Google Rumored To Be Breaking Up With Firefox

Are we on the verge of a new browser war?

Google is obligated to support Mozilla’s Firefox browser through a search contract until 2011. But rumors suggest that may be the end of the Google-Firefox alliance.

People were relatively stunned when Google launched its own web browser, Chrome, and they wondered allowed what that would mean for Google’s relationship with the browser that quickly rose to the second most used browser in the world.

At the height of all the Microsoft versus Google hysteria—which left us without a Microsoft contender in search and without a Google operating system—Google jumped behind Firefox, the only browser that presented a challenge to Internet Explorer since IE devastated Netscape.

Firefox grabbed 22 percent of the browser market, helping to shrink IE’s share from 90 percent to 66 percent. Google funneled money and support to Firefox by placing invitations to download on the Google homepage, and paid about $75 million in 2007 in referrals from the Firefox search bar.

It’s that search deal that is set to expire in 2011, and according to Gawker tipsters, Google’s looking to go separate ways.

That’s bad news for Mozilla, an open source company depending on donations. Would this be an indication that Google is willing to sacrifice Firefox to the browser gods in order to boost Chrome? Well, Chrome so far still has barely cracked one percent of the market, despite being singled out as the most secure web browser by security researchers.

It could be Google feels its own browser could take Firefox’s share and a little more of IE’s if marketed properly.


source: http://www.webpronews.com

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Getting More Blog Readers and Twitter Followers

Use Twitter and Blogs to Compliment Each Other

Of people who both blog and tweet, the majority would overwhelmingly prefer to have more blog readers than followers on Twitter. This is according to surveys conducted by Darren Rowse who runs ProBlogger and TwiTip.

Would you prefer more blog readers or Twitter followers? Tell us.

This is not entirely surprising, since generally, much more effort is put into a blog post than a 140-character or less tweet, but there is certainly a gold-rush for Twitter followers. Jason Calacanis for one is willing to pay a pretty penny for them.

Read more »- Getting More Blog Readers and Twitter Followers

Rowse polled both his ProBlogger audience (which is presumably comprised mainly of bloggers) and his Twitip audience (which is made up of Twitterers). As expected, the Twitip crowd favored Twitter followers slightly more, but there was still a very clear majority wanting more blog readers. Rowse provides the following graphs:

There are certainly arguments for the value of both categories, and Rowse covers them pretty well here. There are some pretty obvious ones for blogs:

- they require more time/effort

- they provide more info

- they are most likely not going anywhere, while Twitter may be hot right now, but who knows where it will be in the future?

- the more blog readers you have, the more times your posts are likely to be linked to on Twitter anyway

There are obvious benefits to having Twitter followers too though, particularly for marketers.

- More followers is a good indication that there is demand for what you offer as a business, and that people are interested in your product(s)

- relationships easier to form (yes blogs have comments, but typically not the real-time conversation factor, and people are at Twitter to talk...they're not necessarily at your blog to do so)

Of course people who both blog and tweet know they don't have to choose between one medium or the other. They compliment each other, and ideally can work to each other's benefits. Twitter can gain you more blog readers, and a blog can gain you more Twitter followers.

It's all in the execution. Write good content that Twitterers want to link to. This has plenty of potential for getting you more readers. Include chiclets on your posts, making it easy to share your content (this shouldn't be limited to Twitter). Include a prominent link for people to follow you on Twitter (a Twitter logo here will help draw attention).

Link to good content from others when you Tweet. If people like what you're pointing them to, you'll likely gain more followers. Who would've guessed it all comes back to content? You could also mention your blog casually from time to time. This may increase awareness of it. Just because someone follows you on Twitter, does not mean they know about your blog. That said, you probably don't want to ram it down their throats either.

So, blogging Twitter users, would you rather have more blog readers or Twitter followers? Tell us.

source: http://www.webpronews.com

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Google's Still Not Buying Twitter

Likely, Boomtown’s Kara Swisher gets tired of being the TechCrunch Google-rumor-debunker. Maybe not. She seemed to enjoy reminding readers about the Michael Arrington grapevines sprouting out tales of Google buying Digg and Bebo, neither of which ever happened. This time it’s Twitter.

In the comments of TechCrunch’s rumor report that Google was in late-stage talks to buy Twitter, Arrington notes that posting a rumor is a good way of shaking out information. Maybe next time he should just give Swisher a call and save everybody a lot of trouble. Swisher, married to a Google executive, generally has the better inside scoop.

Here’s what a Swisher source had to say about it: “Seriously, no negotiations, no deal, nada.”

That’s more in line with Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s earlier statement about sitting on Google’s money until the economy gets better. With unemployment at a predicted peak last month, that could be as early as this summer, if you’re the extra-optimistic type. Although CEOs of multinational corporations are notorious liars about everything, Schmidt’s generally made good on what he puts out to the public.

Swisher’s sources say there have been preliminary discussions between Google and Twitter about real time search and “product stuff.” That seems to match up with AdAge’s report that Google will be using Twitter to sell AdSense ads. Advertisers will have the opportunity to stream their five most recent tweets all across the AdSense network.

If Google made an offer for Twitter, an offer that would have to be near the billion-dollar range, it might be because every Tom, Dick, and Harry outside of Google really, really wants Google to buy Twitter. While Tom, Dick, (Mike) and Harry are pushing the deal, Robert Scoble reminds his audience that Google historically has been where good microblogging companies go to die.

Remember Jaiku? Dodgeball? If so, it’s only because you were aware of them before Google bought them.

source: http://www.webpronews.com

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