My SEO pal GreyWolf suggested we move the Guide Note from the right hand column of the page (see above) to the left hand column (see image below) above "The Mahalo Top 7." Ironically, Jon Hicks first design for Mahalo had the Guide note in the left hand column but we moved it to the right hand side because of feedback from our user labs. It seemed that folks skipped past the Guide Note thinking it was an advertisement. We also thought folks would want to get right to the links.However, looking at the two screen shots you can see this is a very difficult decision for us. The Guide Note looks really good in BOTH places. If you're in "search mode" you might want to skip the guide note and prefer it in the right hand column. If you're in the "consume content" mode you might want the Guide Note in the left hand column. Like many decisions when building a web service there is no clear answer... in fact, both answers could be right. So, you're left with a coin toss. We tossed the coin and put the Guide Note on the right, but I'm starting to feel the left hand column. Maybe it is because our Guide Notes are getting better. This would be the THIRD time we've changed my mind on this if we change it again... which I'm totally fine with. I think part of my thinking is based on the fact that the Guide Notes are getting better and better. Left Hand Column Pros/Cons:Pro: Shows off the human element to usersPro: Differentiates us from Google/Yahoo/Ask/MSNPro: Helps educate usersPro: According to Greywolf this will help search engines understand the page (so, SEO reasons)Right Hand Column Pros/Cons:Pro: Gets people to the search results quickerCon: Works against search engine optimizationCon: Some people might think the guide note is an advertisement What do you guys think? Comments are open (please use your real name, be nice, and of course be honest)Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
When I was at ConvergeSouth last week I did a video interview with Leonard Witt about how much it must suck to own local newspapers. You can watch it here. :-)Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
So yesterday I wanted to know what the "best computer speakers" were out there. I searched Mahalo for computer speakers and found our SERP (search engine result page) for computer speakers. However, I thought "hmmm... I really don't want this much information. I'd rather just know the best 5-10 computer speakers are and buy some." So, I asked one of our Guides to create a short search result called "best computer speakers" and just list the best ones and what folks are saying about them. Which SERP do you find more effective, the comprehensive "computer speakers" or the quick and easy "best computer speakers?" Why?Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
This is one of our best How To articles to date: How to play guitar. Andy added two additional guitar related how to articles as well: How to Tune a Guitar and How to Buy a Guitar Not to mention the How to Play Piano SERP. After the jump... the ENTIRE how to collection! .... and the entire How To collection to date!How To Book a Cheap Hotel RoomHow To Cook Pumpkin SeedsHow To Play Piano For Beginners (And Save $500 In Lessons)How To Score A Touchdown With Your Tailgate PartyHow To Train For Your First Marathon (Even If You're Out Of Shape)How to Avoid the Freshman 15 (And Not Go Hungry)How to Beat Level 1 of Halo 3 for NoobsHow to Book a Cheap FlightHow to Brew Your Own Beer In 7 Simple StepsHow to Buy a GuitarHow to Carve a Killer PumpkinHow to Choose a Halloween Costume for CouplesHow to Choose a Photo Sharing Site for NewbiesHow to Cram for an ExamHow to Cure a HangoverHow to Customize Your MySpace ProfileHow to Deep Fry 11 Kinds of CandyHow to Deep Fry AnythingHow to Discover Your Next Favorite BandHow to Download Free MusicHow to Fly With KidsHow to Fly With PetsHow to Get PregnantHow to Get a First Class UpgradeHow to Get a Free Credit ReportHow to Get a Good Night's SleepHow to Have the Best Halloween Costume at the PartyHow to Learn Basic Phrases in Any LanguageHow to Make Delicious Caramel ApplesHow to Make Flawless Pie Crust (It's Easier Than You Think)How to Make Perfect Candy ApplesHow to Make Perfect Sushi RiceHow to Make SushiHow to Make a Jello ShotHow to Make the Best Apple Pie You've Ever EatenHow to Manage a 401(k)How to Overcome Jet LagHow to Plan a Cheap DateHow to Play Guitar for NewbiesHow to Quit SmokingHow to Save on Your Energy BillHow to Sell on eBay for BeginnersHow to Set Up a Blog for BeginnersHow to Shop Online Without Getting ScammedHow to Shop on eBayHow to Sleep On a PlaneHow to Speak FrenchHow to Speak GermanHow to Speak ItalianHow to Speak JapaneseHow to Speak Mandarin Chinese for BeginnersHow to Speak SpanishHow to Successfully Bid on TravelHow to Tie a Bow TieHow to Tie a Four-in-Hand KnotHow to Tie a Half-Windsor KnotHow to Tie a Pratt KnotHow to Tie a TieHow to Tie a Windsor KnotHow to Tune a GuitarHow to Use Digg Like a ProHow to Use Flickr: Basics and BeyondHow to Use PayPal: Basics and BeyondHow to Use StumbleUpon Like a ProHow to Use del.icio.us Like a ProHow to Write a Cover LetterHow to Write a ResumeHow to be a Mahalo GuideLearn German with the Music of David HasselhoffLearning Japanese with Akira KurosawaPrivacy 101: How to Delete Web Browser CookiesPermalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
1. Another election determined by candidate sounds... ahhh politics! 2. Let the remixes of Hillary's Laugh begin... 3. I love human powered search... :-) Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
1. John Battelle is an excellent journalist and interviewer. He did a great job interviewing Rupert Murdoch and Chris DeWolfe last night. Folks forget that before doing a blog company, John ran a series of very successful events at the Industry Standard. Ironically, both John and I have made a career out two specific businesses over ten years: internet publications (I did Silicon Alley Reporter) and blogs (he's doing Federated Media and I did Weblogs, Inc.). Which leads me to believe that John's next business will be in search... oh wait, he wrote the book on search!2. Had a nice discussion with David Carr from the New York Times about Rupert Murdoch who I spent a little time with last night. He asked me why Rupert was received so well at the event, when one mights suspect that "old media" would be the enemy. My response to David was two fold, touching on business and the individual. First, on a business level media companies with flat to declining advertising businesses are the buyers for internet companies. Doing an IPO is a real pain in the neck, so most entrepreneurs would rather just sell to a big media company. Second, on a personal level Murdoch is hard core. He's an entrepreneur. Last night he joked about killing his competitors like CNBC and the New York Times. When's the last time you heard a big company CEO throw down like that? Never. Murdoch STILL wants to win... he brings it, and that's very cool considering he could have moved to the South of France and phoned it in for the past 20 years. 3. I got to hang out with my brother Jamie who work for Dow Jones at the MySpace party last night. We sold Silicon Alley Reporter/VentureReporter to Dow Jones back in 2002. Newscorp has an investment in Mahalo, so we're both involved with Newscorp now. Small world! 4.Evan Williams gave the best talk at Web 2.0 yesterday--hands down. 5. Moritz gave a great interview to John Heilemann of New York Magazine. 6. Heilemann and I had a heated debate when he incorrectly reported that Silicon Alley Reporter/Rising Tide Studios went under a couple of years back... a fact he sort of corrected when he did a piece on me being a suit for AOL. I joked with him last night that I'm back and in full cowboy form, and that his profile of me being a pawn in the big media machine would be a great moment in time piece. Frankly, the press doesn't mean that much to me, but that piece did get to me a little when I read it. I have to say, I'm more suited for live "on the outside" and running my own ship. 7. A number of folks came up to me, including Jay Adelson of digg, to congratulateme on the traffic numbers at propeller and Netscape. Those numbers many people seem to feel show that the site was a great success (which it is). AOL owns the second largest social news site behind digg and they spend very little to create it and did nothing to promote it. If they put .1% of AOL's traffic behind it then it would give digg a real race. 8. Do I feel vindicated by Propeller/Netscape's success? Frankly, I don't care. I don't look backwards, I look forward. Don't get me wrong, I wish the team well and I hope they continue to grow. However, if you're going to be successful in life you have to close the books on things. I try not to think about Silicon Alley Reporter, VentureReporter, WeblogsInc, and Netscape. It's wasted cycles that I could put in Mahalo.9. In a related note I NEVER look at old press clippings. I put them in a box and tape the boxes shut. I have stacks of boxes with press clips and videos that I haven't seen in years. The press is a reflection of past events 99% of the time, so spending your time with those clips is wasted EVEN WHEN THEY ARE PUBLISHED! If you want to be successful focus on the stuff you're doing, not what you've done. 10. All that being said, if AOL wanted to sell me back Weblogs, Inc. or Propeller I would certainly consider buying them and letting AOL have the advertising inventory for their ad network. Could be a win-win. :-)11. Speaking of AOL, a bunch of my folks got laid off. I was sad for them for a moment, however a bunch of folks were HAPPY because the severance packages were so huge. In fact, AOL was so generous to folks that the people staying were JEALOUS of the 3-12 month packages with bonuses that were handed out. 12. Say what you will about the last 12 months at AOL, but they did do the right thing in terms of taking care of the employees that were laid off AND they are moving swiftly to take action. I think the advertising network move is going to work, and truth be told the current team is standing on the shoulders of Jon Miller, Ted Leonsis, Bankoff, and countless other folks who BUILT the advertising network that is there. So, kudos to both the old and new folks for reinventing AOL. Again, I think it's going to work. 13. I'm starting to hate travel. I'm getting old (37 in November) and my body doesn't like the redeyes and 18 hour turnarounds I have a habit of doing. I also miss my family and team at Mahalo when I'm on the road. I understand why some folks stop traveling and have folks come to them and/or miss the events in our industry. Travel is hard. 14. Google is a great partner of a company. I've been partners with them on three companies over the past five years and they've always treated us really well. They've been proactive and friendly. I compare that to some of the folks they compete with who I find, although they are super friendly, don't seem to reach out as much at Google. If you're a big company I highly recommend hiring someone to reach out to the young startups there and get to know them--Google does. 15. Blade Runner: The Final Cut was amazing. I went to see it 2x in 10 days, and I think I could watch that film once a month and not get tired of it. It's like a fine wine, steak, cigar, or run.... it's pure pleasure. 16. We're looking for a VP of Product at Mahalo. Someone who has 5-10+ years at a search company. Position is based in Santa Monica and requires someone who is very self-motivated, hard working, and smart. I've got 80% of the product road map in my head, but it is obviously changing and evolving on a regular basis. We need someone to manage the zillions of great ideas we have, organize them, annotate them, and manage the execution of them with our tech and editorial teams. It's a VERY important position, and if you recommend the person for this job I will buy you a 24" iMac (or give you a $1,500 gift card) as a thank you.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
One of our guides made apple pie for the office on Monday. Never one to waste, we've made two how to articles based on the effort:How to Make the Best Apple Pie You've Ever Eaten Vote on digg, propeller, and delicious! How to Make Flawless Pie Crust (It's Easier Than You Think) Vote on digg, propeller, and delicious!Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
I'm in the workshop on how to spam Google... ummm... I mean, how to do SEO, at the Web 2.0 Summit. The speaker is talking about making great content and inserting yourself into interesting conversation. He's talking about creating community and then listening to the community for what is coming up next in terms of hot search terms, topics, and themes. This guy sounds more like Doc or Scoble than an SEO. ... more update to come.OK, I sat through the whole panel. They said very little... you could have gotten the value of this panel by reading a blog post or two on the subject. I think that SEOs have such a small amount of actual advice that they never say anything in these panels/clinics because if they did you wouldn't need to hire them. I've seen a half dozen SEO-related panels over the year and it's always the same thing... like some infomercial where they will tell you their five secrets... IF you give them $199.95. People are coming up to ask questions and the guy keeps saying "well you have to do social work on digg and reddit, but it's complicated and we need to talk about it." During the panel he said "it's complicated, we should talk about it after the panel." I'm sure folks will come to his office and he'll say "it's complicated, sign this contract and we can start working on it." Funny.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
You know, something is wrong in the world when a zombie comedramady doesn't make the fall lineup.... Babylon Fields could have been the next Cheers. The theme songs alone make this a winner: where everyone knows your name, where everyone wants to eat your brains... come on people, work with me here. Tough crowd. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Looks like 3,600+ people read my blog on their Google Reader. I had no idea... I would have guessed like 200-300. The URL of the "feed" for this blog is:http://www.calacanis.com/rss.xmlDepending on your browser you can click on it to add it to a "reader" program. Seems like more of my traffic comes off my website and in RSS readers.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
I never really thought this blog was so big, but it seems that a decent number of folks are reading it.... Here's a nice recap of the top tech blogs... which I guess this blog falls into when I'm not talking about the Knicks, bulldogs, and life. :-)Also, a really nice quote: "Don't underestimate Jason however, underneath his showmanship is an indisputable authority that rivals the most educated and experienced journalists and analysts out there."Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
TechMeme is brilliant. It takes conversations that are buzzing around in private and surfaces them for everyone to participate in. Is it perfect? No, of course not. However, TechMeme's imperfection is just a magnifacantion of our own imperfections. In the real world some folks get too much attention relative to their ideas, while others with great ideas sometimes get marginalized. The marginalization could be based on them not being popular, their inability to communicate, or any number of reasons--fair and unfair. At a party you might have a large group of folks around someone listening to their stories for any number of reasons. Perhaps the person is great story teller or really intelligent. Perhaps they're rich or powerful, or maybe they're really good looking. Is this fair to the ugly duckling in the corner of the room who has a good story to share that they are ignored? Of course not, but TechMeme releases so many of those biases that exist in the real world! Many of the folks on TechMeme have never meet each other.... in fact, many of the folks I know in the industry I found because of TechMeme.On TechMeme anyone with a great idea can take the top of the homepage. What the haters don't realize (or like to forget for their own self-serving, self-loathing reasons) is that before Techmeme the only folks with a voice in technology were those with a print publication for the most part. Smart cats like Walt Mossberg, John Markoff, John Battelle, Jason Pontin, and Steven Levy all had print publications that helped them set the agenda and tone for the entire industry. Great guys and friends of mine all, but they were part of small group of folks with a voice. I know, because I had one too in Silicon Alley Reporter (and I used it!). TechMeme has leveled that playing field, and truth be told you don't find most of those names leading the conversations any more. How often does Markoff, Mossberg, or ANY long-term print journalist take over TechMeme? Hardly ever. In fact, no one really "takes over" TechMeme... it just keep chugging along, giving everyone their 15 minutes of fame (maybe six hours if something really catches heat). In others words, TechMeme has given everyone a chance at the microphone when just ten years ago a dozen folks controlled it. Now, some folks take that chance and others don't. But to be sure, it's there for everyone to take.How anyone could hate on a open system like TechMeme is beyond me. Does the leaderboard change the dynamic? Sure... it's not a good thing to get folks obsessed with moving up the list, and if the leaderboard does that Gabe should probably play it down. Maybe he could release it once a month (as opposed to in real time). However, that's a small issue and Gabe is a smart and fair guy... in fact, he's kinda brilliant. He just keeps making Techmeme better and better while keeping it spam free. While Technorati and Blogger got clogged with spammers, TechMeme has none... that says a lot. Now, the fact that I've had a top story *twice* in two weeks with my tiny little 10,000 person a day blog speaks volumes for the power of TechMeme. The fact that folks who you've never heard of before TechMeme get the top slot 10x more than I do is EVEN MORE TELLING. So, next time you want to hate on TechMeme think about two things:What life was like before we had TechMeme's meritocracy arrived.How you could be on TechMeme at any point in the next 24 hours *IF* you have something intelligent to say. To the haters of TechMeme I say: nothing. * [ Note: If you're hater there is nothing anyone can say to make you stop being a hater. Haters are born and then haters die--but they don't change. It's in their DNA to hate and be bitter. It's their lot in life to be miserable. Their inner hate is, in fact, their self-imposed punishment. There is no reason for us add to it. ]Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
I'm not one to advocate violence... however, in the case of Ann Coulter the women who called 9/11 widows cry babies--and this week said Jewish people needed to be perfected to Christianity--I think a bagel with a shmear and some lox right in the kisser might be just be in order. In fact, if you want to leave that lox in the middle of Time Square for a couple of days all the better.Given the power of the "wisdom of crowds" and the web 2.0 distributed work-force I'm 100% certain that within the week someone will claim the $1,000 prize on Bragster. Note: When she is pelted with bagels this week I will post the video right here.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
