he Buzz: If search engines could talk, what would they say? Now that it's acquiring giant advertising network DoubleClick, Google could potentially say a lot more about you. For the most part, the company is making the right kinds of noises about building walls between its different collections of data, but... Remember when everyone was worried about Eschelon, the secret intelligence project that would monitor phone calls, e-mail, and other data? Well, let's run down all the Google services most people use: You have Gmail, Docs & Spreadsheets, Calendar, text and voice chat through the still-in-beta Google Talk, shopping at Google Product Search--and of course everything begins with Web search. Throw all of that together, and Google could probably do a good Eschelon impression. And while the company's motto is "Don't be evil," giant data repositories always attract attention--from hackers, governments, and corporations.
source: pcworld.com
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
New look for AdSense ads
Google has changed their look of Adsense adds, below is the full info from Adsense blog
You may have noticed that some of your ad units have started to look a little different lately -- we’re happy to announce that, just in time for spring, we've given our standard ad units a fresh makeover. After extensive testing and research, we’ve found that the new formats are not only visually appealing to users, but they also perform even better for publishers and advertisers. We're in the process of rolling out this change to all ad units, and you should see that your ad units are automatically updated over the next few days. But, before you rush to make sure all of your ad units still match your site, please be assured that the fonts and colors of your ads won't be changed.
Although it’s not possible to opt out of the new designs, we hope that you and your site visitors will find our new ad formats clearer and more attractive. We're always testing new ways to improve the look and feel of our advertisements, so stay tuned for more format options in the future.
You may have noticed that some of your ad units have started to look a little different lately -- we’re happy to announce that, just in time for spring, we've given our standard ad units a fresh makeover. After extensive testing and research, we’ve found that the new formats are not only visually appealing to users, but they also perform even better for publishers and advertisers. We're in the process of rolling out this change to all ad units, and you should see that your ad units are automatically updated over the next few days. But, before you rush to make sure all of your ad units still match your site, please be assured that the fonts and colors of your ads won't be changed.
Although it’s not possible to opt out of the new designs, we hope that you and your site visitors will find our new ad formats clearer and more attractive. We're always testing new ways to improve the look and feel of our advertisements, so stay tuned for more format options in the future.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Microsoft closes video site
Microsoft is closing its video-sharing site, Soapbox, to new users for up to two months so it can create better safeguards against pirated content.
The software giant, which agreed earlier Thursday to distribute movies and TV shows for big media companies, has seen Soapbox fill up with unauthorized clips since a test version of the site launched last month.
No new subscribers will be accepted, but anyone who has already signed up for Soapbox can continue to access the site, said Adam Sohn, a director in Microsoft's online-services group.
Microsoft stood to be embarrassed by the existence of pirated work on Soapbox. There was a real possibility that the company could have found itself distributing video from News Corp. and NBC Universal, at the same time another one of its units was hosting material stolen from those same companies.
The software giant, which agreed earlier Thursday to distribute movies and TV shows for big media companies, has seen Soapbox fill up with unauthorized clips since a test version of the site launched last month.
No new subscribers will be accepted, but anyone who has already signed up for Soapbox can continue to access the site, said Adam Sohn, a director in Microsoft's online-services group.
Microsoft stood to be embarrassed by the existence of pirated work on Soapbox. There was a real possibility that the company could have found itself distributing video from News Corp. and NBC Universal, at the same time another one of its units was hosting material stolen from those same companies.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Google has acquired Adscape Medi
Google has acquired Adscape Media, an in-game advertising firm. Google did not disclose the price it paid for closely held Adscape, but some earlier media reports pegged the acquisition at around $23 million, which gives Google access to technology for blending advertising into games as well as the executive team at San Francisco-based Adscape.
Google did not disclose the price it paid for closely held Adscape, but some earlier media reports pegged the acquisition at around US$23 million, which gives Google access to technology for blending advertising into games as well as the executive team at San Francisco-based Adscape.
Adscape's technology includes demographic and geographic targeting tools and a reporting interface that can help marketers decipher which ads are leading users to take action and which need to be improved.
In-game advertising covers a wide range of media, but typically involves rich media, such as moving billboards built into game scenes, or comes in the form of product placements inside games. Google said it has not decided yet what its ads might look like, did not rule out text-style ads and said it would use Adscape to help test various options.
Google's acquisition follows Microsoft's purchase of in-game ad firm Massive last year. That deal weighed in at around $200 million, but Massive is considered a far more well-established player in the space.
Google did not disclose the price it paid for closely held Adscape, but some earlier media reports pegged the acquisition at around US$23 million, which gives Google access to technology for blending advertising into games as well as the executive team at San Francisco-based Adscape.
Adscape's technology includes demographic and geographic targeting tools and a reporting interface that can help marketers decipher which ads are leading users to take action and which need to be improved.
In-game advertising covers a wide range of media, but typically involves rich media, such as moving billboards built into game scenes, or comes in the form of product placements inside games. Google said it has not decided yet what its ads might look like, did not rule out text-style ads and said it would use Adscape to help test various options.
Google's acquisition follows Microsoft's purchase of in-game ad firm Massive last year. That deal weighed in at around $200 million, but Massive is considered a far more well-established player in the space.
$60 for analog-to-digital switch
LG Electronics said Monday it expects retailers to charge about $60 for equipment that will enable consumers to make the analog-to-digital switch on their televisions.
LG is one of three companies that have developed converter boxes to prevent analog television sets from going dark on February 17, 2009, when U.S. television stations are required to switch to digital.
Congress has set aside up to $1.5 billion to aid the digital TV transition.
All households will be eligible to request up to two $40 discount coupons to buy converter boxes until $990 million has been exhausted. Congress would then have to approve release of another $510 million for the program, but the coupons would then be limited to households that rely on over-the-air analog television.
LG is one of three companies that have developed converter boxes to prevent analog television sets from going dark on February 17, 2009, when U.S. television stations are required to switch to digital.
Congress has set aside up to $1.5 billion to aid the digital TV transition.
All households will be eligible to request up to two $40 discount coupons to buy converter boxes until $990 million has been exhausted. Congress would then have to approve release of another $510 million for the program, but the coupons would then be limited to households that rely on over-the-air analog television.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Google announced will soon overhaul its privacy policies
Google announced Wednesday it will soon overhaul its privacy policies. Under the new plan, all information logged from its search users -- keyword queries, IP addresses, and cookies, for example -- will be scrubbed after 18 to 24 months. Privacy advocates say it's a step in the right direction, but see much room for improvement.
Google announced Wednesday it will soon overhaul its privacy policies. Under the new plan, all information logged from its search users -- keyword queries, IP addresses, and cookies, for example -- will be scrubbed after 18 to 24 months. Privacy advocates say it's a step in the right direction, but see much room for improvement.
Google announced Wednesday it will soon overhaul its privacy policies. Under the new plan, all information logged from its search users -- keyword queries, IP addresses, and cookies, for example -- will be scrubbed after 18 to 24 months. Privacy advocates say it's a step in the right direction, but see much room for improvement.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Easy Steps To Hands Off Passive Income from Dan Farrell
Again something very useful for Adsense users, in this case and me.
Enjoy and start testing
Easy Steps To Hands Off Passive Income
by: Dan Farrell
Copyright 2005 MHG Consulting
So you want to increase your Adsense income? Log into your Adsense account, and look at your last month's stats. There are three key areas that contribute to your earnings: Impressions, Clickthroughs and Effective CPM. Improving your stats in any, or preferably, all of these three key areas will increase your Adsense earnings.
Impressions
Impressions are the number of times your webpages with Adsense ads have been viewed. You can increase Impressions by increasing traffic (preferably targeted traffic) to your webpages. Some of the best ways to increase targeted traffic to your webpages include:
-create more webpages, with relevant, focused content
-create more links to your webpages
-list your website/s under relevant categories in more directories
-set up a directory of relevant sites on your website and accept relevant
reciprocal links
-write relevant articles, with your site information in the 'resource box' at the end of each article, and submit them to article directories
-advertise with pay per click search engines like 's Adwords. www.Miva.com (formerly www.FindWhat.com, www.YahooMarketing.com (formerly Overture) and 100's of others. When of the best places for pay per click info is www.payperclicksearchengines.com with a descriptive list of 659 search engines.
Clickthroughs
Clickthroughs are the percentage of viewers who click on your Adsense ads. You can increase Clickthroughs by increasing the relevance of Adsense ads on your site, and by tweaking the format and placing of your ads.
Although you can't dictate which Adsense ads show on your site, you can
influence the relevance of the ads by maintaining a tightly focused website. If every page on your site focuses tightly on the site topic, its more likely that the Adsense ads will too. For example, if every page of your site is about fishing, and the word 'fishing' appears several times on every page, its likely that your Adsense ads will relate to fishing.
The best way to tweak your ad format and placement is to invest in an Adsense Tracker, and test, test, test! People who have done this tend to suggest that the best format is the large rectangle, with background and border the same color as the page behind it, so that the ad blends into the page. The best placement is towards the center or top left of the first screen of the page. Try these suggestions first, and then track and test, to be sure of what works best for your pages.
Effective CPM
Effective CPM is a measure of your average earnings, per thousand clicks. You can increase your Effective CPM by selecting topics that attract high bids from Adsense advertisers, and building pages and whole websites on higher paying topics.
Although doesn't release information on Adsense bids, you can get a good idea of the top paying topics by looking at information on Adwords bids, or, for that matter, bids on pay-per-click search engines like Overture. There are a number of keyword research tools available, both free and paid, that can help you find high paying topics.
The Formula
So now you have the basics of increasing your Adsense income. Its a deceptively simple formula:
-Build pages and websites on high paying topics for the best Effective CPM.
-Format and place your Adsense ads for maximum Clickthroughs.
-Promote your sites to drive targeted traffic to your Adsense webpages for maximum impressions.
Enjoy and start testing
Easy Steps To Hands Off Passive Income
by: Dan Farrell
Copyright 2005 MHG Consulting
So you want to increase your Adsense income? Log into your Adsense account, and look at your last month's stats. There are three key areas that contribute to your earnings: Impressions, Clickthroughs and Effective CPM. Improving your stats in any, or preferably, all of these three key areas will increase your Adsense earnings.
Impressions
Impressions are the number of times your webpages with Adsense ads have been viewed. You can increase Impressions by increasing traffic (preferably targeted traffic) to your webpages. Some of the best ways to increase targeted traffic to your webpages include:
-create more webpages, with relevant, focused content
-create more links to your webpages
-list your website/s under relevant categories in more directories
-set up a directory of relevant sites on your website and accept relevant
reciprocal links
-write relevant articles, with your site information in the 'resource box' at the end of each article, and submit them to article directories
-advertise with pay per click search engines like 's Adwords. www.Miva.com (formerly www.FindWhat.com, www.YahooMarketing.com (formerly Overture) and 100's of others. When of the best places for pay per click info is www.payperclicksearchengines.com with a descriptive list of 659 search engines.
Clickthroughs
Clickthroughs are the percentage of viewers who click on your Adsense ads. You can increase Clickthroughs by increasing the relevance of Adsense ads on your site, and by tweaking the format and placing of your ads.
Although you can't dictate which Adsense ads show on your site, you can
influence the relevance of the ads by maintaining a tightly focused website. If every page on your site focuses tightly on the site topic, its more likely that the Adsense ads will too. For example, if every page of your site is about fishing, and the word 'fishing' appears several times on every page, its likely that your Adsense ads will relate to fishing.
The best way to tweak your ad format and placement is to invest in an Adsense Tracker, and test, test, test! People who have done this tend to suggest that the best format is the large rectangle, with background and border the same color as the page behind it, so that the ad blends into the page. The best placement is towards the center or top left of the first screen of the page. Try these suggestions first, and then track and test, to be sure of what works best for your pages.
Effective CPM
Effective CPM is a measure of your average earnings, per thousand clicks. You can increase your Effective CPM by selecting topics that attract high bids from Adsense advertisers, and building pages and whole websites on higher paying topics.
Although doesn't release information on Adsense bids, you can get a good idea of the top paying topics by looking at information on Adwords bids, or, for that matter, bids on pay-per-click search engines like Overture. There are a number of keyword research tools available, both free and paid, that can help you find high paying topics.
The Formula
So now you have the basics of increasing your Adsense income. Its a deceptively simple formula:
-Build pages and websites on high paying topics for the best Effective CPM.
-Format and place your Adsense ads for maximum Clickthroughs.
-Promote your sites to drive targeted traffic to your Adsense webpages for maximum impressions.
How you can Increase your Adsense Revenue Scott Patterson
Very useful article for Adsense, it describes how you can improve your revenue in 6 easy steps.
6 Easy Ways to Increase your Adsense Revenue
by: Scott Patterson
How much revenue do you generate from Adsense?
Recently there has been a lot of discussion about people who earn over $10,000 a month just from Adsense. Furthermore, there are rumors of a few individuals who earn over $1 million a year just from using the power of advertisements.
So what is Adsense and how can you use this program to earn a six-figure income?
About two years ago, created this program to help websites to monetize their web-traffic.
Here's how it works:
Webmasters obtain a special code from which then displays targeted ads on their website. Whenever a visitor clicks on one of these ads, the webmaster earns a commission. Unlike other online businesses, there is no selling involved. All you need to do is get people to click on the ads.
Although this is an excellent way to generate an income, many websites are not effectively maximizing their Adsense potential. As a result, they are leaving a lot of cash on the table.
The question is how can you increase your Adsense revenue without increasing the number of web visitors?
The key to earning an income with Adsense is to have your ads match the rest of the site, making them look like part of your content. Your focus is to avoid having the Adsense blocks look like blatant advertisements.
The following are six ways that you can do this and increase your revenue at the same time:
1) Find the right place- Most website visitors read content that is in the middle of a webpage. As a result, the best place to put your Adsense block is in the top part of the page, at the beginning of your web content. You want to weave the Ads into your web content to give the appearance that they are extra links which expand on the information of the page.
2) Use the Large Rectangle-With Adsense, you have the option of picking different ad formats. Most of the time people opt to use the Leaderboard (728x90) or Wide Skyscraper (160x600) style ads. Unfortunately, this is the wrong choice, because both look like blatant advertisements. Instead smart webmasters have found that using the Large Rectangle (336x280) yields the best amount of click-thrus.
3) Ditch the border- Many people experience a sharp increase in Adsense revenue when they changing their border. What they change is very simple…they get rid of the border on their Adsense blocks. This is another way to make the advertisements look like useful web content.
4) Adapt the font- Whenever you write content, it should be the same font size and style as your Adsense block. This will help make it appear that the advertisements are a natural part of your website.
5) Match the colors- In addition to changing the fonts, you also should match the colors of your website. For instance, if your content is written in black, and your hyperlinks are blue, then the Adsense blocks should also be the same color. Again, this helps the advertisements appear to be normal web content.
6) Don't have too many distractions- On a webpage, it is important to give web visitor a limited number of options. By having too many links and graphics, the web visitor might go to a section that doesn't help increase your profits. While it is important to inform and entertain your web visitor, it is also vital that you monetize your site. So if the main focus of your site is to earn an income through Adsense, then get rid of all non-essential links and graphics.
By taking the time to implement these six simple steps, you'll see a dramatic increase in the click-thru ratio of your ads. If added to all of the content of your site, your Adsense income will skyrocket!
About the author:
Scott J. Patterson earns over $12,000 a month, mostly through Adsense
6 Easy Ways to Increase your Adsense Revenue
by: Scott Patterson
How much revenue do you generate from Adsense?
Recently there has been a lot of discussion about people who earn over $10,000 a month just from Adsense. Furthermore, there are rumors of a few individuals who earn over $1 million a year just from using the power of advertisements.
So what is Adsense and how can you use this program to earn a six-figure income?
About two years ago, created this program to help websites to monetize their web-traffic.
Here's how it works:
Webmasters obtain a special code from which then displays targeted ads on their website. Whenever a visitor clicks on one of these ads, the webmaster earns a commission. Unlike other online businesses, there is no selling involved. All you need to do is get people to click on the ads.
Although this is an excellent way to generate an income, many websites are not effectively maximizing their Adsense potential. As a result, they are leaving a lot of cash on the table.
The question is how can you increase your Adsense revenue without increasing the number of web visitors?
The key to earning an income with Adsense is to have your ads match the rest of the site, making them look like part of your content. Your focus is to avoid having the Adsense blocks look like blatant advertisements.
The following are six ways that you can do this and increase your revenue at the same time:
1) Find the right place- Most website visitors read content that is in the middle of a webpage. As a result, the best place to put your Adsense block is in the top part of the page, at the beginning of your web content. You want to weave the Ads into your web content to give the appearance that they are extra links which expand on the information of the page.
2) Use the Large Rectangle-With Adsense, you have the option of picking different ad formats. Most of the time people opt to use the Leaderboard (728x90) or Wide Skyscraper (160x600) style ads. Unfortunately, this is the wrong choice, because both look like blatant advertisements. Instead smart webmasters have found that using the Large Rectangle (336x280) yields the best amount of click-thrus.
3) Ditch the border- Many people experience a sharp increase in Adsense revenue when they changing their border. What they change is very simple…they get rid of the border on their Adsense blocks. This is another way to make the advertisements look like useful web content.
4) Adapt the font- Whenever you write content, it should be the same font size and style as your Adsense block. This will help make it appear that the advertisements are a natural part of your website.
5) Match the colors- In addition to changing the fonts, you also should match the colors of your website. For instance, if your content is written in black, and your hyperlinks are blue, then the Adsense blocks should also be the same color. Again, this helps the advertisements appear to be normal web content.
6) Don't have too many distractions- On a webpage, it is important to give web visitor a limited number of options. By having too many links and graphics, the web visitor might go to a section that doesn't help increase your profits. While it is important to inform and entertain your web visitor, it is also vital that you monetize your site. So if the main focus of your site is to earn an income through Adsense, then get rid of all non-essential links and graphics.
By taking the time to implement these six simple steps, you'll see a dramatic increase in the click-thru ratio of your ads. If added to all of the content of your site, your Adsense income will skyrocket!
About the author:
Scott J. Patterson earns over $12,000 a month, mostly through Adsense
Friday, March 9, 2007
Adsesne improves security and speed
Adsesne improves security and speed with new feature, follow the info from Google
In this technological world, it's fairly common to have multiple email addresses. However, if you'd like to contact us, we encourage you to use the email address associated with your AdSense account -- this is the email address you use to sign in.
By doing so, you'll help us quickly locate your account so that we can address your issue as soon as possible. This will also allow us to provide you with specific account information and continue to protect the privacy and security of all accounts. For example, if you have specific questions related to your payments, we want to make sure your account information is really going to you and not to a third party.
Just as a driver's license and passport serve as forms of ID for you, you can consider your login as your ID for AdSense. As a result, we ask that you keep your AdSense login handy for account inquiries you may have.
In this technological world, it's fairly common to have multiple email addresses. However, if you'd like to contact us, we encourage you to use the email address associated with your AdSense account -- this is the email address you use to sign in.
By doing so, you'll help us quickly locate your account so that we can address your issue as soon as possible. This will also allow us to provide you with specific account information and continue to protect the privacy and security of all accounts. For example, if you have specific questions related to your payments, we want to make sure your account information is really going to you and not to a third party.
Just as a driver's license and passport serve as forms of ID for you, you can consider your login as your ID for AdSense. As a result, we ask that you keep your AdSense login handy for account inquiries you may have.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Microsoft jumped into the Voice over Internet (VoIP)
The new challenge , Microsoft jumped into the Voice over Internet (VoIP) provider market Wednesday with the announcement that business users will be able to test a beta version of its VoIP Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS)
Jeff Raikes, president of Microsoft's business division, made the announcement during his keynote address at the VoiceCon Spring 2007 trade show . According to him, by 2010, the cost of standard VoIP business solutions will be half what they are today, as VoIP systems evolve from hardware to software.
"Software is set to transform business phone systems as profoundly as it has transformed virtually every other form of workplace communication," Raikes said. "Over time, the software-based VoIP technology built into [OCS and OC] will offer so much value and cost savings that it will make the standard telephone look like that old typewriter that's gathering dust in the stockroom."
Jeff Raikes, president of Microsoft's business division, made the announcement during his keynote address at the VoiceCon Spring 2007 trade show . According to him, by 2010, the cost of standard VoIP business solutions will be half what they are today, as VoIP systems evolve from hardware to software.
"Software is set to transform business phone systems as profoundly as it has transformed virtually every other form of workplace communication," Raikes said. "Over time, the software-based VoIP technology built into [OCS and OC] will offer so much value and cost savings that it will make the standard telephone look like that old typewriter that's gathering dust in the stockroom."
Google Desktop 5 Released: Search Improved
Google Desktop 5 is on the way, but what will happen with your data, seems that it will not be our own :-)
The beta release of Google Desktop 5 was just announced on the main Google blog as well as the Desktop blog.
A complete overview of the new and existing Desktop features is here. The most important change is that users now have the ability to preview files in search results directly in the application or browser, which is a time saver. They’ve also upgraded security and redesigned the widget features.
We last covered version 3 of the product, which was released in February 2006. That was the first time Google started (optionally) storing your hard drive index on Google’s servers instead of locally on your own computer.
The beta release of Google Desktop 5 was just announced on the main Google blog as well as the Desktop blog.
A complete overview of the new and existing Desktop features is here. The most important change is that users now have the ability to preview files in search results directly in the application or browser, which is a time saver. They’ve also upgraded security and redesigned the widget features.
We last covered version 3 of the product, which was released in February 2006. That was the first time Google started (optionally) storing your hard drive index on Google’s servers instead of locally on your own computer.
The new service from Skype - Skype Prime
Skype start offering new service it is called Skype Prime, here are some additional information about it.
Skype rolled out Skype Prime this evening, a new service that lets people charge for Skype voice and video calls. Users set the fees they want to charge, on a per-minute or per-call basis. Skype charges the paying side via their Skype credit, and then pays the money out, minus a 30% fee, via paypal (Skype’s sister company).
Like Ether, which launched last year (and charges just 15% or the gross fees generated), this will be a very useful service for certain types of consultants. Unlike Ether, Skype Prime starts with a huge installed base of users, and works cross-border. You can also say that both companies stole the idea from the old 976 pay-per-call numbers.
To use the new service, both sides of the call must be using the newest version of Skype (3.1.0.134) for Windows. Other platforms are coming eventually, Skype says.
Looking very good and innovatory.
Skype rolled out Skype Prime this evening, a new service that lets people charge for Skype voice and video calls. Users set the fees they want to charge, on a per-minute or per-call basis. Skype charges the paying side via their Skype credit, and then pays the money out, minus a 30% fee, via paypal (Skype’s sister company).
Like Ether, which launched last year (and charges just 15% or the gross fees generated), this will be a very useful service for certain types of consultants. Unlike Ether, Skype Prime starts with a huge installed base of users, and works cross-border. You can also say that both companies stole the idea from the old 976 pay-per-call numbers.
To use the new service, both sides of the call must be using the newest version of Skype (3.1.0.134) for Windows. Other platforms are coming eventually, Skype says.
Looking very good and innovatory.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
YouTube makes its power play
If you are Revver or Metacafe, then it has to be the happiest day of your tiny life. YouTube, the 800-pound gorilla just validated your business model by deciding to pay their creators, a cut of the advertising action.
If you are Revver or Metacafe, it is also the worst day of your life, because now a deep pocketed incumbent is going to play havoc with your business model, and hope to run you out of town.
Chad Hurley might have made this announcement in Davos, but the reverberations will be felt around the online video community.
YouTube-Google are using their massive cash reserves and their seemingly unstoppable ad-machine to take the online video sector by the scruff, and giving it a vigorous shake, in hopes that some of the weaker ones would suffer a coronary.
Little guys now have to get really creative and figure out a way to get around the giant Google ATM and beat The Goobe.
If you are Revver or Metacafe, it is also the worst day of your life, because now a deep pocketed incumbent is going to play havoc with your business model, and hope to run you out of town.
Chad Hurley might have made this announcement in Davos, but the reverberations will be felt around the online video community.
YouTube-Google are using their massive cash reserves and their seemingly unstoppable ad-machine to take the online video sector by the scruff, and giving it a vigorous shake, in hopes that some of the weaker ones would suffer a coronary.
Little guys now have to get really creative and figure out a way to get around the giant Google ATM and beat The Goobe.
UK government against the use of open-source
The UK government is biased against the use of open-source technology, a situation that could limit the computing skills of the future workforce, according to experts attending the launch of the National Open Centre (NOC) this week.
Speaking at the launch event at the Houses of Parliament, John Pugh MP argued that there is “widespread ignorance” within the public sector about open-source.
“Large tranches of Whitehall don’t know what open-source is,” Pugh argued. “We need a partnership approach for public-sector procurement and open-source scores well in this respect. But open-source has its enemies and its enemies are very close to government, including those at the top of government who are intending to stay there.”
Pugh, who is the primary sponsor of an Early Day Motion on Software that promotes the use of open-source technology in education, warned that the focus on proprietary technology within schools and universities could be detrimental to the UK workforce of the future. “I fear that children in our schools can do PowerPoint slides and use Word, and all the other things that children in other countries can do,” he said. “But they won’t have the understanding of the fundamentals of computing.”
Pugh conceded that there were issues with open-source technology that needed to be addressed. “There are concerns about the longevity and sustainability of open-source vendors, and there are some variable, uneven products that we wouldn’t want schools having to come to terms with,” he explained. “And open-source isn’t always so good at salesmanship.”
Pugh also called on open-source supporters to unite to help promote acceptance. “There are divisions within the open-source community. But it’s not a moral principle, it’s a design principle,” he argued. “There’s no point in hardening divisions between people who have [different approaches].”
Ed Downs, research manager at the National Computing Centre, a founding member of the NOC, agreed that there was a need to tackle open-source divisions. “There are lots of different points of view, but we need to try and get through the heat and focus on clear issues to make progress,” he added.
Speaking at the launch event at the Houses of Parliament, John Pugh MP argued that there is “widespread ignorance” within the public sector about open-source.
“Large tranches of Whitehall don’t know what open-source is,” Pugh argued. “We need a partnership approach for public-sector procurement and open-source scores well in this respect. But open-source has its enemies and its enemies are very close to government, including those at the top of government who are intending to stay there.”
Pugh, who is the primary sponsor of an Early Day Motion on Software that promotes the use of open-source technology in education, warned that the focus on proprietary technology within schools and universities could be detrimental to the UK workforce of the future. “I fear that children in our schools can do PowerPoint slides and use Word, and all the other things that children in other countries can do,” he said. “But they won’t have the understanding of the fundamentals of computing.”
Pugh conceded that there were issues with open-source technology that needed to be addressed. “There are concerns about the longevity and sustainability of open-source vendors, and there are some variable, uneven products that we wouldn’t want schools having to come to terms with,” he explained. “And open-source isn’t always so good at salesmanship.”
Pugh also called on open-source supporters to unite to help promote acceptance. “There are divisions within the open-source community. But it’s not a moral principle, it’s a design principle,” he argued. “There’s no point in hardening divisions between people who have [different approaches].”
Ed Downs, research manager at the National Computing Centre, a founding member of the NOC, agreed that there was a need to tackle open-source divisions. “There are lots of different points of view, but we need to try and get through the heat and focus on clear issues to make progress,” he added.
Friday, February 16, 2007
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