and new products to their long list of features…and products.  Here are the most notable:

• Google adds turn-by-turn directions to Mobile maps.
• One box Music Integration are now included in search results including song previews.
• New search features added to Google Custom Search including Wikipedia Integration.
• Google Social Search launches.  Video by Matt Cutts:

The Lighter Side of Social Media:

• What if Tom from Myspace Tried out Facebook?
• A lesson to be learned about talking about Twilight too much.
• As if parents needed another reason not to let their kids play football, here’s another.  Poor guy…
• Finally, if you need some last minute Halloween recipes, these might gross you out.

HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!

Microsoft's Bing Search / Decision Engine Just Don't Belong

“Friends” was a great show.  It had an incredible run, and when it was at the top of its game, it could be called the best show on television.  I like to think that I’m a witty guy with an acerbic wit and I’ve been called Chandler a number of times by friends and acquaintances.  The reference is to Matthew Perry’s character on “Friends”… Chandler Bing.  And to be honest, that particular Bing is probably the only Bing that will make it into the historical pantheon of pop culture.  I’m afraid that Microsoft’s new ‘Bing’ will pale in comparison.

I use the reference in pop culture to help me address the true issue that Microsoft faces.  You see, Google is much more than a search engine.  It’s a verb.  It’s part of the vernacular.  It’s become a household word.  So much so, that my Grandmother (God bless her soul) knew what it meant.  And isn’t that the litmus test for the true popularity of anything?  If your Nana knows about it, then everyone must.  This is the problem that Microsoft’s Bing must face, and the obstacle that it must overcome.  In my very modest opinion, I just don’t think that it can.

Estimates are coming in that Microsoft is employing a marketing campaign with a budget upwards of $100 million.  It seems that Microsoft subscribes to Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder’s business philosophy.  “If you throw enough money at it, no problem is too big.”  They’ve taken the lackluster search engine, Live, and they’ve reengineered and rebranded it in an attempt to sell it to the mass population as a fresh new take on internet search.  And while it may in fact be a ‘Decision Engine’, the problem is that it’s just not Google.

I recall taking a sales management course some years ago and the lecturer discussed the fact that there exists a keyboard with a layout that is dramatically different than the standard QWERTY layout.  The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard was so efficient and successful that it was adopted by the American National Standards Institute in 1982.  Why then, you ask yourself, has it not become the standard keyboard on all PC’s?  The answer is because of one universal and predictable concept.  Human beings are generally averse to change.  Even if something is far more difficult and cumbersome, if we’ve become accustomed to it, then we will likely continue to have it that way.  Now I’m not suggesting that Bing represents a more streamlined and efficient approach to search engines.  I’m just saying that even if it did, chances are that few people would navigate away from using Google.

Bing is going after the fact that the Google algorithm is not perfectly effective.  According to Abbey Klaassen,  in a recent AdAge article, Microsoft found that 42% of searches require refinement, and 25% of clicks are the back button.   But do searchers REALLY CARE about a slightly more effective SERP?  Probably not.  Going further in the article, Klaassen reports that Google conducted their own research by presenting searchers with results from other engines but presented them as their own by placing their logo and formatting on the page.  The end result?  Regardless of the query returns, consumers still preferred those results which were presented as ‘Google results’.  The lesson here is that most people are enamored with brands.

You know that a brand has become too big for competition when its name has taken a life of its own.  When you need to clean your ears you don’t use a cotton swab, you use a Q-Tip.  Whether or not it is actually made by Q-Tip is irrelevant… that’s just want you call it.  And when you blow your nose, you use a Kleenex.  Different product, same point.  When a brand becomes that big, it really doesn’t have any contemporaries.  When the name of a company or product has become a synecdoche for an entire industry the no amount of marketing dollars can do anything but scratch the surface of the market share.

I don’t know how well Bing works.  As of presstime for this article, I haven’t yet used it, not even for curiosity’s sake.  I imagine that given the amount of R&D and Marketing dollars thrown at it, it probably works quite well.  But what I do know with a clear certainty and evidential proof is this;  When I was looking up facts for this article I didn’t Bing the queries… I Google’d them.   And that’s the point.