Break

While writing, I am often looking for the best word to use. Rather than checking dictionary websites or dare I say, break out a paper dictionary, I turn to Google.

The define keyword allows you to check Google for the definition of a word. To use it, simply type define:wordname and click Google Search. You are then presented with definitions from various internet sources.

So, the next time you are at a loss for words, fire up Google. It’s better than your English teacher.

Technorati Tags: Google, Search, Productivity, Tips

Written by Maile Ohye

How can URL parameters, like session IDs or tracking IDs, cause duplicate content?
When user and/or tracking information is stored through URL parameters, duplicate content can arise because the same page is accessible through numerous URLs. It's what Adam Lasnik referred to in "Deftly Dealing with Duplicate Content" as "store items shown (and -- worse yet -- linked) via multiple distinct URLs." In the example below, URL parameters create three URLs which access the same product page.


Why should you care?
When search engines crawl identical content through varied URLs, there may be several negative effects:


How we help users and webmasters with duplicate content
We've designed algorithms to help prevent duplicate content from negatively affecting webmasters and the user experience.



If you find you have duplicate content as mentioned above, can you help search engines understand your site?
First, no worries, there are many sites on the web that utilize URL parameters and for valid reasons. But yes, you can help reduce potential problems for search engines by:



How can you design your site to reduce duplicate content?
Because of the way Google handles duplicate content, webmasters need not be overly concerned with the loss of link popularity or loss of PageRank due to duplication. However, to reduce duplicate content more broadly, we suggest:

If you follow this guideline, your webserver logs could appear as:

And the session file storing the raw cookie information may look like:



How can we better assist you in the future?
We recently published ideas from SMX Advanced on how search engines can help webmasters with duplicate content. If you have an opinion on the topic, please join our conversation in the Webmaster Help Group (we've already started the thread).

I often am looking for particular information on a website. Rather than spend time navigating through the site. I let Google find what I need for me. This is easily accomplised with the Google site command.

The site command let’s you limit your search to a particular URL. For example, recently I found my self needing to contact Verizon. Rather than even going to their website, my first stop was Google.

Typing in the line site:verizon.com Pennsylvania contact phone number in the Google search window and view your results.

Continue reading »

In 2006, the American people elected a Democratic Congress to change
course and end this war. It’s the whole reason the American people
voted for change. Yet, 10 months after the election, we still have the
status quo and Congress has still failed to do the people’s will. That
might be the way they do it inside the Beltway, but it’s not the
American way. It’s time to stand up for the American people and against
President Bush’s failed, stubborn policy. Without a firm deadline, a
small withdrawal of only some of the surge troops won’t cut it—that’s
not a solution, it’s an excuse. Congress must not send President Bush
any funding bill without a timeline to end this war. No timeline, no
funding. No excuses.

I haven’t backed any specific candidate yet for 2008 but he really does raise some good points.

Technorati Tags: Iraq, Politics, John Edwards

Written by David Sha, Webmaster Tools Team

We launched Webmaster Central back in August 2006, with a goal of creating a place for you to learn more about Google's crawling and indexing of websites, and to offer tools for submitting sitemaps and other content. Given all of your requests and recommendations, we've also been busy working behind the scenes to roll out exciting new features for Webmaster Tools, like internal/external links data and the Message Center, over the past year.

And so today, we're unveiling a new look on the Webmaster Central landing page at http://www.google.com/webmasters. You'll still find all of the tools and resources you've come to love like our Webmaster Blog and discussion group -- but now, in addition to these, we've added a few more you might enjoy and find useful. We hope that the new layout will make it easier to discover some additional resources that will help you learn even more about how to improve traffic to your site, submit content to Google, and enhance your site's functionality.

Here's a brief look at some of the new additions:





We'd love to get your feedback on the new site. Feel free to comment below, or join our discussion group.

Now for some wisdom from Bill Maher regarding the Mattel toy recall

If you were surprised that the Chinese don’t care about toy safety, then the child who needs protecting is you. Over the last couple of months, American consumers have been learning a shocking lesson about supply and demand: if you demand products that don’t cost anything, people will make them out of poison, mud and shit. Now, since April, approximately 17 million toys in the United States, all of them made in China, have been recalled. Which is amazing considering that no one in the Department of Justice can recall a thing. Okay.

Powered by ScribeFire.

There has been a recent spat between Apple and NBC Universal over pricing TV shows on the iTunes Music Store (iTMS). The net result is Apple is no longer offering NBC Universal programming on the iTunes Music Store.

Centered around the argument was the desire for NBC Universal to charge consumers 4.99 per episode of popular content. After reading that, I began to do some investigating of popular NBC Universal DVD box sets. Here’s what I came up with.

Heros Season 1
39.99 / 23 episodes = 1.73 per episode

The Office Season 3
31.99 / 24 episodes = 1.33 per episode

30 Rock Season 1
32.49 / 21 episodes = 1.54 per episode

and the most expensive example I found

Battlestar Galactica Season 2
51.99 / 20 episodes = 2.59 per episode

Based on their pricing model, the Battlestar Galactica box set would cost $100. Why would they care to raise prices to the point that no one would buy their content? I can think of only two reasons.

They are starting their own online service. While this is certainly not necessarily a bad idea, spending the money to create a competing service is ultimately going to fail. Like it or not, the iPod and the iTMS is the premier content delivery platform. For any competing platform to be successful they will need to have a smooth process for allowing downloads to an iPod. The only way they could possibly compete in this space is if they offered DRM free shows (which they won’t).

They want to minimize individual unit sales and drive DVD box set sales. I’m less inclines to believe this but this is only based on my experience. With the advent of DVD rental services and now digital delivery, I’m less inclined to want to take up valuable real estate in my house to contain walls of DVDs. The physical disk really has limited value.

Content providers have to get over the fact that with the competition for eyeballs from multiple sources, their content is not worth very much. I predict that while NBC Universal will be back on iTMS either by the end of this season or the beginning of next.