Creepy New Advertising Technology

What do you name your company if you're an ex Israeli intelligence officer that's wants to eavesdrop on American phone calls for the purpose of pushing ads into your face? How about "Pudding Media". I guess they named it that because that's typically where you would locate the proof. Perhaps they felt pudding was one of those disarming little names that made you feel all comfy inside.

Here's the rub from the NY Times

"Pudding Media, a start-up based in San Jose, Calif., is introducing an Internet phone service today that will be supported by advertising related to what people are talking about in their calls. The Web-based phone service is similar to Skype’s online service — consumers plug a headset and a microphone into their computers, dial any phone number and chat away. But unlike Internet phone services that charge by the length of the calls, Pudding Media offers calling without any toll charges."

As I read the article I couldn't help but think how willing young people are to just let every facet of their personal life hang out on the web like a load of drying laundry. It's amazing to me that nobody thinks that someone, somewhere is gathering all of this stuff up into valuable databases to be used for who knows what purpose later in their life. If you think someone is out there protecting you and yours from letting that happen, then just tool on down the information superhighway and have a nice trip. Don't forget your rose colored sunglasses! Sure enough as I got toward the end of the article, Pudding Media's CEO made this statement:

"Besides, Mr. Maislos said, he thought that young people, the group his company is focusing on with the call service, are less concerned with maintaining privacy than older people are."

At least he makes no bones about taking advantage of the ignorance and exuberance of American youth. Where does the desire to understand the mind of the consumer stop? Who's to say that at some point down the road everyone decides to rage against the machine and start gaming the results because they are tired of the personal intrusions? When somebody asks me for my phone and number and zip code after I buy something as ubiquitous as a magazine, I give them made up numbers that don't even exist. Sure, you may think it's goofy and won't serve any purpose, but to me it's offensive to ask a stranger something that would serve no other purpose than to profile me. Since it seems like it's never going to end, I take a little personal pleasure in throwing a monkey wrench into the database, no matter how small it is.

I guess in this situation someone could really screw the pooch if they wanted. I'm a 46 year old male consumer that just happens to be clued in to the younger generation's consumer habits and purchases. I could call someone and start a conversation that drops so many mistaken and confusing consumer connections that every ad delivered would be tantamount to the click fraud problem that is still alive and well with keyword advertising. Maybe it would sound something like, "Hey Biatch, I kicked the crap out of that kid in India playing Halo 4 on my Play Station and my cable modem. He said he loved his new Mac Mini but I told him Windows Vista rocks and he spilled his Monster on his PSP and told his mom to buy him a new Nano. I won because his DSL connection was so slow. Dude, Britney is like a fat hog now, do you like Paris better? shes hot. Those dudes from Green Day are gettin old like that crappy old Aerosmith stuff my Dad listens too in that old bucket Ford Mini-Van he drives. My mom is making me buy a new dress for my brothers Bah Mitzvah"

You get the idea, you can't play Halo 4 because it hasn't come out yet and it wouldn't work on a PlayStation if it did. Sure you thought it was a teen-age boy until I changed it up at the end, then again these days, who knows ? Might as well add religion into the mix as well so the spammers will know when to unleash the hounds.

Mr. Maislos could give a tinker's damn because he would be firing off ads, e-mails and cell phone spam so fast it would melt the metal on your iPhone. The advertisers on the other hand would be paying a premium to push worthless ads. The final quote from the head pudding pusher was this.

“The conversation was actually changing based on what was on the screen,” he said. “Our ability to influence the conversation was remarkable.”

If you're not uncomfortable after reading that, let it sink in.

Search Engine Optimization - Google Speaks

You might have noticed I added a new blog roll category entitled, "GeekBlogging". For those interested, these are some of the blogs I read on regular basis regarding technology and the web. I'm also a voracious reader of magazines, thank goodness these purchases can be chalked up to business expense because some of the best are imports from Great Britain that can get a bit pricey. One of my favorites is entitled, "Practical Web Design". My latest purchase is dedicated almost entirely to the inner workings of Google. The best article is a lengthy interview with Matt Cutts. Matt is Google's resident representative to the webmaster community (you'll find a link to his personal blog in the new blog roll).

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a big advocate of exploding the myths of SEO, (search engine optimization). Google makes changes on a frequent basis to the way they approach search. Staying on top of those changes can be a daunting task so when I am asked to help a broker or agent comes to grips with search marketing, I remind them to stick with the basics and use the only SEO that matters, "Seek Expert Opinion". A quote from the interview:

"Google uncovers cheating in short order and takes it very seriously"

Please keep that in mind the next time you're tempted to respond to a spam or inquiry regarding a guarantee to get you in the "top ten" in Google or anywhere else. There is a right way and wrong way to approach the issue and anyone that tells you they can hit the bull's eye of this moving target is jerking your chain.

If you've ever been interested in knowing more about how Google approaches the myriad issues associated with search, do two things. 1. Plunk down about $16 on issue 163 of Practical Web Design at Borders or B&N. 2. Start reading Matt's blog. Just remember, search is only one of a long list of bullet points in your web strategy. Spending too much time on it is done at the peril of your overall success.