OT? - new Google toolbar

[Art2U]

Search engine firm Google has released a trial tool which is concerning
some net users because it directs people to pre-selected commercial
websites.

The AutoLink feature comes with Google's latest toolbar and provides
links in a webpage to Amazon.com if it finds a book's ISBN number on
the site.

It also links to Google's map service, if there is an address, or to
car firm Carfax, if there is a licence plate.

Google said the feature, available only in the US, "adds useful links".

But some users are concerned that Google's dominant position in the
search engine market place could mean it would be giving a competitive
edge to firms like Amazon.

-Art-

 

[Space Madness]

Search engine firm Google has released a trial tool which is concerning
some net users because it directs people to pre-selected commercial
websites.

The AutoLink feature comes with Google's latest toolbar and provides
links in a webpage to Amazon.com if it finds a book's ISBN number on
the site.

It also links to Google's map service, if there is an address, or to
car firm Carfax, if there is a licence plate.

Google said the feature, available only in the US, "adds useful links".

But some users are concerned that Google's dominant position in the
search engine market place could mean it would be giving a competitive
edge to firms like Amazon.

Uh, Oh! Companies are trying to create "competetive edges" against other
companies?
Better head for the hills and learn how to plant rutabagas and cabbages!

 

[The Six Million Dollar Man]

Search engine firm Google has released a trial tool which is concerning
some net users because it directs people to pre-selected commercial
websites.

The AutoLink feature comes with Google's latest toolbar and provides
links in a webpage to Amazon.com if it finds a book's ISBN number on
the site.

It also links to Google's map service, if there is an address, or to
car firm Carfax, if there is a licence plate.

Google said the feature, available only in the US, "adds useful links".

But some users are concerned that Google's dominant position in the
search engine market place could mean it would be giving a competitive
edge to firms like Amazon.

If this feature bothers you, then you can turn it off. Click "Options". Then
on the "Browsing" tab under "Productivity" uncheck "AutoLink".

If you click on the "more info" button beside the "AutoLink" check box you
will see that AutoLink works for:

* Street Addresses
* DHL, FedEx, UPS and USPS tracking numbers
* Book or publication ISBN
* Automobile VIN

The above does sound pretty useful for people living in the USA. The
inclusion of several delivery companies seems to indicate that there is room
for multiple sources of information. Perhaps once other book retailers and
publishers see the usefulness of "AutoLink" they will apply to be included.
It really is to early to panic yet. This is after-all a beta release. Also
lets be realistic, Amazon's competitive edge these days is their expertise
in the on-line retail field, that has created more satisfied customers than
any other similar service.

 

[El Gee]

Search engine firm Google has released a trial tool which is
concerning some net users because it directs people to pre-selected
commercial websites.

The AutoLink feature comes with Google's latest toolbar and provides
links in a webpage to Amazon.com if it finds a book's ISBN number on
the site.

It also links to Google's map service, if there is an address, or to
car firm Carfax, if there is a licence plate.

Google said the feature, available only in the US, "adds useful
links".

But some users are concerned that Google's dominant position in the
search engine market place could mean it would be giving a competitive
edge to firms like Amazon.

-Art-

This is exactly why I did not bother installing the new toolbar on my
mcahine...Mozilla baayyy-beee!

--
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
El Gee <><
Know Christ, Know Peace
No Christ, No Peace

Remove yourhat to reply
Home Page - www.mistergeek.com
Blog - mcwtlg.blogger.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

[MightyKitten]

The Six Million Dollar Man wrote:

The above does sound pretty useful for people living in the USA. The
inclusion of several delivery companies seems to indicate that there
is room for multiple sources of information. Perhaps once other book
retailers and publishers see the usefulness of "AutoLink" they will
apply to be included. It really is to early to panic yet. This is
after-all a beta release. Also lets be realistic, Amazon's
competitive edge these days is their expertise in the on-line retail
field, that has created more satisfied customers than any other
similar service.

As I wrote in on of the dutch newsgroups, I sounds like a copryright
violation to me.

If you are a small bookstore with a small online shop, you will not be too
happy to notice google will add links to amazone for ISBN numbers you
display...

MightyKittn

 

[elaich]

Search engine firm Google has released a trial tool which is concerning
some net users because it directs people to pre-selected commercial
websites.

The AutoLink feature comes with Google's latest toolbar and provides
links in a webpage to Amazon.com if it finds a book's ISBN number on
the site.

It also links to Google's map service, if there is an address, or to
car firm Carfax, if there is a licence plate.

Google said the feature, available only in the US, "adds useful links".

But some users are concerned that Google's dominant position in the
search engine market place could mean it would be giving a competitive
edge to firms like Amazon.

-Art-

Use Google without all the other peripheral crap.

www.scroogle.org

 

[The Six Million Dollar Man]

The Six Million Dollar Man wrote:


As I wrote in on of the dutch newsgroups, I sounds like a copryright
violation to me.

If you are a small bookstore with a small online shop, you will not be too
happy to notice google will add links to amazone for ISBN numbers you
display...

Now that is an interesting argument. Sounds similar to the New York Times'
action that made Gator remove their unauthorized popup advertisements from
the Times' web site.

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

The Six Million Dollar Man wrote:


As I wrote in on of the dutch newsgroups, I sounds like a
copryright violation to me.

I don't think it violates copyrights, since it is done only on the
client machine and no copies of the "altered" pages are distributed.

If you are a small bookstore with a small online shop, you will
not be too happy to notice google will add links to amazone for
ISBN numbers you display...

Maybe Google will introduce a tag so sites can specify they don't want
these "AutoLinks" generated for their pages, as Microsoft did with its
"Smart Tags".