Over at aolstalker.com they have done an interesting analysis of the clickthru from the AOL search data that was released last week to the fury of privacy rights campaigners and users.
A whopping 47% of searches failed to reult in a click thru to a result.
I have to say I'm sure this is no lower than the click thru on most internet banners which cost far more to run. Who actually clicks on those flashing banners anyway?
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is asking the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to force AOL to help the people whose search records it recently released.
In a complaint filed Monday, the EFF requests that the FTC investigate the incident and have AOL notify, via electronic and postal mail, all affected persons that their search results were released.
AOL should also pay for at least one year of credit monitoring service for each person, because the release of the records puts these people at risk for identity theft, the EFF charges. The EFF is a nonprofit organization focused on protecting civil liberties in technology contexts, such as computing and the Internet.
Well they say that anyway.
AOL has been using roundels and faded colourways for the last few years. As shown here on the French site, the German site and the UK site.
V Two One Broadband seem to like the colour scheme and the roundels.
So want to know what people are seaching for? Well okay people using AOL are searching for.
Interestingly the outrage caused by this lapse in privacy by making this information available (and if you have no idea what I am talking about there is a link here) is nothing compared to the other information you can gleen from this data.
AOL Search is powered by google. It's branded as such. Yet there are over 180,000 searches for ... google or it's varients.
Useful links
research.aol.com
New York Times article
AOL Search Database
AOL Search Logs
Black Box Search - Anonymous proxy searching for Google, MSN and Yahoo!
Okay pop quiz. Is the above picture from;
a) Abercrombie & Fitch
b) Jack & Fitch
c) Jack Wills
d) Abercrombie & Wills
I wear A&F almost exclusively. Most people who know me already know this. Whilst I was in Brighton at the weekend I stumbled into a store that looked like A&F, smelt like A&F yet wasn't A&F.
Jack Wills has an almost identical visual identity to the large US based store. It's even a very similar font style. The store has a very similar feel, white painted wood and rich carpeting. The website has a similar feel. Even the obligatory lifestyle section filled with beautiful semi naked models. In fact I'm failing to see what item of clothing Stuart and Tom are selling in the picture above ;o)
Anyway since the Abercrombie store is yet to open in Bond Street and it's always nice to diversify ones wardrobe every now and then I've oredered myself a catalogue incase I see an item or two I'd like to purchase.
Oh it's been ages since I had a decent one of these...
Thanks to Spence for livening up my Monday morning!
Here are FOUR things you may not have known about me:
A: Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Club Host at Heaven
2. Bar Manager
3. Licensee in Soho
4. Head of Training
B: Four movies I would watch over & over:
1. The Opposite of Sex
2. Thank you for Smoking
3. Twelve Monkeys
4. The Bourne Identity
C: Four places I've lived:
1. Blundellsands
2. Fitzrovia
3. Tilburg
4. Motspur Park
D: Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Columbo
2. Law & Order (Special Victims Unit)
3. CSI (Any)
4. Oz
E: Four places I've been on holiday:
1. Sydney, Australia
2. Christchurch, New Zealand
3. Connecticut, USA
4. Singapore
F: Websites I visit daily: *
G: Four of my favorite foods:
1. Cherries
2. Beetroot
3. Bananas
4. Ramen
H: Four places I would rather be now:
1. Sydney
2. Wellington
3. A beach
4. Sydney (did I mention Sydney?)
* I can't list all the work ones I visit as they are all confidential and/or behind a very good firewall.
So it looks like Abercrombie & Fitch are getting tough on counterfeiters. Well according to this report anyway.
One reason for Abercrombie's move was to reduce the number of poor-quality copies being sold overseas so consumers won't get a negative impression before the real thing arrives.
Well in which case they could do worse than look at eBay which consistently has 'Brand New' A&F clothes in bags! Only problem is of course Abercrombie clothes don't come packaged in bags. There are so many counterfeit items on eBay I'm suprised they can still allow it without being forced into some sort of legal requirement to guarantee authenticity before selling.
You only need to look at the number of items allegedly from UK but shipping from Hong Kong. If eBay really was against counterfeit goods they would prevent this practise immediately. But of course they make money on every transaction be it listing, transaction or payment. It's hardly in their interest to prevent it now is it...
Okay so I now am the proud owner of a brand new MacBook 13" 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo with the regular 60Gb hard drive and 512Mb RAM. More here.
Now don't get me wrong it was really nice of the boys to go to the Apple Store when they where in the US and buy it for me however, and heres the crunch. Two of them who aren't even Mac fans (well they are now obviously) bought MacBooks while there and there were two slightly higher spec ones instore. Rather than asking me if I wanted one - they bought the better ones for themselves grrr!
Still I've got my memory on order and I'm converting my G4 Cube into a file server so my 60Gb should be fine for now.
I haven't had much of a chance to play yet sadly been busy with work. Looking forward to playing at the weekend though.
Well if you put stock in online IQ tests.
I do since it seems quite high :o)
Police wish to speak with Carson in relation to a series of deceptions in which lone females are approached, generally on supermarket car parks, and told a well rehearsed account of how he is a fireman stranded at the location due to having lost his car keys and needs money to get a train back to his home station promising to return the money the following day when he returned with his spare car keys.
more here...
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