Blah, Blah, Blahg

Why would any web site actively work to drive away visitors? That might not be exactly what the authors say in this Scientific American article about web sites trying to control search engine links into their site, but if you think about it, that’s what is actually happening.

Global publishers, fearing that Web search engines such as Google Inc. are encroaching on their ability to generate revenue, plan to launch an automated system for granting permission on how to use their content.

The article briefly mentions how book publishers have similarly attemted to get Google to stop directing surfers to their site. So what the online content creators and book publishers in question are doing is telling the search engine companies to stop linking to their content, and instead just link to people and companies who don’t mind outside links to what they have to say. By removing themselves from the search engine results output, I’m predicting a huge loss in readership for sites following this line of thought.

Since I don’t ever get enough traffic here, I am putting forward my public wish now to have all search engines link to my site whenever possible. I would prefer to get all surders who would otherwise be directed to one of these sites that doesn’t want visitors or traffic.

[tags]Content producers want to stop search engine companies from sending them visitors[/tags]

Joel (from Joel on Software) has written us a review of the new LG Fusic phone that Sprint is trying to foist on the unsuspecting public. The company has sent the phone to a number of bloggers in an apparent attempt to get some positive buzz going for the product. Unfortunately for Sprint, Joel isn’t the kind of blogger who writes buzz – he writes truth. And his truthful view of this product isn’t quite what Sprint was looking for, I suspect.

Over the last six months, Sprint has been trying to get bloggers (like me) to write about their new Power Vision Network by sending us free phones and letting us download music and movies and use the phones for free.

. . .

As it turns out, I had the opposite problem. The phone they sent me, an LG Fusic, is really quite awful, and the service, Power Vision, is tremendously misconceived and full of dumb features that don’t work right and cost way too much. So I’m going to review the dang phone anyway, even though if anybody from Sprint is paying attention they’re going to lose their lunch and some executive bonehead over there is going to go nuts and I sincerely hope that this doesn’t put an end to the entire free-phones-for-bloggers boondoggle, because I’d hate to get beaten up at Etech next year by all the other bloggers who would hate me for spoiling all the fun.

. . .

When it finally arrived, the physical appearance of the phone was rather disappointing. If you’ve been spoiled by Motorola’s latest phones, or the seamless, screwless, elegant iPod, the LG Fusic will strike you as butt-ugly. Where a Motorola RAZR has a solid case made out of almost sensual matte-black steel that just feels great, the LG Fusic is made out of the cheapest kind of gray plastic, the same material you find on a $3 toy. Where Motorola goes to great lengths to hide the screws, and minimize bumps and seams, the LG Fusic has dozens of ugly protuberances, gaps, holes, screws, seams, etc.

If you follow Joel’s writings, or have paid attention to the posts Joel has done that I’ve highlighted here in the past, you’ll know that one of Joel’s specialties is interface design.  The long review has so much information on what is wrong with the interface on the LG Fusic that you’ll start to wonder WTF Sprint reps were thinking when they sent him the phone.  He was certain to write a bad review, based on how bad things are on this phone.  Guess someone will be looking at a different promotional attempt next time they want to spotlight a new product.

[tags]Joel on Software, LG Fusic phone review, Joel reviews the LG Fusic[/tags]