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MySpace An Endangered Species?

Luis Sandoval — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:49:07 +0000

: Image via CrunchBase

There is no doubt that the market is becoming overrun with social networks. While there is value in a great number of them, after awhile they all starte to look the same. With only slight variations it makes a person wonder why one would be different from the rest if they are all so similar. That being said, the grand-daddy of the social network medium, MySpace, might be on the endangered species list.

It’s no surprise that during an economic crunch that “re-structuring” is inevitable, but recently we’ve seen a large number of the U.S. staff released from the company, and now the wave appears to be hitting Europe. After reading an article on TechCruch it got me thinking if MySpace is even relevant anymore.

It’s become a marketing ground for new bands, comedians, and other entertainers. The playground to the 15 and below crowd, it fails to reach the depth that other social networks like Facebook have reached in recent years. Much like AOL was a pioneer and has slowly been phased out of importance, is the same happening to the social networking pioneer MySpace?

Do you still use MySpace? If so for what? Do you find it relevant in your life, why or why not? I’d love to gauge the readership of Crenk and find out if MySpace is even a blip on the radar in terms of connecting with people.

Top Mobile Ad Networks

Steven Finch — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:12:59 +0000

Admob – AdMob is the world’s largest mobile advertising marketplace, offering solutions for discovery, branding and monetization on the mobile web. Mobile devices are a critical media platform and we are building the tools to let every business on earth leverage mobile.

Jumptap – Jumptap leverages its mobile search technology and operator relationships to deliver advanced targeting intelligence for advertisers seeking the highest return on their ad spend. Our network of premium mobile sites combines high quality content with targeted advertising to create an experience that appeals to the mobile consumer.

Google Adsense – Google Adsense has to be the world most well known and popular advertising networks for publishers. Google offers their Adsense solution now for mobile devices. The ads are majority CPC but have also some limited CPM campaigns.

Third Screen Media – Third Screen Media is Platform-A’s mobile ad-serving platform and network that enables advertising on mobile devices. Its mobile solutions link advertisers, publishers and carriers on a common platform to buy and sell mobile advertising. Offering one of the world’s most-respected mobile advertising networks, Third Screen Media offers best-in-class content, including AOL’s popular consumer brands and mobile applications; the largest availability of carrier on-deck mobile inventory; and a mobile network of more than 70 premium publishers representing 100+ sites.

AIM Ad Hack 5.57: Removing Ads from AIM 6.8 and Above

Steven Finch — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:36:36 +0000

AOL’s AIM service has long been one of the most popular instant messenger clients on the Internet. AIM is pretty much the perfect instant messenger client but as most web based products they don’t support themselves by charging for premium accounts, instead they advertising on the site that subsidises the service. Introducing AIM Ad Hack 5.57 in which lets you block or remove advertisements from AOL Instant Messenger 6.8 and above.

Aim Ad Hack 5.57 is small utility which removes almost all types of ads from AIM.

Features of AIM Ad Hack 5.57 Beta

- Removes advertisements from buddy list

- Blocks Viewpoint Media Player Install

- Blocks AOL Toolbar Install, AOL Loader Install, AOL Media Playback Install

- Blocks – Blocks Quality Feedback Agent Install

- Blocks – Blocks homepage change

- Removes AOL On Desktop (AOL Installer)

- Removes Triton’s crash reporting tool, System Information Utility, System Information Utility, Plaxo, Wild Tanget

- Removes WeatherBug, MySearch toolbar, AIM Toolbar, AIM Logger

- Adds support for Windows 2003 & Vista

- Optionally disable HostManager from starting up with windows

- Optionally install AIM Gadgets plugin

- Optionally install Location Plugin Beta

- Optionally install Facebook Plugin

- Optionally install AIM while running AIM Ad Hack

Download AIM Ad Hack 5.57 Beta here and Remove Advertisements from AOL Instant Messenger.

AOL’s Platform-A Forms Strategic Partnership with FreeCreditReport.com

Steven Finch — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:43:09 +0000

AOL’s Platform-A has entered into a multi-faceted strategic relationship with FreeCreditReport.com, the provider for online consumer credit reports, scores and monitoring.

The partnership will fully leverage Platform-A’s diverse slate of advertising solutions, including deep customized content integration within AOL’s properties and a variety of broad-based campaigns across Platform-A’s networks, ensuring the ability to harness the full power of digital media advertising.

Journalistic Debacle, Get A Clue!

Luis Sandoval — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:01:19 +0000

: Image by Gnal via Flickr

I worked as a journalist through college, and some after I graduated, and even today I am still producing content for both online and offline projects. As such, nothing infuriates me more then bad journalism, and lack of fact checking. Now before I get blasted, yes I’ve made mistakes, but nothing on the scale of the U.S. economy.

Over the weekend, TechCrunch along with several other media sites, pointed out an incident with The Times reporting a story on Yahoo’s possible bedding of Microsoft with their search technology. For those of us with keen eyes in the industry, the story was missing something, something we just couldn’t put our finger on…perhaps facts. TechCrunch tore the article apart by negating the supposed “facts” of the story and left the article with no leg to stand on. The key to this was that the markets were not open, otherwise a reputable paper printing material like that would have surely made an impact.

Now today, another story comes out announcing another Yahoo buyout story, this time regarding two AOL mavericks, Johnathon Miller and Ross Levinsohn. The article was bogus, the story unconfirmed, later confirmed that while the two were indeed raising money, and while they were having chat with Microsoft and Yahoo, there was no intent to purchase. This time the Wall Street Journal took the brunt of the backlash, and this time people did lose money. Stock for Yahoo jumped 11.7% which resulted in a lot of unhappy people.

This reminds me of a Twitter statement @1938media made regarding those that relied on social media as the “source” for information. “Dopes!” I believe was the word he used. Personally, I don’t know where the story came from, but where was the fact checking? In the rush to be the first to be in-the-know, a lot of people were effected by this financially. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to check facts and sources, and not always rely on the quick and easy. People need to use their own heads and thinks things through, interpret the information and make sound judgement.

You can read the entire TechCrunch article HERE.

How Do I Get Listed In The DMOZ Directory? What Do I Need To Do?

Steven Finch — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:41:28 +0000

For a long time now we have been producing what I believe is great content here on Crenk. That being said we are still missing from a lot of major site databases on the internet and Im wondering why!

DMOZ.org is the Open Directory Project. The Open Directory Project is the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.

Dmoz is owned by Netscape which now is owned by AOL. So that all being said Im finding it strange that Crenk is still missing from this directory. Is Dmoz still in operation? Do people actually use this service? Additionally, I know how to get listed in Dmoz, but doesnt matter how many times I apply nothing happens.

AOL Changes the Gameplan

Luis Sandoval — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:57:37 +0000

When I think of AOL, I think of other similar companies like Microsoft and AT&T. What do they all have in common? Basically all of them are large companies that think themselves at the top of their game and otherwise frown on smaller more open and approachable initiatives.

For the longest time AOL was an island unto itself. Until just recently AOL users were isolated from other users. The homepage was closed off to competitors, the ISP itself is not open to offering it’s users options, but rather forces them to believe that AOL is all there is.

Interestingly enough, as internet users wise up, and are introduced to various social media networks, connecting over the net with blogs and micro-blogging tools, the internet is a whole new world for users and professionals alike. AOL is finally facing this reality and has added a new feature right off their homepage. They are actually offering users the opportunity to select other email clients as opposed to forcing users to type in the desired destination.

As noted in the photo below you can see how Yahoo, Gmail, have all found a spot right on the AOL homepage (Hotmail access has also been added). This is a welcome addition for AOL users considering the response on the AOL blog post.

What does this mean for AOL? How will this impact their users and will they turn away from AOL Mail? No likely, many of us have multiple accounts for various uses; junkmail, newsletters, subscriptions, purchases, contact with friends and family. AOL is quoted as saying, “We realize that AOL.com is not the only web site that you use and that you may, like many of us, have multiple email accounts with different providers.” So AOL looks to become the official “launchpad” for all their users online experience. This will prevent them from having to type in the address of their preferred email providers and instead provide instant access with a simple click.

AOL confesses that not all of their users will appreciate the change, but for those that don’t, they have made it easy for users to change out the panels in the menu with other popular selections such as Music, Radio, and eBay options to name a few.

With the emergence of a fully customizable homepage, AOL is taking a step in the right direction with their new approach. It is even hinted, according to Techcrunch, that come October AOL could add access to “bookmark[ing], social networks and a RSS reader.” At this rate AOL users will now have a one stop shop for all their online needs, and this is what AOL is banking on.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on this new approach by AOL. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been an AOL homepage user, and even longer since I was a subscriber to their ISP, but I find this approach innovative for them, if not a little late. I think this will keep AOL in the game, and I look forward to see what other ideas they plan to roll out.

Sphere Acquired by AOL: More Ad Inventory for Platform-A

Steven Finch — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:33:59 +0000

AOL has acquired Sphere. Sphere is a technology that increases the relevant articles, blog posts and content to websites, via their widget. Sphere will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL, the company said in a statement, part of the programming division led by Executive Vice President Bill Wilson. AOL–along with Newsweek, Time, Reuters, GigaOM, The Wall Street Journal, and other sites–already was a Sphere partner.

This is a very interesting acquisition, because the Sphere technology can be very useful for the larger conglomerates and because Google and Yahoo already have this kind of technology, that only left AOL and possibly Amazon left. The deal im sure will see more AOL content floating across it, while AOL will also be using the technology in amongst their services and finally, Platform-A will have some more ad inventory to sell.

AOL Confirms Exclusive Advertising Deal With Verizon

Steven Finch — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:12:39 +0000

According to Allen over at CenterNetworks, AOL is announcing that their Platform-A advertising network has just signed an exclusive agreement with Verizon. Under the agreement AOL will manage the mobile and online advertising for Verizon exclusively, but there is no real indication wether is agreement was provided on a total amount of impressions.

Microsoft Is Losing Yahoo to Merger With AOL

Steven Finch — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:16:58 +0000

The soap opera that is Microsoft bid for Yahoo is continuing. Firstly it is reported by the WSJ that Yahoo is closing in on a merger with AOL. If the deal goes through, the two companies would combine their web and internet based services. Yahoo! would reportedly use some of the revenue from a merger with Time Warner/AOL to buy back a whole bunch of stock which woudl help the company fend off any further unwanted advances from Microsoft.

While at the same time it is reported that Yahoo has begun testing out Search Ads from Google. Then Microsoft hit back with the following statement about the search testing:

From Brad Smith, Microsoftâ€™s General Counsel:

â€œAny definitive agreement between Yahoo! and Google would consolidate over 90% of the search advertising market in Googleâ€™s hands. This would make the market far less competitive, in sharp contrast to our own proposal to acquire Yahoo! We will assess closely all of our options. Our proposal remains the only alternative put forward that offers Yahoo! shareholders full and fair value for their shares, gives every shareholder a vote on the future of the company, and enhances choice for content creators, advertisers, and consumers.â€

Well, what can I see happening? I expect that AOL and Yahoo will potentially merge, but this it might happen in about 6 months time. In terms of search advertising between Google and Yahoo, im sure this cant continue because of the amount of marketshare they will have between them. Finally, Microsoft have no chance of purchasing Yahoo, I cant see it happening because Yahoo shareholders and directors would have already agreed if there was something that was going to happen.

More news from around the world.

Breaking News: Bebo is Aquired by AOL for $850 million

Steven Finch — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:39:26 +0000

AOL has announced this morning that they have acquired social networking service Bebo for $850 million in cash. Bebo is the third-largest social networking service in the U.S. behind MySpace and Facebook. Why has AOL done this? One reason is that the soon to be Platform-A will have a huge amount of inventory to sell. AOL has made a big step forward in targeting the youth demographic that use Bebo.Â

Bebo claims over 40 million members and is one of the leading social networks in the UK, and is ranked number one in Ireland and New Zealand, and number three in the U.S. Its users are heavily engaged and view an average of 78 pages per usage day. Together with its AIM and ICQ personal communications network, the acquisition will give AOL a premier position in the fast growing world of social media with a network of approximately 80 million unique users.

Yahoo Acquisition: News Corp Out and AOL Still Open

Steven Finch — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:20:36 +0000

It has been a busy day in the race for Yahoo. Rupert Murdoch has officially stated that News Corp is going to fight Microsoft for Yahoo, and on the flip side the Time Warner Chief Executive Jeffrey Bewkes has said that Time Warner is open for a deal on AOL.

Talking to investors at the annual Bear Stearns Media Conference, Murdoch said that â€œWeâ€™re not going to get into a fight with Microsoft, which has a lot more money than us.â€ Murdoch also gave support to Google as FIMâ€™s ad provider: â€œWeâ€™re very happy to be in the Google camp. They sell our search advertising and pay us well for it.â€

Bewkes however acknowledged weakness in the AOL business and told the Bear Stearns media conference Tuesday that Time Warner was open to combining AOL with another company â€œwhatever configuration makes it the strongest and the most valuable.â€ This being said, AOL booked $5.2 billion in revenue in 2007 with AOL properties receiving 112 million visitors a month.

So as the race heats up, who is actually putting in formal bids for Yahoo and will there be a merger, takeover, or nothing?? Only time will tell.

CBS and AOL to Combine Online Radio Networks

Steven Finch — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:54:31 +0000

It has been reported by Reuters that AOL and CBS will combine their online radio initiatives. The No. 2 U.S. radio broadcaster CBS Radio said on Friday it will combine its more than 150 online radio stations with AOL’s more than 200 online stations.

In the joint venture CBS will control the advertising sales division. CBS Radio plans to launch this spring a new online radio player that incorporates the two companies’ services and will also support Apple Inc’s Mac computers.

Buy.at Is Added to AOLs Platform-A

Steven Finch — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:42:33 +0000

It has been reported that Buy.at has been purchased by AOL. Buy.at is a UK based affiliate marketing network which has been sold for an undisclosed amount, but it supposed to be based around the $150 million mark. This will be a nice win fall for DFJ Esprit who backed the company (who also backed Skype, SugarCRM and Technorati).

It has also been reported that Buy.at will now operate as a wholly-owned business unit of Advertising.com. Both companies will now be attached to the upcoming Platform-A, which will be launched by AOL. There are 4 other key companies within the platform, including Tacoda, AdTech, Third Screen Media and Quigo.These are companies are strictly related to ad service, but buy.at arent, they are based around closer customer and retailer relationships. This is a nice boost for the Platform-A that AOL is trying to develop, but im worried that after all of these purchased can AOL actually get it right and product an advertising Platform that can control the market and even challenge Google in the areas they already dominate. Im sure AOL will control the display advertising section of the market and Google will continue to control the text/search based end of the market. This being said watch out for Platform-A to launch and then 6 months later IPO!

AOL Make Final Ad Network Purchase

Steven Finch — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 12:56:14 +0000

AOL has been putting the final touches on its new ad conglomerate, Platform A. AOL has confirmed that they have purchased Quigo for a reported $340 million. Quigo is a contextual ad network which has two main services, AdSonar and FeedPoint. Adsonar is very similar to Googleâ€™s Adsense in that it provides targeted advertisements on various websites, and FeedPoint is their search engine marketing tool.

AOL Chairman and CEO Randy Falco said, â€œWith Quigo, we are putting the final pieces of Platform A in place. We will be able to offer advertisers and publishers the most advanced set of tools, including contextual and behavioral targeting, superior analytics, and access to the largest display network in the marketplace.â€

Quigo will become part of Platform A which already includes Advertising.com, Tacoda, Third Screen Media, Lightningcast and Adtech.

Overall, the purchases that AOL have made has been a bit surprising. All of these ad networks are in a variety of areas and it is going to be very interesting over the next few years to see if they can put them all into one neat package. Targeting users is vital when it comes to PPC marketing and the company that can be the most efficient at this will control the future of PPC.

AOL Sacks 20% of Its 10,000 Staff

Steven Finch — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:58:57 +0000

The big news yesterday was that AOL has released approx 20% of its entire staff. That is about 2,000 people. AllthingsD received an email from AOL CEO explain ing what they are trying to achieve and why restructuring was necessary.

AOL has purchased3 key advertising networks this year: Tacoda, AdTech and Third Screen Media. These networks will be tied in to AOLs main advertising network, Advertising.com. The overall aim for AOL must be to either, merge these networks and then sell or IPO. However, with the downsizing they have been doing will they any staff left by the time they sell or IPO?

Ebuddy Adds Myspace Instant Messaging

Steven Finch — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:53:22 +0000

Web Chat Startup eBuddy, who are currently in competition with Meebo, just added support for Myspace instant messaging.

eBuddy now supports MySpace IM, AOL, ICQ, GoogleTalk, MSN and Yahoo. Log in to some of all of these services from the eBuddy home page.

MySpace says they now have over 18.5 million users of the service, which soft launched in September 2006. By comparison, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ and AIM have 224 million, 93 million, 30 million and 30 million users, respectively (Comscore worldwide – July 2007). GTalk trails the rest, with just 4.8 million users.