"I feel I'm incredibly fascinating and this blog bears witness to that simple fact. Friends, from far and wide, are often pestered to keep abreast of my life and opinions. I offer my most sincere greetings to random visitors as well."
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Monday, May 05, 2008
What's in a Name?
Thankfully, the automated system sent another notification. I had sort of assumed my credit card information was on file. Yet, I did have to log on to my website service provider and renew my yearly domain registration fee. For the first few years, I believe it was included with the hosting. Now, I pay the annual fee that comes to less than $1 per month including taxes. What a bargain, eh?
I would have to go do a check to find out when I first set up DennisSylvesterHurd.com. It has been a while, I know. In a way similar to an old movie star, if a domain simply exists for a long enough time, then it receives respect and traffic.
This is related to a topic I wanted to mention. The folks have added an important feature to the software at blogger.com. We can now write an entry and save it with a specific time for publication. The system automatically adds the entry to one's blog when that date and hour occur. This will be important during my vacation. I want to keep a little activity at the blog even if I'm saving my entries for later posting.
The search engines value change over quality when picking how often to return for updates. If the information at any website appears dormant, the little googlebots and their ilk, decide not to stop by nearly as often. That's something I simply cannot allow.
I would have to go do a check to find out when I first set up DennisSylvesterHurd.com. It has been a while, I know. In a way similar to an old movie star, if a domain simply exists for a long enough time, then it receives respect and traffic.This is related to a topic I wanted to mention. The folks have added an important feature to the software at blogger.com. We can now write an entry and save it with a specific time for publication. The system automatically adds the entry to one's blog when that date and hour occur. This will be important during my vacation. I want to keep a little activity at the blog even if I'm saving my entries for later posting.
The search engines value change over quality when picking how often to return for updates. If the information at any website appears dormant, the little googlebots and their ilk, decide not to stop by nearly as often. That's something I simply cannot allow.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Can You Dig It?
I have always been rather interested in maps and globes. Therefore, I simply love the computerized equivalent called Google Earth. What an amazing resource! I know, I've blogged about it in the past. Yet, the interface continues to improve and the addition of layers and 3-dimensional buildings and objects makes the experience better and better.
I don't know why I don't run into more people who are as enthusiastic as I am. I can check real places around the globe I've been. For example, after mentioning Yemen in an entry here the other day, I wondered about a military camp where I once worked. Jay and I met after I arrived at the Taif Army Ordinance Corp and School in Taif, Saudi Arabia. I located the area: 21 19' 08" N 40 26' 07" E. Obviously a lot of things will have changed since 1985/87!
I am probably more likely to use Google Earth when researching upcoming vacations. Being able to zoom right in on a specific address can be useful when checking for hotels or attractions. It seems great to see areas before visiting them. It's no longer necessary to physically be at a place in person to get the lay of the land. Which road shall we take to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon next month? I'm checking right now in another window, in fact.
I don't know why I don't run into more people who are as enthusiastic as I am. I can check real places around the globe I've been. For example, after mentioning Yemen in an entry here the other day, I wondered about a military camp where I once worked. Jay and I met after I arrived at the Taif Army Ordinance Corp and School in Taif, Saudi Arabia. I located the area: 21 19' 08" N 40 26' 07" E. Obviously a lot of things will have changed since 1985/87!
I am probably more likely to use Google Earth when researching upcoming vacations. Being able to zoom right in on a specific address can be useful when checking for hotels or attractions. It seems great to see areas before visiting them. It's no longer necessary to physically be at a place in person to get the lay of the land. Which road shall we take to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon next month? I'm checking right now in another window, in fact.
Labels: Desert Southwest, Google, Saudi Arabia, travel planning
Monday, January 14, 2008
I Don't Need No Stinkin' Taxi
Last May, we went to Los Angeles for the first time. It was interesting and I'm glad we went, Yet if given the choice between spending a week in NYC or LA, I'd say we would opt for the former. Still, there are nice advantages to having the huge western neighbour just down the coast.
Rather than the glitz of Hollywood, we're using Long Beach as our jump-on point for next month's Mexican cruise. Contrary to popular wisdom, it is possible to get around the LA area on transit. In fact, as we're flying down plenty early, we plan on getting from LAX to the Long Beach Carnival terminal by transit. I am so thankful for Google Earth so we can nearly try it out in advance ... virtually.
Rather than the glitz of Hollywood, we're using Long Beach as our jump-on point for next month's Mexican cruise. Contrary to popular wisdom, it is possible to get around the LA area on transit. In fact, as we're flying down plenty early, we plan on getting from LAX to the Long Beach Carnival terminal by transit. I am so thankful for Google Earth so we can nearly try it out in advance ... virtually.
Labels: Google, Los Angeles, travel planning, YouTube
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Original Skid Row
Although there are five free days for the Christmas break, we've still not decided on anything specific. I guess this is one time when there are not any last minute deals available. At least, I can't seem to find any three or four day get-aways selling for a song on the Internet nor in the local newspaper. On the contrary, it seems as though suckers who don't book early have to pay through the nose.
Of course, we could simply drive somewhere close. Hotels are seldom busy as business travel has ceased and many folks are staying with family even if they are travelling. I can remember going to the nearly frozen Okanagan one Christmas. On others we went to visit friends or jumped on a ferry for Victoria. It's only Wednesday, so there are still a couple of days to make a final decision.
It may even be fun just to slide down to Seattle for a few nights. Discounting the wait at the border, it's only a leisurely three hour trip. If one's willing to stay cheap, it's possible to find, because of the season, a hotel within walking distance to downtown for only $60 per night. In order to see the city where the term skid row was coined, I fired up Google Earth. I was first awed by the program in October 2005 and since then it's continued to grow and develop. It doesn't often get the press it deserves but for those of us who like geography it's truly a miracle.
Of course, we could simply drive somewhere close. Hotels are seldom busy as business travel has ceased and many folks are staying with family even if they are travelling. I can remember going to the nearly frozen Okanagan one Christmas. On others we went to visit friends or jumped on a ferry for Victoria. It's only Wednesday, so there are still a couple of days to make a final decision.
It may even be fun just to slide down to Seattle for a few nights. Discounting the wait at the border, it's only a leisurely three hour trip. If one's willing to stay cheap, it's possible to find, because of the season, a hotel within walking distance to downtown for only $60 per night. In order to see the city where the term skid row was coined, I fired up Google Earth. I was first awed by the program in October 2005 and since then it's continued to grow and develop. It doesn't often get the press it deserves but for those of us who like geography it's truly a miracle.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
A Pair of Skates
I was working on cleaning up my email this morning. You know how things can collect if one neglects staying on top of them. Even though Google Mail gives copious storage, I'm not one to archive just anything. The fact I seldom save messages with large attachments is probably due to the fact it was not common in the old days. I could now go into great detail why it's best to keep email data on the Internet rather than on one's hard disk, but I'll take on that topic in a future entry.Consequently, because of my aversion to attachments, I had marked one email for clean up but hadn't gotten to it. It arrived from my second cousin who I've not seen since childhood. Marti is a bit of a family archivist and was named after my mother. She scanned several pages of photos and attached them to a message sent to me. That was a long time ago, probably at the beginning of the year. Finally, today I copied off the photos and deleted the message. Those scanned images included the one here.
It is my mother as a young girl. I was trying to figure out where it was taken. I think it may have been on Upper Main Street in Sunapee, NH. That building looks like what was called the Community Store when I was in high school. I believe it has all been torn down. If that was indeed the location, I hope mom had good braking ability on skates. Upper Main Street is very steep. The street runs up to Sunapee Harbor. Most people don't think of having to travel up to a lake, so that bit of geography often confuses visitors and summer tourists.
Labels: Google, Mother, New Hampshire, Sunapee
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Easily-Embedded Maps
There's no place like home. Google seldom stops developing and refining!
Labels: Google, Internet, New Westminster
Friday, August 17, 2007
Well-Travelled
There's no warranty repair facility for Creative products in Canada. I had to fork over $21 to UPS my non-functioning Zen mp3 player to Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Still for $20 it's more fun than using the regular postal system. At least I can check its progress as it slowly crosses borders and rumbles along Interstate highways. Still, the technology is never enough. I'd like it to have a GPS unit enbedded into the package, so I could follow the entire route on Google Earth. This, incidentally, brings me to another topic.
I'd heard about Google Map's Street View. Running around at street view is, indeed, quite amazing. Most of the comments voiced were in reaction to privacy concerns. Yes, people were out on the streets as the Google van drove by. Yes, it's possible to even spot a fellow standing around in front of a strip club. It's pretty hard to make out who it is though. The last I knew when one was in a public space, being on camera was a possibility. San Francisco isn't, for God's sakes, Saudi Arabia. Maybe my stance is just sour grapes over never having become famous myself!
Still for $20 it's more fun than using the regular postal system. At least I can check its progress as it slowly crosses borders and rumbles along Interstate highways. Still, the technology is never enough. I'd like it to have a GPS unit enbedded into the package, so I could follow the entire route on Google Earth. This, incidentally, brings me to another topic.
I'd heard about Google Map's Street View. Running around at street view is, indeed, quite amazing. Most of the comments voiced were in reaction to privacy concerns. Yes, people were out on the streets as the Google van drove by. Yes, it's possible to even spot a fellow standing around in front of a strip club. It's pretty hard to make out who it is though. The last I knew when one was in a public space, being on camera was a possibility. San Francisco isn't, for God's sakes, Saudi Arabia. Maybe my stance is just sour grapes over never having become famous myself!
Labels: Creative Zen, Google, opinions
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Where'd It Go?
I really didn't know what to put here today. The day was brilliant and our day off pleasant. I spotted a new icon in the draft version of Blogger.com. I wanted to see what'd happen if I uploaded a video clip. I rather hastily put in a DVD disc from our Eurotrip in the fall of 2005. I cut a chunk and then pressed to upload the 44 MB clip. While the file is being transferred, I'm typing this text. Where's it going, he wonders? I clicked right past those warning things what one is supposed to read when working with software. You know what I mean don't you? I am talking about the agreements that one quickly scrolls to the bottom of, and then presses I AGREE button. Maybe those would've told me that it now belongs to Google Corp. I guess that's okay with me. They can have it, just as long as you can see it too. This is from a section of tape shot in Paris. It's only Montmartre during the day and a bit of the Champs Elysee at dusk.After waiting half of forever, I decided that my file, although destined for Google Video, would never complete. Therefore, I mashed this up with YouTube.
Labels: blogging, Eurotrip 2005, Google, Paris, YouTube
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Satellites & Vacation Planning
I cannot imagine why any computer on the planet with Internet access wouldn't have Google Earth installed. The free download gives literal access to the world. We're planning a trip to Los Angeles for a week in May. We already booked the Hollywood Hotel also known as the Ramada near Universal Studios. I wanted to get a better idea of the lay of the land.
The screen capture above shows the Los Angeles area from 50 miles up. Nearly all the amazing extras overlays were turned off. Our hotel is located in the center of the large image at the mouse cursor. In the upper-right corner, I added a view of the hotel at nearer street level. I could recognize it from the outdoor swimming pool.
The screen capture above shows the Los Angeles area from 50 miles up. Nearly all the amazing extras overlays were turned off. Our hotel is located in the center of the large image at the mouse cursor. In the upper-right corner, I added a view of the hotel at nearer street level. I could recognize it from the outdoor swimming pool.
Labels: Google, Los Angeles, travel planning
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Surfing the Government
I always thought the term, surfing the Internet, was slightly annoying. To me, it sounded like a techno-peasant who really didn't know much about the world wide web . . . talking about other people who did. (When I was half done with the sentence above, I decided to look up the phrase to see who coined it. Take a look at this video created by the San Francisco CBS affiliate. It was broadcast earlier this month, no less!)
Now, I've changed my mind. Thank you, Jean Armour Polly, for writing that back in 1992. It does better describe how I used to spend my browser time. It used to be a thrill to find new information. I witnessed websites develop company-by-company and organization-by-organization. It was once a treasure just to find a familiar, old name with a new web presence. I'm talking about a time when Yahoo was a list maintained by hand!
Now I fear, I generally skulk around the same old haunts and usually stay within the first dozen hits of a Google search. The surfing has become more of a laboured stroll through a now-familiar mall.
I did see advertisements for the new web portal for for Canadian government Internet resources. I visited www.ServiceCanada.ca and found myself doing a lot of exploring by clicking various links. Of course, the federal government has a copious amount of data on the Net. Organizing such a deluge of information and making it available from one location seems a worthy, although difficult, goal.
Labels: Canada, Google, government, Internet
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Finding 2301 Brown Avenue
I now have a Yahoo identification for Flickr. I use Hotmail to sign onto Expedia. Additionally, I log on to quite a few services with a Google account. In fact, I cannot imagine why a single computer with Internet access wouldn't have Google Earth loaded. Now at version 4, it seems to be getting better and better. You can easily fly around the entire world for free!
Next weekend, we're going by real airplane to Manchester, New Hampshire. My dad seems to be doing fairly well in a rehab hospital there. On the phone, he sounds as though he's made a great deal of progress in the last month. Although still occasionally confused, he is looking forward to seeing me. I'm very glad I waited to fly out. I believe it's good that he's been able to count down the days to my visit. In the image above, I found the location of the Super 8 near the airport where we'll stay. If we travelled more upscale, we wouldn't be able to travel around so far and so often.
I haven't been in Manchester since I was a kid. It's about 50 miles from my hometown of Sunapee and about halfway to Boston, Massachusetts. My family used to frequently drive to Manchester to go shopping. Those were in the days before much in the way of shopping was available in Claremont or West Lebanon, NH.
Labels: Google, New Hampshire
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Not a Time Machine
The Internet has everything, or so I thought. I'd never before been able to come up with a topic on which I couldn't find copious amounts of information.
I was recently admiring satellite views of the world through Google Earth. Back when personal computers were new and I worked overseas, I used to collect pirated software. In the Gulf, in the eighties, there were no avenues to purchase authentic copies. I was reminded of a very early program I once used. A company called BlueSky Software once created IBM-compatible software called PC Globe.
I came up nearly empty on the Internet. I only discovered a bit about the company and the titles they produced but very little about when the specific piece of software in question was released. What I really want to see is a view of the, then state-of-the-art, CGA graphics that it boasted. Suddenly I remembered, I could double check on PC Globe by looking at my Software Games from 1989 pdf. Unfortunately, the 5 1/4 inch bendable floppy disc I was thinking about is not listed there at all.
It's a bit sad to think that something created within the last twenty years can vanish so completely. This is especially poignant as computers are what the Internet is all about. I've been unsuccessful in my search. Please drop me a line if you know anything about BlueSky's PC Globe. I volunteer to be a resource and will even write up an entry for Wikipedia!
Today, it's possible to even zoom in on the very neighbourhood where I grew up. I'm 5,000 kilometers from that location and maybe that adds to the romanticism of being able to look where my feet trod over 45 years ago.
I was recently admiring satellite views of the world through Google Earth. Back when personal computers were new and I worked overseas, I used to collect pirated software. In the Gulf, in the eighties, there were no avenues to purchase authentic copies. I was reminded of a very early program I once used. A company called BlueSky Software once created IBM-compatible software called PC Globe.
I came up nearly empty on the Internet. I only discovered a bit about the company and the titles they produced but very little about when the specific piece of software in question was released. What I really want to see is a view of the, then state-of-the-art, CGA graphics that it boasted. Suddenly I remembered, I could double check on PC Globe by looking at my Software Games from 1989 pdf. Unfortunately, the 5 1/4 inch bendable floppy disc I was thinking about is not listed there at all.
It's a bit sad to think that something created within the last twenty years can vanish so completely. This is especially poignant as computers are what the Internet is all about. I've been unsuccessful in my search. Please drop me a line if you know anything about BlueSky's PC Globe. I volunteer to be a resource and will even write up an entry for Wikipedia!
Today, it's possible to even zoom in on the very neighbourhood where I grew up. I'm 5,000 kilometers from that location and maybe that adds to the romanticism of being able to look where my feet trod over 45 years ago.
Labels: computers, games, Google, Internet, New Hampshire, software
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Re-awakening Digital Me
It's going to take a while to get digital me back up to speed after being offline for about five weeks.I felt no withdrawal symptoms at all while unconnected. Perhaps having my notebook along during vacation time helped me avoid problems involving the discontinuation. After all, I was able to hear Windows start. I copied photos off my camera's xD card daily. I saved the blog entries that I entered yesterday. Yet without the Internet a computer isn't useful anymore.
While gone, Google did well keeping spam out of my inbox. Yet, my BCIT email address contained hundreds of advertisements. I went wild while deleting. I surely hope nothing important ended up in the digital dump.
Labels: Google
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
A Virtual Visit
If you want to Google Earth me, you will now find my coordinates right beneath my photo in the right hand column.
Labels: Google
Saturday, July 29, 2006
My First Twenty Years
On Monday, I included a Google Earth screen capture of Jay's house in Sri Lanka. If plans go well we should be there in about a month. We've yet to purchase air tickets yet though.Today, I thought I might include the center of what I shall always consider my home town. Although there's no satellite image from thirty years ago, apparently not much changes in Sunapee, New Hampshire.
I chose this image from an altitude in which you could see Lower and Upper Main Street. A bit of Sunapee Harbor is to the right. (The actual lake is about nine miles long and is surrounded by several other towns.) Both schools are visible. The smaller white roof near the town's name is the elementary school and the larger white image to the left of the image is Sunapee's Jr./Sr. High School. The major roads include Route 11 running off to the left and 103B which heads south in the center of the image.
Labels: Google, New Hampshire, Sunapee
Monday, July 24, 2006
Finding a Needle
As a kid, I loved maps. I'm a bit surprised that I seldom open Google Earth. I didn't even know V4 was in beta. Earth is really an amazing example of what can happen when you marry online data, the means manipulate it, and a screen on which to show it.
We're planning a return trip to Sri Lanka in the fall; therefore, I effortlessly zoomed over to the other side of the earth with my mouse. I wanted to see if I could spot Jay's home. I located Minuwangoda fairly easily by knowing where it is located in relation to other landmarks. Yet trying to get to the Yatiyana Junction proved difficult as the resolution in the area isn't excellent.
I was about to give up when I suddenly realized I had the GPS coordinates. When there in 2004, I ran around with my Garmin. It had been loads of fun measuring speed and distances when renting 3-wheel tuktuks. I also kept accurate tabs on country-wide places of interest. So yesterday, I just typed in the waypoint of the house and I immediately flew into the right neighbourhood.
The area in the circle contains the red, tile roof of the house. The white area is his brother's house that's under construction. You can also see the bend in the road right by the house. It seemed somehow fitting that satellite technology let me save the location within a few metres and I could later type in a math string and end up with a satellite image of that far-away spot.
We're planning a return trip to Sri Lanka in the fall; therefore, I effortlessly zoomed over to the other side of the earth with my mouse. I wanted to see if I could spot Jay's home. I located Minuwangoda fairly easily by knowing where it is located in relation to other landmarks. Yet trying to get to the Yatiyana Junction proved difficult as the resolution in the area isn't excellent.
I was about to give up when I suddenly realized I had the GPS coordinates. When there in 2004, I ran around with my Garmin. It had been loads of fun measuring speed and distances when renting 3-wheel tuktuks. I also kept accurate tabs on country-wide places of interest. So yesterday, I just typed in the waypoint of the house and I immediately flew into the right neighbourhood.
The area in the circle contains the red, tile roof of the house. The white area is his brother's house that's under construction. You can also see the bend in the road right by the house. It seemed somehow fitting that satellite technology let me save the location within a few metres and I could later type in a math string and end up with a satellite image of that far-away spot.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Stupid Searches
Most visitors who stop at the blog on a normal day are not friends. The majority of those who read my entries arrive by Internet search.
I have a few different ways to access guest information, including the browser page prior to entry on this site. Therefore, it's easy to learn the exact search phrases that have pointed to my eJournal and images. I've learned that basically people have very poor search techniques. Here are some very recent examples:
I have a few different ways to access guest information, including the browser page prior to entry on this site. Therefore, it's easy to learn the exact search phrases that have pointed to my eJournal and images. I've learned that basically people have very poor search techniques. Here are some very recent examples:
Google > pictures of hiuen tsangOh yeah, there's something else I'd like these people to know. Both MSN and Yahoo have search engines which can return different results; however, they're generally as good as Google's. Give 'em a try too!
This person should have selected Google's image search tab and then typed "huien tsang". Quotes would've ensured those names occur together rather than on different parts of the page.
Google > In what state is the Grande Coolee Dam?
Most search engines like Google, ignore common words, so there's no need to form a question. It's just a waste of time. They could have just typed in "grand coolee dam" with the quotes and Google would've come back with the correct spelling. Of course, top-ranked sites are going to contain its location.
Google > pictures of what happened after the mohammed cartoons
This contains both types of errors. Potential researchers should also think of the best places to search.A general search engine isn't the best place to find current events. It'd be better to switch to Google News and search there. If one's searching for general purpose photos, it's smarter to go to a custom site such as www.flickr.com or www.webshots.com.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Clashes in Katmandu
We have a friend who's gone back home for a visit. He returned to Nepal leaving Vancouver just last week. Now, we've read about continuing troubles there at Google News. There was a daytime curfew imposed. Even phones were cut off to prevent demonstrators and protestors from organizing support for a return to democracy. We hope he and his family can stay out of way of those protesting.Long before we met Jiwan, we travelled on a short vacation to Nepal. It was almost exactly thirteen years ago. We've been lots of places but travelling there will not be easily forgotten.
Cities have a way of changing quickly, I'm sure. Here's a scan of an old photo showing the crowds in Katmandu.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Zooming Down from Space
I had heard all the hype. Yet somehow, I had not downloaded a copy of Google Earth.With a high-speed connection it took only a few minutes to download. Oh my! These are the things that make computers fun: these wow moments. Over the last twenty years of computing there have been quite a few. (This image is the dwelling of some friends who read this blog. Can they identify their building in my miniaturized screenshot?)
I'm beginning to understand the former failed mantra of how the computer is the network. We're finally arriving at such a time. Go ahead and serve my apps over broadband as it appears to be dependable enough nowadays. There's nothing sexy about an operating system. Oh, and remind me to memo Bill Gates on modifying the business model of his company ... quickly.
Labels: Google
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Hide and Seek
As there's a wide variety of information, it's important that search engines can point potential visitors to relevant pages of my eJournal and images. Here are common search engines followed by the number of currently-indexed pages for this blog. You may click any of the links to implement that search in a new browser window.
Even with all of Google's resources and hype, their search returns only 26% to 28% of the pages found by others. The situation has been this way for months and months. I'd hate to buck the widespread myth of their pre-eminence, but just perhaps ... Google sucks!
(Oh by the way, today's actual blog-page count is 201.)
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Who's the Next Google?
I send apologies to friends who don't like reading about my views of technology.
First, God created Yahoo, (In reality, it was David Filo and Jerry Yang.) In the mid-1990's that site was a directory of web links compiled by hand. By 1997, I had moved to Alta Vista. Relatively soon after that, I stopped typing searches there and went to Google not because of its clean interface or 'coolness', I moved because it was simply better at providing a world of useful links. Google was able to comb through and index more of the Internet than any competitor. When we're looking for something, access to as much as possible is what matters most.
Unfortunately, when one's the king of the hill there's no place to go but downhill. Google's supremacy spawned an entire industry which tried to 'optimize' a site to rank well there. Google has had to respond by creating algorithms that weed out spam and underhanded methods to manipulate their results. Dealing with these concerns has eliminated their once, undisputed lead in searches. Now the company is simply too nervous and secretive to let people know they are throwing out a lot of babies with the bath water. This is too bad.
Here's some slightly-modified, recent correspondence:
First, God created Yahoo, (In reality, it was David Filo and Jerry Yang.) In the mid-1990's that site was a directory of web links compiled by hand. By 1997, I had moved to Alta Vista. Relatively soon after that, I stopped typing searches there and went to Google not because of its clean interface or 'coolness', I moved because it was simply better at providing a world of useful links. Google was able to comb through and index more of the Internet than any competitor. When we're looking for something, access to as much as possible is what matters most.
Unfortunately, when one's the king of the hill there's no place to go but downhill. Google's supremacy spawned an entire industry which tried to 'optimize' a site to rank well there. Google has had to respond by creating algorithms that weed out spam and underhanded methods to manipulate their results. Dealing with these concerns has eliminated their once, undisputed lead in searches. Now the company is simply too nervous and secretive to let people know they are throwing out a lot of babies with the bath water. This is too bad.
Here's some slightly-modified, recent correspondence:
ORIGINAL MESSAGE
To: Google Support
From: Dennis
Subject: pages in domain search but not indexed.
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 14:24:09 -0000
I know you are busy with important details. I have tried to look around the net to find a reason for the following but have been unsuccessful.
I have a blog that presently contains around 90 weekly pages of information. At one time googlebots used to stop by daily and all pages were indexed. My blog section has a PR of 5.
Now, I find only about 10% of my site's pages can be found with snippets in a search of my domain. The majority appear there without title or text. Do you know what factors can lead to this?
Google Search: site:www.dennissylvesterhurd.com
Language: en
WebUserLocale: en
IssueType: other_webmaster
GOOGLE'S RESPONSE #1
Thank you for your note. The Google index contains two types of pages: fully indexed and partially indexed pages. Some of your pages are currently partially indexed. Because our robots were unable to completely review its content during our last crawl, your site appears without a cached copy or detailed title. Instead, it's listed by its URL.
We understand the frustration this situation may cause you. We're always working to increase the number of fully indexed pages in our index. You may be able to improve this page's visibility in our search results by ensuring that a number of high-quality sites link to it. While we can't guarantee that pages in our search results will always be fully indexed, "crawler-friendly" pages have a greater chance of being fully indexed. Guidelines for creating a "crawler-friendly" site are available at http://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
Regards,
The Google Team
MY NEXT MESSAGE
What a wonderfully quick response! I'm happy to hear back so quickly and completely. Further questions:
Your Paragraph 1 - (a) Am I correct in that the 'partially indexed' pages are not actually scanned and therefore information on them will not be returned on Google searches?
Your Paragraph 2 - Most traffic on my site goes to my blog, therefore most links go to www.DennisSylvesterHurd.com/blog/ . That index page has always been listed. Although with a PR of 5 it now only receives visits a few times per month. The 'partially indexed' pages are the archives. (b) Can 'partially indexed' pages stay that way forever?
(c) Could it be googlebots don't want to hit them because all the pages start with initial text and they're trying to avoid duplicates?
I'd love to hear your ideas on questions (a) (b) and (c) at your leisure.
==Dennis
GOOGLE'S RESPONSE #2
Hi Dennis,
Thank you for your reply. As you may know, we don't personally review individual sites, nor do we comment on webmaster techniques or the details of our search technology beyond what appears on our site.
We've dedicated an entire section of our site to answering the most common questions from those who maintain and/or promote websites. You'll find all of our publicly available information posted at http://www.google.com/webmasters/index.html
Besides this section of our site, we've created a newsgroup discussion forum for passionate Google users. At http://groups.google.com in the http://groups.google.com/groups?q=google.public.support.general group, many webmasters and Google users share their questions and expertise.
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THE END
Thank you for copying this bit of standardized text from a template.
I guess what I was trying to politely say is something is broken at Google. Your "mightier than thou' attitude may not last forever. I see your company fast trying to use cash to expand into areas outside of search.
This is a good for two reason, I can immediately think of:
1) Yahoo and MSN completely index my site without forcing me to resort to any additional strategies. Eventually the average web user is going to figure out you're not the only game in town.
2) I remember when Alta Vista was king of the hill. We will love you dearly until the next best thing comes along.
Have a nice day.
Dennis
Labels: complaints, Google, software
Monday, April 18, 2005
Where Do You Search?
Google is so widespread that it's a verb too. I cannot say with any certainty that the results from this blog are an indication of how your searches will go. Yet, it does give pause for thought. Perhaps, we should try multiple sources if looking for something important.
Green shading indicates the best option. The data was
collected at 3:46 pm this afternoon.
Green shading indicates the best option. The data was
collected at 3:46 pm this afternoon.
Labels: Google
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Find a Few . . .
... other local-area photographs contained on this blog.
Google Search: new westminster blog
Google Search: new westminster blog
Labels: Google, New Westminster
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Google vs. Yahoo
Because Google is considered the search king, it's the target for those involved in site manipulation. Of course, there are advantages to being at the top of a search list. Keeping the bad guys at bay has Google constantly running to modify their algorithms.
I think they've got some serious trouble if my little site is any indication. As of this morning, I now get just 91 results for my eJournal and images on Google, but Yahoo returns a whopping 880. I think the gold is wearing thin on the king's crown.
Google / Yahoo Comparison: Results for This Blog
I think they've got some serious trouble if my little site is any indication. As of this morning, I now get just 91 results for my eJournal and images on Google, but Yahoo returns a whopping 880. I think the gold is wearing thin on the king's crown.
Google / Yahoo Comparison: Results for This Blog
Labels: Google
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Craving Recognition
I don't know what's up with the Googlebots lately. Until recently, they did an excellent job of stopping by here each day. This meant that the information on this page was searchable after a single day. 
The last time Google checked here, even after repeated submissions, was on March 8th. Only about a quarter of my archived pages are presently indexed although the server has been functioning without trouble. In addition, response times at the blogger.com site have been abysmal for around six weeks. Does the behemoth have too many irons in its fire?
Then, just when I had thought Alta Vista was a footnote in the annals of search history, it surprised me. Its Image Search contained a fair number of photographs from this blog. Although not at all complete, it's a far sight better than Google's equivalent.
All this occurs as Microsoft's MSN search seems to be getting better and better. It has not forgotten to keep abreast of my eJournal and images. I will have to make a conscience effort to remember to type into that search bar more often!
The last time Google checked here, even after repeated submissions, was on March 8th. Only about a quarter of my archived pages are presently indexed although the server has been functioning without trouble. In addition, response times at the blogger.com site have been abysmal for around six weeks. Does the behemoth have too many irons in its fire?Then, just when I had thought Alta Vista was a footnote in the annals of search history, it surprised me. Its Image Search contained a fair number of photographs from this blog. Although not at all complete, it's a far sight better than Google's equivalent.
All this occurs as Microsoft's MSN search seems to be getting better and better. It has not forgotten to keep abreast of my eJournal and images. I will have to make a conscience effort to remember to type into that search bar more often!
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Seek and Ye Shall Arrive (Here)
Friends stop by because I barrage them with spam reminding 'em of the blog. Unexpected visitors stop by when they're searching for something. Here are the last 30 reasons why this second group have recently been hanging around:
Google: picture of old 80's camcorder
Google: photographs hinckfuss
Google: sri-lanka form birthday cake
Google: Hyack Square New Westminster
Google: dubai rent an apartment bayan
Google: "zip.ca"
Google: urban planning west end vancouver
Google: "cold creek manor" location canada
Google: "have it your way at burger king" jingle
Google: bell expressvu pvr file format
Google: gung ho fat choy
Google: pilgrams
Google: replacing garbage disposal badger
MSN : "high school in Sunapee"
Google: bbs Ansi images river
Google: NASA's impact on science fiction in 1950's
Google: little flying toasters with wings windows
Google: mcdonalds toasted deli sandwiches new york reuben
Google: frontpage 2003 phone activation code
Google: maureen szulczewski
Technorati: Kent, WA
Google: garburator review
Google: "chinese guest house" polonnaruwa
Google: concentric ring theory
Google: vancouver west end images of the 1960's
Google: kim carnes up to date
Google: geocaching alberta
Google: "vancouver to st. john's" AND trip
Google: maureen fernandes & emirates
Google: "dammit janet" mpeg
Monday, January 24, 2005
Clever Promotion
There are all sorts of tricks that can help to drive guests to a blog. Some I avoid. Yet, I find that Google and MSN Search keep pretty accurate tabs on my site. This accounts for many strangers who visit.
And I discovered, quite by accident, another way to increase traffic. Last week, I blogged a list of ex-colleagues and . . . voila . . . a fair number showed up because they had googled themselves!
So, here is another list. These are people who graduated with me from high school in Sunapee, New Hampshire. It's true; there aren't many names because my town was very small. This little list is the whole kit and kaboodle. I copied all names from a reunion planning document mentioned in last Saturday's eJournal entry.
And I discovered, quite by accident, another way to increase traffic. Last week, I blogged a list of ex-colleagues and . . . voila . . . a fair number showed up because they had googled themselves!
So, here is another list. These are people who graduated with me from high school in Sunapee, New Hampshire. It's true; there aren't many names because my town was very small. This little list is the whole kit and kaboodle. I copied all names from a reunion planning document mentioned in last Saturday's eJournal entry.
Ann Spear Pillsbury, Bernice Ross, Bret Wirta, Candy Winn Fuller, Carol Abbott, Catherine Harold, Christopher Ellis, Cindy Beal, Cindy Nichols Walker, Crystal Gareau, Dennis Hurd, Donna Ashford Timme, Fred Gallup, Gifford Swanson, Joanne Nutting Menard, Joel Thomas, Kathy Touchette Balch, Kim Seale Chartier, Kris Englestad Kayser, Laura Carroll, Lori Collins Preston, Marion Collins Quintas, Marla Binzel, Marty Wiggins, Mitchell Latva, Paul Appleby, Richard Kelly, Ricky Morse, Sandy Hale Bailey, Sharlene Doxter, Sherry Simms, Stephen Buswell, Susan Nielsen Stocklan.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Smarter Searching
Over the last few days, hundred of guests have landed here via Google searches for facts on the earthquake and tsunami. I appreciate that people are searching for information about what is going on in the world. A normal search engine, however, is not the place to find late-breaking information.
If you are interested in reading the most recent data from current stories, it'd be better to visit a source like Google News. The page is updated a couple of times every hour and will point you towards a fantastic array of international media outlets. You can easily type in your search criteria from there.
There are also plenty of ways to keep up on what's happening in the blogging world by searching Technorati or Feedster.
(To get an idea of the various search terms that pointed people to this page, scroll down to the second section of this link. You'll find some tracking data for my eJournal and images there.)
If you are interested in reading the most recent data from current stories, it'd be better to visit a source like Google News. The page is updated a couple of times every hour and will point you towards a fantastic array of international media outlets. You can easily type in your search criteria from there.
There are also plenty of ways to keep up on what's happening in the blogging world by searching Technorati or Feedster.
(To get an idea of the various search terms that pointed people to this page, scroll down to the second section of this link. You'll find some tracking data for my eJournal and images there.)
Sunday, December 26, 2004
6-Meter Wall of Water
We first noticed the news of the Asian earthquake and tsunami at Google News Canada last night. It seems as if the effects were felt in many places in Asia. Although the news reports are still stetchy, apparently thousands of lives were lost on Sri Lanka's east coast. Entries in this blog highlight some of the affected areas during a vacation. These were written at the end of September and also in October of this year.
Labels: Google
Saturday, December 25, 2004
We Wish You a ...
Merry
Christmas!
If there's anyone on the planet still wishing for a Google Mail account, I'd be pleased to send an invitation as a gift. I've got a dozen, so just drop me a line with the request.
I thought this deserved a picture too. You've got to give 'em some sort of an award. While, some TV channels are showing reruns of silly kid's programs, CityTV has four complete hours of a burning log. During the 6:00 to 10:00 am log show, there's instrumental Christmas music too. Occasionally, a poker does come along and it stirs things up a bit. I really didn't need all four hours as a background to open my presents though.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
I'm Fickle
I've abandoned little pieces of Microsoft during the past year. First, I dallied around with Firefox as an alternate browser to Internet Explorer and have to admit I like its clean and solid feeling.
More importantly, I ditched Hotmail when Google Mail first arrived on the block. Then, my default browser page changed to Google News Canada. After that, I installed the Google Bar for quick searches and access to the Blogger button. Of course in order to index my burgeoning collection of digital photos, their Picasa software found space on my hard drive too. Recently, I was amazed by the power of Google Desktop. How wonderful it seemed to have near instantaneous access to the wealth of the data within my own files!
Today however, Microsoft is starting to win me back. Their BETA search is catching on or maybe I'm just pleased as it's now indexing this blog. The addition of a new tool will probably make me reconsider some of my defections. If you embrace it, it will change the way you think of your computer! I'm very happy that I downloaded the following:
More importantly, I ditched Hotmail when Google Mail first arrived on the block. Then, my default browser page changed to Google News Canada. After that, I installed the Google Bar for quick searches and access to the Blogger button. Of course in order to index my burgeoning collection of digital photos, their Picasa software found space on my hard drive too. Recently, I was amazed by the power of Google Desktop. How wonderful it seemed to have near instantaneous access to the wealth of the data within my own files!
Today however, Microsoft is starting to win me back. Their BETA search is catching on or maybe I'm just pleased as it's now indexing this blog. The addition of a new tool will probably make me reconsider some of my defections. If you embrace it, it will change the way you think of your computer! I'm very happy that I downloaded the following:
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Blog Writings: They're Searchable
Yesterday, I received a surprise message from an ex-colleague. In 1991, we worked together on the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. Jeffrey is now in Texas.It was a Google search for Hamala Beach that pointed him this way. In a previous entry, I had mentioned the place because Jay and I lived there. Originally, it was a camp for the construction company which built the Saudi-Bahrain Causeway. As mentioned earlier in this blog, this was one of three places rented during my 2.5 years of work for General Dynamics and the Bahrain Defense Force.
The prior entry, written yesterday, was waxing philosophically about the power of blogging. On that very day, an acquaintance who'd not been in contact for thirteen years was able to send me an email message. What more can I possibly add?
Friday, December 03, 2004
Encore Performance
I can check to see how visitors find their way to this page. I find it interesting that so many people come in through Google searches. Hundreds of visitors have made it to the blog because of this song which was first available last December.
Click the player to hear the 2:48-minute song. It is Santa Baby sung by Eartha Kitt. (This Windows Media Player file requires a 56K modem connection, at minimum.)
Click the player to hear the 2:48-minute song. It is Santa Baby sung by Eartha Kitt. (This Windows Media Player file requires a 56K modem connection, at minimum.)
Labels: Google, Mediaplayer
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Finding an Elephant in a Haystack
I sometimes feel like the old guard. The Net is so much a part of life now that it's hard to imagine how we grew up before its advent. Nowadays, I never shut my computer off and I generally google at least a half dozen times a day to find an answer to a question that pops up in life. How did we used to do that? I certainly don't think people waited for the library to open the following day; I guess, we just stayed blissfully ignorant.
Recently on the phone, Jay, when talking with his sister, discussed an elephant sanctuary in Sri Lanka. From Vancouver, we just wanted to see if we could find out a bit more.
Click here ---> The Millennium Elephant Foundation
How interesting! It's now on the upcoming itinerary.
Recently on the phone, Jay, when talking with his sister, discussed an elephant sanctuary in Sri Lanka. From Vancouver, we just wanted to see if we could find out a bit more.
Click here ---> The Millennium Elephant Foundation
How interesting! It's now on the upcoming itinerary.
Labels: Google, Internet, travel planning
Monday, July 19, 2004
Getting It Off One's Chest
In order to boost readership, I sometimes spam all my friends and relatives reminding them to stop here daily. Thankfully, they either love me, are able to put up with me, or simply block all messages from my address! Here is the most recent request:
"I am accepting contributions! I will post your material on my blog. Perhaps you have some creative writing, poetry, or a brilliant limerick! Would you like it to live happily on my server and become available in Internet searches?"A friend, Tim Conklin, provided a writing on January 16th. Click the link below to see if it's still at the top of Google's listing six months later:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=tim+conklin+creative+writing
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Get 'em while they're hot! I possess more Google Mail invitations than I can possibly give out. If you want one (or two), just write. I will ask for nothing but your undying respect and admiration. What a small price to pay, eh?
Labels: Google
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
What's So Great?
I love Google mail because I've learned to see email as 'conversations', I can apply labels to messages rather than fighting with folders, and I actually enjoy the useful advertising.
Click here ---->
Click here ---->
Labels: Google
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
If you'd like me to send you an invitation for a Google mail account, please contact me. Just like a genie, I can grant three wishes.
Labels: Google
Saturday, May 29, 2004
A Moving Target ...
Last weekend, the Prime Minister called the election, so until the end of June it's national politicking time in Canada. This means when one switches on the TV or cracks open a newspaper, there's going to be non-stop coverage.
On another tangent, I've been patiently waiting for examples from Google's Gmail to show 'targeted advertising' near my message. Few messages have included any. The privacy clan are all up in arms about how Google is evil and such. These are the same people who demand spam filters so as to not be bothered by ads for get-rich schemes and penis-enlargement devices. I wonder how they think anti-spam software does its job? Oh gads, is it really going through their email? Oh, protectors of my privacy, here's a little fact: Some of us find advertising a whole lot more palatable when it is personalized.
I'll now explore the connection between these two ideas. Today, my realtor sent the following email:
On another tangent, I've been patiently waiting for examples from Google's Gmail to show 'targeted advertising' near my message. Few messages have included any. The privacy clan are all up in arms about how Google is evil and such. These are the same people who demand spam filters so as to not be bothered by ads for get-rich schemes and penis-enlargement devices. I wonder how they think anti-spam software does its job? Oh gads, is it really going through their email? Oh, protectors of my privacy, here's a little fact: Some of us find advertising a whole lot more palatable when it is personalized.
I'll now explore the connection between these two ideas. Today, my realtor sent the following email:
For those of you involved in the Election:
I am renting an apartment. Can the Landlord prevent me from having an election sign in my window or on my allocated lawn?
NO! Elections Act sec. 322(1)
I own a Townhouse (or apartment,..condo, strata).Can the Strata Council prevent me from displaying an election sign?
No! Elections Act takes precedence over any rules passed by the Strata Corporation... regarding election advertising.
Can a municipality prohibit the placement of election signs on boulevards, street corners, etc.?
No! The elections act takes precedence over local government bylaws.
Best regards,
Randy Book
Re/Max Central
Google tried to match up some useful links to this message. I guess we can't accuse the robots of being overly U.S.-centric.
Sponsored Links
2004 Presidential Race
Read washingtonpost.com For All The Latest Election News!
www.washingtonpost.com
John Kerry
Issues, profile, endorsements, speeches and articles.
www.johnkerry.com
Related Pages
Bernard applies to strike out polls petition
Kota Kinabalu: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri ...
www.dailyexpress.com.my
Waiting list opens for
Families looking for below-market-rate housing can apply to get on a ...
www.sanmateocountytimes.com
Strataman... All you need to know about strata
Everything you wanted to know about strata but didnt know who to ...
www.strataman.com.au
Apartments For Rent:: Search Thousands of Apartment Communities ...
Find your apartment fast! Search over 40,000 apartment communities ...
secure1.forrent.com
Labels: Canada, Google, government
Monday, May 24, 2004
Is the G for Geewhiz?
Gads, MORE email from Dennis? I'm just testing my Google Gmail
account. You know, it's the one with a gigabyte of storage. Better
than that, it allows single message attachments of 10 megabytes.
So, go ahead, send me that huge photo, video clip, laptop backup ...
== Dennis
Wow. Dennis is right in there on the cutting edge. In order to
send you something really big, I'll have to have GMAIL as poor old
Hotmail doesn't allow more than a 1 MB of attachments.
Is gmail available to all, or only a select few? I thought there
was suposed to be adverts accompanying it. I didn't get any. Or
is it the sender that gets the advert?
Dennis S Hurd (GMail)
More options May 23 (20 hours ago)
No, I think I've been identified as a select computer user ... and
have an account at Blogger.com. If you can still log in there, you
might find the link from their new, streamlined pages.
It's really a completely new way of working. You leave everything and
don't really make folders .. but each message can have a 'tag'.
Basically you find what you want using Google's search technologies.
No, the adverts are totally non-instrusive. They're like what one
sees on the right hand side of a google search. A message to myself
included a tourist website for Richmond, BC as it noted that I live in
New Westminster.
I'm not concerned about privacy issues in this case at all. I think
the scaremongering is just the competition trying to make people nervous.
account. You know, it's the one with a gigabyte of storage. Better
than that, it allows single message attachments of 10 megabytes.
So, go ahead, send me that huge photo, video clip, laptop backup ...
== Dennis
Wow. Dennis is right in there on the cutting edge. In order to
send you something really big, I'll have to have GMAIL as poor old
Hotmail doesn't allow more than a 1 MB of attachments.
Is gmail available to all, or only a select few? I thought there
was suposed to be adverts accompanying it. I didn't get any. Or
is it the sender that gets the advert?
Dennis S Hurd (GMail)
More options May 23 (20 hours ago)
No, I think I've been identified as a select computer user ... and
have an account at Blogger.com. If you can still log in there, you
might find the link from their new, streamlined pages.
It's really a completely new way of working. You leave everything and
don't really make folders .. but each message can have a 'tag'.
Basically you find what you want using Google's search technologies.
No, the adverts are totally non-instrusive. They're like what one
sees on the right hand side of a google search. A message to myself
included a tourist website for Richmond, BC as it noted that I live in
New Westminster.
I'm not concerned about privacy issues in this case at all. I think
the scaremongering is just the competition trying to make people nervous.
Monday, January 26, 2004
Tiptoeing near the Edge
I'm beginning to understand a bit more about how the blogsphere works. I nearly fell into it.
A huge amount of blogging traffic involves news junkies commenting on the story du jour. The remainder of the process includes thousands of bloggers linking to it and to each other. Frankly, that's not my cup of tea. I primarily want to talk about myself as I'm the most interesting topic I can think of.
1) Last Wednesday, I made a fleeting reference to Belinda Stronach and her site www.Belinda.ca. She's a newbie to Canadian politics.
2) A Google spider happened by and caught my comments.
3) Yesterday, I had lots of new traffic coming in from search engines.
It was gratifying to have all sorts of visitors stopping by. Yet, still and all, I do not think this blog is going to become a mirror and repository for current, world events. I will always find myself much more intriguing!
(Yet, on the very day I make a vow of blogging self-aggrandizement, this new Belinda Stronach article occurs. I couldn't well pass up on a chance to link to it, could I?)
A huge amount of blogging traffic involves news junkies commenting on the story du jour. The remainder of the process includes thousands of bloggers linking to it and to each other. Frankly, that's not my cup of tea. I primarily want to talk about myself as I'm the most interesting topic I can think of.
1) Last Wednesday, I made a fleeting reference to Belinda Stronach and her site www.Belinda.ca. She's a newbie to Canadian politics.
2) A Google spider happened by and caught my comments.
3) Yesterday, I had lots of new traffic coming in from search engines.
It was gratifying to have all sorts of visitors stopping by. Yet, still and all, I do not think this blog is going to become a mirror and repository for current, world events. I will always find myself much more intriguing!
(Yet, on the very day I make a vow of blogging self-aggrandizement, this new Belinda Stronach article occurs. I couldn't well pass up on a chance to link to it, could I?)
Locate additional information at the my eJournal and images blog site.