The Virtual Revolution

If you get a chance, watch out for the BBC's Virtual Revolution series which is currently being broadcast in the UK.



The series give a rather polished view of the development of the Internet but is well worth the watch as it shows how personalisation has evolved.

Episode 4 'The Cost of Free', is particularly good where Dr Aleks Krotoski gives the lowdown on how commerce has colonised the web. The programme looks at how search and marketing dominate our lives.

Without doubt the BBC will syndicate this series around the World and without doubt it's coming to a small screen near you soon!

If you live in the UK you can watch online anytime at BBC iplayer or visit the Virtual Revolution website


Beat The System

Google Forces Personalised Search Results on an Unsuspecting Public

So Google has rolled out it's personalised search to everyone - like it or not!



The two geeks have been employed by Google to quietly tell the world that what they see when they search, is not the same as anyone else.
Moreover, unless you are in the 5% of users who change their browser settings, you will have no choice, as Google has taken to dropping more spyware in the shape of an anonymous cookie onto your machine in order to monitor your behaviour!

So how does this affect SEO?

It depends how you look at it. In theory more weight might be given to local results for example, however Google will make decisions based upon things like your previous bounce rates etc.

So what can you do to see the real results of your marketing efforts? Well for starters clear down web history and remove cookies. Also don't just check Google.co.uk if you live in the UK - have a look at Google.com as well.

This move has some very worrying trends.
Firstly it assumes that everyone using the machine is the same person. In many households multiple sign on accounts are not created.
Secondly it is an open invitation to black hat cookie droppers to influence SERPS.
More importantly when taken in context with all the other moves Google is making at the moment to profile every user, for example Google Mobile, the worry of privacy and 'big brother' style corporations becomes ever more real

Beat The System