Delicious LiveJournal Links for 12-30-2010

[andrewducker]

• How to pet a kitty. (It is very important that you do not get this wrong. The consequences would be...unfortunate.)
  (tags: funny cats comic)
• When Google decides you don't deserve to have their ads on your pages...
  (tags: google advertising adwords youtube)
• Are Ripples in Space Proof of a Pre-Big Bang Universe?
  (tags: astronomy space universe science)
• Amazon patents system for vetting rubbish gifts before they are sent out.
  (tags: amazon patents christmas presents)

Comments

[andrewhickey.livejournal.com]

The 'ripples in space' thing is just statistical noise, according to http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2010/12/roger_penroses_new_idea_the_st.php

[andrewducker]

Thanks for that!

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought this rang a bell from somewhere. I don't know anything about astronomy, but my intuition was (a) this particular instance was unlikely to be a clear revelation of something before the big bang but (b) we still have no idea what happened before a moment after the big bang, so it's excellent to keep looking.

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I have watched a few of Dylan's sailing films, very good they are too. Very popular with sailing types too.

"Orwellian" is indeed the right word to describe Google's rather boggling behaviour. Particularly the
If your subscribers are clicking on adverts and not buying, then you are in breach. This is a new concept – do not look at an advert unless you intend to buy.

If it were me, and my trucking vids were not now naking ME any money (though still making YouTube, i.e. Google) money, then I'd take them down or rehost them elsewhere...

[andrewducker]

Yeah, I'd be tempted to do that too (and shout about it loudly).

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

It's interesting to see parallels between Google and Apple, especially given that Apple are desperately trying to strike a better balance (introducing new appeals processes, reversing decisions and policies to benefit the ecosystem) whereas Google don't appear to be bothered by such things.

[andrewducker]

Yeah, Google's customer service is renowned for its awfulness. Trying to get an actual person to respond to a problem is apparently nigh-impossible.

I'd like to see them improve it a hell of a lot.

[marrog.livejournal.com]

When Google decides you don't deserve to have their ads on your pages...

That is quite, quite horrific. I can't believe that an appeal like that made no impact whatsoever, particularly when he had a set of YouTube vids sitting there generating a whole bunch of revenue for both of them in a totally normal fashion. They could at least have just suspended the account for the yachting site.

Perhaps some attention could be thrown on this - Google have a habit of revising stuff from time to time when they realise they're starting to look evil, but only when there's real attention being given to it.

[andrewducker]

Yeah, I'm hoping that this does throw some attention onto it - Google's customer service is generally known to be bad - they just don't seem to be geared up to dealing with individuals at all.