How NOT To Show Up In Google SERPs

Rupert Murdoch is determined to change the way print content is treated on the web. In addition to being one of the first and largest media companies to plan a full-scale switch from free to paid content models for its newspapers, Murdoch is saying he will block News Corp content from being indexed by Google.

The issue involves the debate surrounding free versus paid content. Murdoch has made it clear for months that he believes free content online devalues the worth of the content. With that in mind, News Corp plans to stop offering its news sites for free, though Murdoch has said the company might not meet its own deadline of charging for content across all sites by the middle of next year. Murdoch’s company has clearly been at the forefront of the debate, and Murdoch expects a paid model to begin to be played out more and more often over the next two years.

News Corp, if it does indeed block Google’s access to its content, will be the first major media company to do so. “The traffic which comes in from Google SEO brings a consumer who more often than not reads one article and then leaves the site,” Miller says. “That is the least valuable traffic to us… the economic impact [of not having content indexed by Google] is not as great as you might think. You can survive without it.”

Google, for its part, claims to send news organizations about 100,000 clicks every minute. “Publishers put their content on the web because they want it to be found,” said a spokesperson (via the Telegraph). “But if they tell us not to include it, we don’t.”

Ted Turner Longs For Another Shot At CNN

Bloomberg

Ted Turner, the cable television pioneer who became one of the richest Americans, recalls the pain of losing his job at Time Warner Inc., his wife, the actress Jane Fonda, and $7 billion of his fortune.

“It was like having my heart ripped out,” Turner said yesterday in an interview in New York. The founder of Turner Broadcasting System and the 24-hour cable news channel CNN, Turner said that he has “a couple billion” dollars left, including $700 million in Treasury bills.

While contemporaries such as News Corp. Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Rupert Murdoch, Liberty Media Corp.’s John Malone and Viacom Inc.’s Sumner Redstone keep competing in the media industry, Turner says that he doesn’t have enough money to get back in the business. He now focuses on nuclear disarmament, global climate change, women’s rights, and the environment.

“I’m working on the issues that are life or death for us,” said Turner, 70, who co-chairs the Nuclear Threat Initiative along with Sam Nunn, a former Democratic Senator from Georgia. “What I’m trying to do is stay relevant.”

The CNN founder, known for provocative comments in his 40- year career, has lost none of his passion for news. He says 24- hour coverage of fighting worldwide has made war tougher for people to stomach.

War ‘Obsolete’

“War is obsolete,” Turner said. “The last time someone surrendered was Japan and that was 60 years ago. The Afghans will never surrender. We will just get tired and come home. We’ve already given up on Iraq and there’s oil in Iraq, there’s no oil in Afghanistan.”

Turner quit the media business three years ago when he left the board of Time Warner, based in New York. The company bought Turner’s cable channels, also including TBS, TNT and Cartoon Network, in 1996, making him its largest individual shareholder. Turner lost $7 billion when Time Warner’s stock collapsed in the wake of the 2001 merger with AOL, the Internet business it is now shedding.

Discussing the growing value of cable networks in the U.S., Turner said, “I feel like a dummy.” Mocking himself, he sings, “You let the big one get away.”

Turner, who founded CNN in 1980, said that if he got his wish to run the network again, he would increase coverage of countries including China.

“If I had the money, I’d think seriously about getting control of Time Warner and getting CNN to focus on serious journalism,” Turner said in a separate interview from his eighth-floor office at Turner Enterprises Inc. in downtown Atlanta. “They’re doing a good job but they could do better.”

Forbes List

Time Warner’s stock dropped 60 percent in three years following the AOL merger’s completion in January 2001. Turner, once ranked among the richest Americans in the Forbes 400 list, was listed at number 196 in this year’s list, with an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion.

Before Time Warner lost so much value, Turner says he had given away much of his money. His largest gift was a $1 billion pledge in 1997 to establish the United Nations Foundation. So far, $750 million of the pledge has gone to the organization, Turner said. He said he has the rest set aside.

‘Like a Joint’

“If you were around at the time, I gave everybody a hundred thousand dollars if they came up with anything,” Turner said. “I just couldn’t hold onto it. I wanted to keep it moving. I get a dollar, I give it to you, you spend it, somebody else gets it. You know, pass it around. You know, it’s kind of like a joint -- you just pass it around, light it up, you know, share with your friends.”

Turner’s Atlanta offices are filled with memorabilia from his years in media and sailing, including his 1977 America’s Cup victory aboard Courageous. Three swords sit on his coffee table; a photo with Warren Buffett hangs on a nearby wall.

Turner Enterprises owns about 2 million acres in 12 U.S. states and Argentina. More than 50,000 bison roam on parts of his land, according to the company. Some of those bison wind up in burgers and other dishes at Ted’s Montana Grill, a restaurant chain he co-founded in 2002.

Ted’s has more than 50 outlets, according to its Web site. One of the restaurants is on the ground floor of the Atlanta offices, where a sign out front reads, “Eat here and we both can live.”

Turner said he bought much of his land from energy companies. They retained the rights to oil, coal or natural gas found on the property, while he is entitled to royalties.

“My land value has gone down,” Turner said. “I’m not in a position to buy anything substantial. I will still look at anything adjacent to me.”

Turner said he has learned to live with less, yet he still bemoans the decline in his net worth.

“To drop out of that league, that was hard to do,” Turner said. “I’ve had the experience of being on top and riding the roller coaster down again, nearly to the bottom. You know, if you economize and don’t buy new airplanes or long-range jets, or that sort of thing, you can get by on a billion or two.”

Logitech Breaks Into Videoconferencing

NY Times

In a move to break into the videoconferencing market, Logitech International has agreed to buy LifeSize Communications, a start-up that makes high-definition videoconferencing equipment, for $405 million in cash.

LifeSize, which is based in Austin, Tex., sells videoconferencing tools that cost less than most other products on the market. The high-definition video is so clear that viewers can see scribbles on Post-it notes.

Logitech, a maker of desktops and personal computer equipment that is based in Fremont, Calif., and Switzerland, will be competing against Cisco Systems, Polycom, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and I.B.M, which have all made investments in the industry.

With LifeSize’s technology, Logitech aims to “make lifelike, HD-quality video communication as mainstream and seamless as a telephone,” said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech’s chief executive.

For a long time, videoconferencing was limited to big businesses that could afford to build expensive systems for business VoIP and video in their conference rooms. But videoconferencing has become more accessible because Internet connections are commonplace, video has become more efficient and the price has dropped for high-definition cameras and displays. Now, many companies are trying to reach small businesses and individuals that previously used low-quality webcams on PCs.

Cisco, for instance, sells its high-end TelePresence system to big businesses that install it in conference rooms. Last month, Cisco said it planned to buy Tandberg, a Norwegian video communications company, for $3 billion. Tandberg makes smaller and less expensive videoconferencing tools that can sit on desks. Cisco has said it hopes to use Tandberg’s technology to sell equipment to small businesses and individuals.

The LifeSize Passport, a high-definition videoconferencing system for use with televisions or computers, was introduced in October. The device, which weighs less than a pound and is priced under $2,500, works with Skype business VoIP services and is aimed at workers who travel or telecommute.

Andrew W. Davis, senior partner at the consulting firm Wainhouse Research, said the deal surprised many in the industry because Logitech made products for consumers while LifeSize made products for businesses. “But that wall, like the Berlin Wall, will come down,” he said. “Logitech has been aggressive in this space across a variety of fronts, and that’s who you’ll see in your living room, not Cisco.”

Free Airport Wi-Fi -- What's In It For Google?

from Channel Web

Travelers slogging their way through the nation's airports this holiday season are sure to benefit from the free Wi-Fi service Google will be making available in 47 airports between now and January 15.

But maybe not as much as Google, which is subsidizing the Wi-Fi service.

Google Tuesday said that it would provide the free Wi-Fi access through a partnership with Boingo Wireless. Consumers can donate to one of several charities when they log on, and Google will match the donations up to $250,000. Google is already providing free Wi-Fi on Virgin America flights in a promotion that also lasts through January 15.

Google's seemingly altruistic offer should pay big dividends at a time the company could use some goodwill. Here's why:

1. The move will help Google build political capital. Google has long been a big proponent of high-speed, wireless Internet access, lobbying in Washington D.C. to open up a government auction of licenses to provide wireless services to other companies (possibly even Google itself) beyond the mainstream broadband service companies. Google also backs efforts to develop new Net neutrality rules.

2. Providing free airport Wi-Fi also will help Google build up some goodwill among consumers at a time when its reputation could use a little burnishing. Google has been stung in recent months by several highly-publicized failures of its Gmail e-mail service and the controversy over its efforts to digitize millions of out-of-print books. The former has raised questions about Google's reliability and the latter about whether the company is living up to its informal "Don't Be Evil" corporate motto.

3. Subsidizing airport Wi-Fi for travelers will help with Google's brand-building efforts. While one might think Google doesn't need to work on its brand -- "Google" has become a verb to search for something online, after all -- it can't afford to become complacent. Archrival Microsoft has been offering free Wi-Fi at hotspots around the country since September, and Yahoo is now giving away free Wi-Fi in New York City's Times Square.

Google SEO is in no immediate danger of losing its dominant position in the Internet search market: Microsoft's Bing hasn't cracked the 10 percent market share barrier yet, compared to Google's 65 percent share. But you have to wonder whether all those Microsoft TV advertisements showing dazed Google users spouting useless search terms are making people consider alternatives.

New Access To Getty For Flickr Photographers

from cNet

Yahoo's Flickr site has deepened its relationship with photo-licensing power Getty Images so photographers can nominate their own photos for inclusion in Getty's Flickr Collection.

Previously, Getty decided which images it believed were commercially viable, and since the program launched in July 2008, it has put together a collection of more than 60,000 commercial images. Now photographers, instead of just being able to indicate that they're willing to be contacted by Getty, can actively submit a portfolio of images.

"A submission should include exactly 10 images that represent what you consider to be the best of your work. The Getty Images creative team will evaluate submissions based on style, subject matter, and technical skill," Andy Saunders, Getty's vice president of creative imagery, said in a statement. "If some or all of the photos--or other images from your photostream--are selected for the Flickr Collection on Getty Images, you will receive an invitation via FlickrMail. This invitation will clearly show Getty Images' initial selection of images and introduce the enrollment process."

The partnership is an interesting confluence between the old-school world of stock photography and the nouveau era of digital photography and the Internet. With digital SLRs and the Internet, high-quality photos are easier to come by, leading to the arrival of several "microstock" companies that sell photos on a royalty-free and relatively inexpensive basis. It's hurt professional stock photographers, but it's provided extra income to any number of enthusiasts and amateurs.

Flickr never launched its own microstock site, despite an abundance of enthusiasts contributing photos, but the Getty partnership does mix a commercial ingredient into the Yahoo photo-sharing site's operations.

The easy availability of photos at Flickr and other sites can lead to copyright infringement troubles. On Tuesday, Toyota USA apologized for using Flickr photos without permission:

Toyota apologizes for pulling images from Flickr without photographer permission. Images from a handful of photographers appeared on a Toyota site for five days. We're working quickly to reach out to the individual photographers involved. Until then, the images have been removed, and corrections have been made to the process of pulling images from Flickr.

So it's clear that some Flickr photos have business value, whether for their professional quality or their everyman snapshot flavor.

Getty and Flickr won't disclose any details about their business relationship, but here's what Flickr has to say about how the finances work for photographers:

Flickr has a business relationship with Getty Images, though we've never publicly discussed the specifics of the deal. Regarding the photographers, Getty Images will be the exclusive distributor of select Flickr members' content, and in turn, Getty Images will facilitate the license of such photography and will pay the royalties directly to the members. This will be a direct relationship between Getty Images and each Flickr contributor.

Flickr photographers will be asked to sign a Getty Images contributor contract, if they agree to have their images licensed for commercial use, that will specify rates for rights-managed and royalty-free royalties, as applicable. Rates for royalty-free imagery are 20 percent; rates for rights-managed (images) are 30 percent. These are directly in line with royalty rates that (Getty's) existing contributors receive.

Net Neutrality: Two Senators Voice Their Concerns

Opinion: Senators Orrin Hatch and Jim DeMint

from the Wall Street Journal

Chairman Julius Genachowski sees the 

need for Internet Regulation

Last week, Chairman Julius Genachowski and his Democratic colleagues on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began rewriting federal regulations governing the Internet and broadband communications. According to Mr. Genachowski, the Internet today is a failed market in which neither entrepreneurs nor consumers are treated fairly.

If this is news to you (especially if you're reading this on a Web site while simultaneously uploading photos to your family blog and streaming music from an online radio station), you're not alone.

The Internet is one of the only aspects of our economy and national life free from government regulation. Mr. Genachowski and his colleagues see this as a bad thing. We disagree.

If there is a perfect encapsulation of the success of Washington's current hands-off approach to the Internet, it's the popular "There's an app for that" advertising campaign. Since the latest introduction of smart phones like Apple's iPhone and Blackberry's Curve, independent software developers have created tens of thousands of applications for mobile devices. There are apps for gamers, bloggers, couch potatoes, foodies, health-care providers and every other niche market you can imagine. These applications have improved people's lives and satisfied consumer demand.

And it has all happened without a Washington politician or bureaucrat moving a muscle.

This isn't a coincidence. If the Internet were invented by a politician or worse, managed by bureaucrats, cell phones would still look like bricks and the information superhighway would still be a dirt road. If there is any sector of our economy where competition is so fierce and where the pace of innovation is so rapid that government interference would only get in the way, it is the Internet and telecommunications market.

The Internet has grown because of a virtuous and mutually beneficial circle: network operators provide ever-increasing speed and bandwidth; content providers one-up each other with game-changing innovations; and consumers adapt and adopt at lightning speed.

Ten years ago, we effectively had no broadband marketplace. Dial-up Internet was common, but not ubiquitous. Consumers had a choice of service providers, but they were typically confined to walled gardens of preselected or preferred content. The broadband revolution led us out of that desert. Instead of dog-paddling, we could surf the net, choosing between broadband service offered by traditional phone and cable companies and, now, wireless companies as well.

Compare that to the last decade of success at government dominated companies like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, GM or Chrysler.

Yet despite an overwhelming record of innovation, and customer satisfaction, Washington wants to replace the judgment of consumers with that of politicians and bureaucrats.

Net neutrality may sound like fairness but it is actually the opposite. Bandwidth is finite—like the finite number of lanes on a highway—and network providers must innovate in order to accommodate the burgeoning traffic. As they invest billions of private dollars in new and improved networks to accomodate demand for such net tools as business VoIP service, they should rightly expect to set prices and manage those networks as they see fit.

If the FCC takes control of the Internet, they will in effect be regulating how consumers use their computers, and we'll have the inevitable result of all poorly designed regulations: business decisions prejudiced by politicians and political decisions prejudiced by corporations. Keep in mind, we're talking about the most competitive, efficient and consumer-driven industry in the global economy.

Is it reasonable to believe committees of suits in Washington—with hearings and markup meetings and regulatory comment periods—can keep up with the competitive pressures of Google SEO and the Internet economy?

To ask the question is to answer it. There is a time and place for federal economic regulation, but the middle of a recession is not the time, and the Internet is certainly not the place.

Mr. DeMint is a Republican senator from South Carolina.

Mr. Hatch is a Republican senator from Utah.