Hello Everyone,

I’ve had my head stuck in the research mode for the last couple of days. I have taken on one new client and I’m still working on a couple of ebooks. The Ebook, Insurance Field Services, has lost my attention for a while but I’m going strong with Online Writing Opportunities.

Also, I am outlining Who’s Spying On You, a short EBook that tells it like it is as far as the current state of affairs of privacy online. In the mean time, I am taking notes and bookmarking sites with good information. I would like you to know about a site that quickly sums up how bad things are for your while you are searching online – even if you don’t know what is going on or if you do know and  think you don’t care. So, visit:

www.donttrack.us

Research continues for my new ebook Who’s Spying On You? and I continue to find so much information that I realize the research could never end. Eventually, I will have to quit the research and start the writing. However, I tend to chase leads to the grave. I just have to know the whole story. I should have learned my lesson by now, but no, I love the chase. There is one plus to this obsession though: during the chase I find and file away loads of ideas for new articles and new books.

I wanted to pass along an interesting tidbit that, at first, was pretty disturbing but after giving it a lot of thought, I accepted it as “the way things are” and even decided to use it to the advantage of my Perception Positioning clients. And, myself of course.

So what is this tidbit? I have discovered yet another algorithm that is being used to construct profiles of online writers. I find this particular algorithm rather disturbing since I have clearly determined it is quite immature and may have been created for the primary purpose of selling profiles -profiles that clearly do not project a true image.

Here is an example. Say, I do an interview of an employee at an animal control facility and, unfortunately, this facility has to euthanize dogs. Now, even though I only wrote the story, and even though I may strongly disagree with euthazining dogs, this algorithm will connect my profile with the act of dog euthanasia. Wow. Just because I wrote the article! Bummer!

There will be more about profiling by algorithms in my ebook but for now, try this:

• if you have ever written an online article, and can be identified as the author, take the URL of the website that published the article and enter it into the search field at www.topsimilarsites.com. The search field is in the top right of the page.
• if you just want to see how your personal or business website is “similar” to other websites, put in the URL of that website.
• if you want to see how any website is “similar” to other sites, do the same – put in the URL

Now, keep in mind that I cannot say what algorithm www.topsimilarsites.com uses to accomplish it’s objective. The algorithm I am speaking of is probably not being used there. I am referencing this site only that you can see an example of “site profiling” which is similar to human profiling. I invision a day when everyone is guilty by association.

Remember, if you use Google to visit a website, or if you use Yahoo!, or just about any search engine, you will be tracked. You will be spied on. You are the product. Instead, use www.duckduckgo.com. For now at least.

Oh, one last thing. Re-read paragraph two above. Think about how you can use this algorithm to your advantage.

Happy Dreams,

Terry

Many of my clients become friends and maintaining a win-win relationship is always one of my top priorities. One of the benefits my clients receive as a result of participating in this relationship is receipt of the results of research and surveys I perform on an ongoing basis. One of my greatest benefits in this relationship is the willingness my clients have to participate in discussions and surveys I need to complete my tasks.

Three of my long time clients are in the midst of extensive website development or redesign. I no longer accept jobs requiring as much devotion as professional website design or redesign but I do however stay in an anxious frame of mind until I hear the client declare the project a success. In order to lessen my anxiety, I am diligent about sending past and present clients results of my studies.

What follows is the highlights of a report I recently completed on the crucial aspect of content management.

Google now places tremendous weight to not only the content, but how it is presented and the extent of reader interaction and reaction to the content. For years I have preached “content, content, content” to my clients. They have reported to me that their spouses have told them they often talk in their sleep saying “content, content, content.” Sadly now, content is only the foundation upon which everything else rests. You may have superb original and informative content but if readers are not interacting and reacting to that content, Google will by and large ignore its existence.

To emphasize the fact that Google now scrutinizes the delivery of content possibly more than the content itself, consider that each of the following criteria are judged:

Genre: Your content will be classified into a category for which Google has extensive knowledge of readers of that genre. If your content does not match the interest of your readers, of which Google also has extensive knowledge, your content will receive a serious penalty.

Source: Have you yet picked up on the fact that Google is now recognizing content producers – the author(s) of the content. Content producers with little recognition by Google receive far less attention for their efforts than those with Google+ accounts and author microdata within the content.

Focus: Your content can be too generic. It can even be too highly focused. Again, Google knows your audience much better than you. If Google considers the focus of your content inappropriate for your audience, you again will not see the search engine recongnition you desire. Now more than ever, content producers must know their audience and speak directly to each and every one. Content production requires knowledge of your audience location, age group, what other sites they visit, what groups and social media sites they frequent and more.

Style: How is your content presented? Is your content considered to be educational, critical, infrormative or commentary? Is the content presented as straight news, narrative or in feature style? What presentation style is preferred by your audience? Google knows. Do you?

Organization: Organization is closely associated with style but given enough of a critical analysis by Google to warrant evaluation as a category of its own. Google now even evaluates typographic features such as fonts and content layout. Headings, sub-headings and headlines are now aggressively scrutinized. Google time and again has publicly stated that they are creating a search environment that encourages “a professional user experience” and penalizes all others.

Diversity: Know your audience. Produce content for each segment of your audience. You must take into account the diversity of your content and create content according to sex, age and cultural origin.

DEF CON is an annual event sponsored by and attended by hackers. You would think the U.S. Government would be interested in something like computer hacking and cyber stuff and they are. Every year except for the very first year, the gov has showed up.

The relationship between DEF CON attendees and the feds has always been a touch and go situation but the gov has always looked at DEF CON as a mass of hacker talent possibly interested in working for good ole Uncle Sam.

As years went by, the relationship actually was turned into a game. Attendees that were able to ID gov personnel were given T-shirts printed with “I spotted the fed!”. Good naturedly, the ID’ed Fed got a shirt printed with “I am the Fed.”

But as is the case with many a strained relationship, Jeff Moss, founder of DEF CON, asked the feds to not come to DEF CON this year. Seems the NSA eavesdropping and Mr. Snowden’s globe trotting adventure has injured the relationship.