Google Wonder Wheel

Google has rolled out an interesting experiment in search results, dubbed the Google Wonder Wheel. In this new search results view, the user can see a graphical representation of related search queries surrounding the original request, like so:

Clicking on the a suggested related topic then returns the new results, and presents related queries for the new search. As you keep exploring related topics, the old searches remain onscreen, represented as the “tail” of your current search:

The related searches could use some work – so far I haven’t found them to be incredibly useful, and overall the Google Wonder Wheel is a bit of a toy. But what a toy it is – I’ve spent quite a bit of time enjoying it so far. Hopefully as the experiment continues, the results will get better.

Another less flashy, but more useful feature that comes along with the Google Wonder Wheel is the new Timeline view. A search on “baseball” seen in Timeline view allows you to zero in on results related to a certain year, and even month. For example, by clicking through to May of 1862, I can see that the Star Spangled Banner was first played at a baseball game on May 15th of that year:

The results aren’t perfect- some irrelevant content slips through based on passing uses of the search term – but for researchers and students, this will be pure gold.

Several other alternate views are included in the Google Wonder Wheel experiment as well, including longer textual excerpts, and a different type of image search which presents images from relevant pages inline with search results.

The Google Wonder Wheel has been dubbed an prototype, and is only available to some users. However, if you’d like to give it a spin, all you need to do is set a cookie in your browser to tell Google you’re participating. Here’s the trick:

Go to google.com. With Google loaded in your browser, paste the following code in your address bar and hit return:

javascript:void(document.cookie=”PREF=ID=4a609673baf685b5:TB=2:LD=en:CR=2:TM=1227543998:LM=1233568652:DV=AA:GM=1:IG=3:S=yFGqYec2D7L0wgxW;path=/; domain=.google.com”);

Nothing happens…at first. But now perform another search in Google, and on the results page you’ll notice a small “Show Options…” link just below the Google logo. Click this, and you’re off and running.

Now the question is: will this change the way you search, or is it just a toy?

Stop Google Tracking Your Behavior

For two weeks now, Google has been testing a behavioral targeting system on its partner sites and YouTube. Correction: according to this Google Blog post announcing the program, it’s not actually “behavioral targeting”, it’s ”interest-based advertising.” The words “behavior” and “targeting” do not appear in Google’s announcement.

The idea is simple: Google tracks your activity via a cookie, and if you are surfing pages about car repair or interior decorating, Google’s sites serve up ads that target you based on that behavior. Of course they make it sound warm, fuzzy and universally beneficial, saying that if you don’t mind “relevant” ads coming up based on your searches, you shouldn’t mind them coming up based on your other behavior. According to the post:

Keyword advertising has been so successful because it’s useful to users, advertisers and publishers — everyone’s interests are aligned. We believe that interest-based ads will create the same virtuous cycle, by giving users more relevant ads, while generating higher returns for advertisers and publishers.

I was unaware advertising was part of a “virtuous cycle”.

Fortunately, in apparent response to last month’s FTC report (.pdf), which warned the ad industry to provide privacy protections on behavioral advertising or risk government regulation, Google has provided some opt-out mechanisms. Of course, you’ll have to find them. And most people won’t, since they won’t even be aware their behavior is being targeted. 

However, if you want to stop Google tracking your behavior, here are some methods to do so:

1. Google’s Ad Preferences Manager. Under the ironic title “Make the ads you see on the web more interesting,” you can either choose categories of ads you specifically want to see (“Industries > Chemicals > Coatings & Adhesives”…oh boy!), or click the “Opt out” button. This button will disable Google’s tracking cookie. However, if you ever clear your cookies, this setting will be lost, and you’ll opt back in by default.

2. Google’s Advertising Cookie Opt-Out Plug-in. This browser plug-in will allegedly stop Google tracking, and is available for Firefox and Internet Explorer. Users of Safari, Chrome and other browsers are simply provided with instructions to change their cookie acceptance settings. This means these users must change a global setting that affects other activities in order to avoid Google’s watchful eye.

3. Google is a member of the Network Advertising Initiative, which provides its own opt-out tool for “targeted advertising”. This tool also requires global settings changes for users of some browsers. Ironically, since the opt-out is itself a cookie, usually you’ll have to actually loosen your cookie restrictions to get it to work.

4. Switch to Yahoo?  Sorry, no. They already instituted behavioral targeting last month.

Personally, I’m not going to stop Google tracking my behavior just yet. I think I’ll make a game of it. My browsing patterns are so bizarre and unpredictable, I’m a bit curious to see just what they think I’m interested in. Maybe I’ll even throw them off the trail on purpose…

Goodbye Ads

The Noisy Channel by Daniel Tunkelang is probably the most intelligent, thoughtful blog I know of on the subjects of blogging, the interwebs and related matters. As such, and with the sincere desire that you visit his site now, and with apologies to Daniel in advance, I will quote his latest post in full to explain a decision I made this weekend:

The Internet Is About Freedom

March 22nd, 2009 

I was in a bit of shock when I saw that the top story on Techmeme was a post on TechCrunch entitled. “Why Advertising Is Failing On The Internet“. After all, TechCrunch is an ad-supported site–something I admittedly had to confirm using a browser without an ad blocker.

But my confusion subsided when I realize that the TechCrunch post was actually a guest post by Eric Clemons, Professor of Operations and Information Management at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Here’s the outline:

1. There Must Be Something Other Than Advertising

2. Advertising will fail

3. Advertising will fail for three reasons:

• Consumers do not trust advertising.
• Consumers do not want to view advertising.
• Consumers do not need advertising.

4. Alternative models for monetization are available:

• Selling content and information.
• Selling experience and participation in a virtual community.
• Selling accessories for virtual communities.

In my case he’s preaching to the converted, and I don’t see why his arguments should be so controversial. But clearly they are in a world where the ad-supported model dominates to such an extent that most people don’t imagine any other business model is viable. I hope his post helps persuade a few skeptics.

Finally, I love his conclusion:

The internet is about freedom, and I suspect that a truly free population will not be held captive and forced to watch ads.  We always knew that freedom comes at a price; perhaps the price of internet freedom and the failure of ads will be paying a fair price for the content and the experience and the recommendations that we value.

This weekend I had already decided to remove the text ads from this site, and Daniel’s post this morning is a great example of serendipity, since he explains it all for me.

I would only add this: there’s nothing wrong with commerce or capitalism. I have a number of other sites specifically dedicated to selling things. But this site was intended to be informational and/or entertaining. And as such, there’s no reason for me to force ads down your throat. So I’ve decided to go all PBS on you.

But much like PBS, I will continue to shill for a connected service that actually contributes to this blog: my web host. So I’m leaving the little banner that promotes them. That seems reasonable, since it actually has something to do with this site, unlike the supposedly “relevant” text ads.

So there. Goodbye ads. You’ve annoyed me on other people’s sites, and you will no longer annoy other people on mine.