Over the years, more than a few people have compared the Googleplex to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Now, fact and fantasy will come even closer to merging in Pittsburgh, as Google's decided to lease 40,000 square feet at the former site of a Nabisco plant.
For better or for worse, this development doesn't signal Google's entry into the candy/baked goods market. The site will play home to all sorts of retail and office space when a renovation is completed, and Google will set up its two floors (the top two in the building) as a fairly standard workplace.
Still, just about any expansion on Google's part is worth noting, and given the economy's recent contraction, this one stands out even more than usual. Plus, a change of physical surroundings isn't the only thing set to take place, since reports indicate that additional engineers will be hired. (An exact or even rough number remains unknown.)
Then here's one more important note: although Google's move will take it away from its current Pittsburgh base at Carnegie Mellon's Collaborative Innovation Center, the search giant and the school have effectively promised to stay friends.
Anyway, according to Erich Schwartzel, Google should settle into its new office sometime during the summer of 2010.
This post really doesn't need much of an introduction, so I'll get right down to it. Pubcon is coming! Pubcon is cooommiiinnnnggggg! It seems like the whole industry might just shut down for a week while we take over Las Vegas (I hope they're ready for us). This would probably be a great time for spammers to come in and take over our SERPs since we'll be busy in sessions, going to parties, meeting new people... and gambling (DUDE! It's Vegas).
SEOmoz will be representing in full force this year. Although we don't have a booth, you'll find us lurking in all corners of the event. Here's a quick lowdown on who will be attending from the moz crew:
Photo Courtesy of Dana Lookadoo
Danny - Say "Danny Dover" ten times fast. What?! It's funny. Really. (ok I'm tired)
Scott - He's coming out from behind the camera!
Adam - Ping him if you're interested in user testing some of our new products!
Jen - Holla!
Arden - You'll recognize him by being the friendly one (unlike the rest of us meanies)
Rand - You know, that guy who always wears those funny yellow shoes
I’m working on developing new ideas and wanted to share them here with you for your review and also to seek your feedback…
Everything begins with a shift in perspective from viewing stakeholders as a separate entity, “us vs. them,” to a singular view of “us ” as this enlivens a new era of community-focused marketing and engagement.
Social media introduces a new problem of sorts, one where the answer is lost in the politics and corresponding burrows of debate as to who owns social media within the organization. As brands venture into social networks, many are unwittingly contributing to the dilution of their brand image, value proposition, and mission amongst a new genre of social customers and influencers. The mission and vision statements of old no longer convey authority or inspire conviction in an era where the audiences to which we are trying to connect now possess audiences of their very own. The ability to connect with someone and inspire them to take meaningful action is in direct competition with the actions of social customers who are intentionally or indirectly building communities around their views and interests.
In my work, I’ve uncovered what I call the Last Mile or Last Kilometer of Social Media, a challenge that will face every business in the attempts to engage with consumers and influencers and impede the cultivation of dedicated and flourishing online communities.
The last mile is a term associated with the cable and internet provider industries, representing the final leg of delivering connectivity from a provider to a customer. It is symbolic of the human connection required to take a service from the connection hub in any given neighborhood to the home of the new customer.
The federal government reported today that the unemployment rate fell to ten percent for the first time since the recession started last year.
But are the numbers accurate?
Mint.com is not so sure. The company is giving its own take on what it really means to be unemployed with an amusing video they are calling "The Unemployment Game."
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We are curious why Mint.com would take on unemployment as an issue. But taking a look at Mint.com you see that the company is clearly trying to take trends and provide their own spin on what the numbers mean.
For companies in our space, the unemployment issue hits home. Thousands of people have been let go from their jobs. Jobs are hard to come by. So, this is a perspective that has some resonance.
Free budget sofware - Mint.com
Mint.com makes the point that we need to take a closer look at unemployment figures. The government tells us that the recession is over and the economic stimulus is working. But we still have to be thinking how the Feds report their numbers. Mint.com says that if you count everyone, the unemployment rate should be 17.2 percen/> [...]
Copyright 2009 (c) Dylan Rosario - The founder of www.FleeQ.com a new semantic search and discover agent. Utilizing web 3.0 technology, fleeQ levels the playing field for small publishers and advertisers alike. www.fleeq.com and www.xyppy.com are based upon fleeQ technology.
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For better or for worse, this development doesn't signal Google's entry into the candy/baked goods market. The site will play home to all sorts of retail and office space when a renovation is completed, and Google will set up its two floors (the top two in the building) as a fairly standard workplace.
