Thanks Drew! :
http://news.com.com/New+antiphishing+shield+serves+up+ads/2100-7355_3-6171015.html?tag=cd.top
Ads served under the auspices of a "phishing shield" ... Nice... Proving once again that you can come late to the party and still profit in Paid-Search, a Denver Software Co has come up with a way for ISP's to hijack browser type-ins. This type of thing is bad for domain-holders because it encroaches on a user's intent, however it can only go so far as users have proven time and time again that they only stand for so much before switching: browsers, isp's, search appliances.. etc. Never underestimate the human desire for freedom. If a user feels trapped he will flee.
I am waiting for this software maker's next coup .. a piece of software to over-ride this piece of software and let users navigate to whatever site they want.
Frank, you said "If a user feels trapped he will flee." Do you think this applies, as well, to mobile phone internet access...going forward? It seems that all of the mobile service providers are announcing 'walled gardens' of access or proprietary offerings of content. Do you think that users will behave the same way...that is, not be happy with limited choices, and find their way to the world wide web on their cell phones?
It seems like the providers feel that this new fast-growing market of mobile access is a chance once again for them to possibly get away with keeping us in their walled gardens. It didnt work before, but it seems they think it might this time.
***FS*** You can't be all things to all people. Nobody can. IMO it only works till somebody gives users a taste of freedom. Compuserve died when the net was born.. AOL broke open and gave their content away. As soon as somebody gives mobile users a device that can access the free web unimpeded, that's when all the other devices become obsolete. I don't think mobile browsing will take off (in a meaningful world changing way) until somebody figures out a quick and easy way to bring home style browsing to a mobile appliance, in a neat easy to use package, that people can afford.. You'll know it's here when rappers start rapping about it.
Posted by: Bob Luther | March 29, 2007 at 02:31 PM
This reminds me of a post I once saw Sal make elsewhere.
How many users have to type in 'flickr.com' and be redirected to 'flicker.com' before the lawsuits start flying? How many 'stockpickr' (financial site backed by TheStreetcom) typeins get redirected to 'stockpicker.com' (a parking page) before a bunch more lawsuits follow?
When half of the current 'hot' sites on the net are BS "web 2.0" intentional typo domains, auto-correcting user typins is a total non-starter.
Posted by: dpp | March 31, 2007 at 02:32 PM