ICO Wants More Information On Google’s Cookie Tracking Practices

February 22, 2012 By

Google has been coming under increased scrutiny over its privacy and security features lately. No sooner have they been found to have been bypassing Safari’s privacy settings to track web surfers’ activities than Microsoft enters the ring with their own complaint. They have said that the search giant has used similar tactics in order to track the behaviour of Internet Explorer users. The software giant and Internet Explorer publisher has said that they discovered the breach following the discovery of the Safari problem.

Google Privacy Concerns

As the most profitable Internet company in the world it is inevitable that Google comes under fire on a fairly regular basis but such broadsides have been cropping up with greater frequency recently. The most recent of complaints was that of Google cookies tricking Safari into believing Google was submitting a form, which is one of very few times cookies are enabled on the browser by default. Google did say that they did not collect any personal information but they have stopped using this technique now.

P3P Privacy Settings

The exact details of how Google has managed to circumvent similar settings on Internet Explorer have not yet been made public. However, it does involve Platform for Privacy Preferences which are meant as a means to protect users’ privacy. Microsoft are making a lot of noise about the incident, although it does contradict their claim that users should move to Internet Explorer for a safer and more secure browsing experience.

Legislation Compliance

EU rules state that the storing and usage of personal user data is only permitted when the express permission of the user has been sought. This legislation was adopted by the UK and the ICO has given a deadline of May this year for companies to fall in line and mend their ways.

Google To Provide Information

The ICO has asked Google for more information on what has happened and how they collect and use data in order to ensure that the American company is meeting the guidelines. Further demands have also been made to ensure that all companies come to some arrangement over the collection and usage of data by the middle of this year.

Filed Under: Industry News, SEO

British Student Jailed For Hacking Facebook

February 20, 2012 By

A 26 year old student has been sentenced to jail for hacking into the social media giant Facebook from his bedroom at his parents’ house in April and May of last year. Glenn Mangham claims that he did so in order to point out security frailties that the website has, but the prosecution argued, and the judge agreed, that this was not the motive behind his actions. The hacking cost Facebook around $200,000 to rectify and had “real consequences and very serious potential consequences.”

Facebook

Facebook is the world’s largest social network, with more than 800m registered users around the entire world and, as such, it is a constant target for spammers, hackers, and those looking to use the site for illegal gains. Security and privacy have been a constant sub-plot to the emergence of one of the world’s largest and most intriguing business stories and this has helped make Facebook one of the most high profile targets.

Computer Student

Glenn Mangham was a software development student living in his parents’ home in York while studying. From the bedroom of that home he managed to hack into the account of a Facebook employee who was on holiday, target several servers, and bypass the company’s security system. However, Mr Mangham feared that he would be discovered and so tried erasing his steps. In June 2011, the FBI tracked down Mr Mangham to his home address and subsequently arrested the man, who is said to be an Asperger Syndrome sufferer.

Identify Vulnerabilities

When defending himself in court, Mr Mangham had said his intention “was to identify vulnerabilities in the system so I could compile a report that I could then bundle over to Facebook and show them what was wrong with their system.”

Judgement

Judge McReath, however, said that the actions were not those of “harmless experimentation” and that Mangham had undertaken “persistent conduct, sophisticated conduct and conduct that had at least the risk of putting in danger the reputation of an innocent employee of Facebook” before stating that his actions meant a custodial sentence was inevitable for the crimes committed. Mr Mangham will also have his access to the Internet restricted and will have to give up his computer equipment.

Filed Under: Social Media Marketing

Sales Admin / Order Processing Job in Altrincham – near Manchester

February 20, 2012 By

We are recruiting again!

As the company continues to grow we need to get another pair of hands on board to help get through the volumes of orders we are getting.

The successful applicant will work within an existing team and duties will include but are not limited to -

  1. Liaising with clients to ensure we are delivering what they want and need
  2. Liaising with our back office team in India to ensure work is completed on time and to a high standard
  3. Chasing supply chain in the UK for outstanding work
  4. Answering the phone when it rings

Here is a basic list of the skills we are looking for -

Basics

  • MS Office competent
  • Search Engine knowledge
  • Time Management skills
  • Self Motivated
  • Punctuality

Desirable

  • Good Telephone manner
  • Problem solver
  • Managing multiple orders
  • Liaising with suppliers
  • Understanding of SEO/Internet Marketing as a product

Ideal

  • Background in Digital Marketing
  • Understanding of the industry
  • Desire to learn and progress
  • Ability to work under pressure

The application process

The application process starts with you emailing us your CV (send to info@manuallinkbuilding.co.uk) telling us why you are the person for the role and what additional value you will bring to the team. We will then arrange for you to come in for an informal interview and to meet the team you will be working with

The closing date for applications is the 20th March 2012.

We will close this early if we get a suitable candidate.

This is a permanent role and the salary will be between £16,000 to £20,000 depending on experience

The hours of work are Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm and the role is based in our Altrincham office, 2 minutes walk from the Metrolink station

Recruitment agencies – Don’t even think about calling us – look what happened to the last lot - http://www.pushon.co.uk/blog/bd-recruitment-ltd-of-manchester-i-will-never-use-your-services/

Do you want to explain to your boss why your company now has a reputation management problem!

Filed Under: SEO

Win Tickets to ThinkVisibility

February 17, 2012 By

ThinkVisManual Link Building are proud to announce that we are once again sponsoring the forthcoming ThinkVisibility conference.

The conference takes place in Leeds on March 3rd 2012, and at the event several esteemed guests will be appearing to give great online marketing advice.

No conference is the same twice, so if you’ve attended a previous conference, rest assured that a wealth of topical and up-to-date tips will be showcased, helping you make even more from your website.

WordPress

If you’re after WordPress tips, then March’s conference will include a speech from WordPress magician Dan Harrison.

SEO For Ecommerce

Pierce Communications’ Barry Adams will be giving a talk on SEO and the best ways to utilise it for e-commerce purposes.

Video SEO using YouTube

There’ll be a talk on how to use YouTube to optimise your marketing prowess from Sorbet Digital owner Carla Marshall.

Stats and Analytics

Koozai’s Anna Lewis will be giving a talk on how to really make stats and website analytics work for you.

Attend ThinkVis for free!

If you would like a FREE conference ticket, then why not enter our competition?

One of our staff members, Rhys, is due to visit our Indian back office to train with our staff there.

This is part of our continued dedication in providing a great outsourcing service for agencies. The person who can guess the closest on both of the following will receive the ticket:

a) How many miles is it from Rhys’ front door to the office in India?

b) How long in minutes will his total journey take including stopovers and transfers?

Rhys is embarking on his trip on Monday 20th February.

How to Enter

Email info@manuallinkbuilding.co.uk with your guess for the 2 questions, using the Subject line : I want to go to ThinkVisibility #rhysvsindia

Closing Date for entries will be 9am Thursday 23rd February so get your entries in quickly.

Disclaimer: This is for the ticket only, no hotel or travel will be provided.

Make your money go further

The ThinkVisibility conference will again cover a wide spectrum of relevant online marketing topics, with the focus on this occasion being making your capital go further at a time when finances are limited and paid traffic is becoming more expensive. Tickets are already selling fast, so if you would like first-hand, topical advice upon how to make the online world work for you, then be sure to secure your place.

The world of SEO and e-commerce is constantly shifting and evolving, so being part of the conference is a fun and interactive way of staying up to speed, with experts on hand to help.

Filed Under: SEO

Google Expands Silicon Valley HQ And Fuels Rumours They Are Entering Tech Sector

February 16, 2012 By

Google are never far away from the headlines or the rumour mills, and the news that they are planning a massive extension to their Silicon Valley Headquarters, following a year of intense recruitment and plans to buy Motorola, means that they are back there again. The plans include a huge museum which will be used to show off to its customers and biggest investors while rumour has it that those inside Google have been working on plans for things like a driverless car.

The Move To Tangible Products

Google has previously shied away from the idea of entering the consumer tech market, instead opting for a plethora of online services. However, it would seem that such plans are now afoot as the company must be struggling to find new ways to invest in online and browser based advances. The most obvious sign of this diversification is the seemingly impending big money takeover of phone manufacturer Motorola.

The Google Experience Centre

The company, now worth just under $200bn, wants to develop what will be dubbed the Google Experience Centre. This massive 120,000 square foot centre is being likened to a private museum and exhibition centre. It will not typically be open to the public but will be used to show off to their biggest customers and prospective clients. This isn’t the most intriguing proposal of the new development though.

Project X

The California based company wants to add a lab and technology centre which will be used to adapt Project X which is a type of “precision optical technology”. Little more is known of this proposed development but if it demands its own lab, and carriers a moniker of that stature, then it has to be good.

Does It All Start With Motorola?

Co-founder Sergey Brin is one of the brains behind this move to the technology sector and it is understood that he has been working on a number of plans to develop high tech products like the driverless car. The Project X lab will be used for testing with gases like argon and optical coating technology. Presumably the first move in all of this will be the purchase of phone manufacturer Motorola in a deal that is said to cost $12.5bn if it goes through.

Filed Under: Industry News

Teenagers Dump TV And Take Up Social Networking

February 13, 2012 By

If you have teenage children at home then it may not come as a surprise to learn that around two thirds of this age group now prefer to social network than watch TV. TV companies have noticed the trend too, and not just in the youth of the country, as they attempt to lure kids into combining both activities with online social networking and online games that incorporate their TV shows.

Getting Kids Away From The TV

For years, parents and even campaigners have been saying that too much TV is bad for children and that we should do everything we can to turn their heads. It seems that the likes of Mark Zuckerberg may have done exactly that, albeit unwittingly. In a recent poll, more than 1,300 people were questioned about their favourite pastimes and social networking was listed by two thirds of them as being their number one pastime.

Social Networking Growth

What’s more, while the numbers are slightly lower, the preference for social networking is growing in virtually all age groups. For the 25 to 34 year old age group, the numbers are fairly evenly spread while even 32% of over 55s said that they like nothing more than sitting down for a good Facebook chat with online friends. Other figures were perhaps a little less surprising.

Favoured Leisure Activities

More than half, 54% in fact, of 16 to 24 year olds listed TV as one of their favoured pastimes while 44% said they enjoyed reading a book and a perhaps surprisingly low 37% said they liked playing video games. Only one quarter of this age group listed exercise or physical activity as one of their preferred leisure activities. More than a third said that they watch TV and social network at the same time showing that multitasking is alive and well even in the younger generation.

How Much Time Is Enough Time?

6% of youngsters spend a staggering 8 hours a day chatting online and a third spend around 3 hours a day on their favourite social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Social networking isn’t a new phenomenon but it really has changed the way the world operates.

Filed Under: Industry News

Proud to Sponsor the Search Awards Conference 2012

February 8, 2012 By

 

The Commonwealth Club in London will, on the 9th March, play host to the latest Search Conference 2012 event. Keynote presentations as well as case studies, panel sessions and a variety of presentations will be provided by winners and judges of the event; leading lights in the SEO and search industry. Particular attention is paid to the SEO industry and attendees will be able to learn about mobile campaigns as well as highlights of how local search and other search strategies have best been implemented in the search industry. The event is organised by the Don’t Panic events agency and features, as this year’s main event sponsor, Manual Link Building.

The Fast Paced SEO World

The world of SEO and search optimisation is a fast changing world. Recent years have seen social marketing and social media firmly inject itself into the fabric of search optimisation and this has proven an additional challenge for many companies and websites that rely on the likes of Google for the majority of their traffic.

Search Conference 2012

As ever, Search Conference 2012 will pay attention to these changing trends and deliver information that is pertinent to anybody looking to instigate an extensive and expansive search campaign. Winners from the 2011 search awards have been given the opportunity to stand up and provide case studies of how they achieved the results they have and such case studies include the best use of search, the best blog, the best local campaign, and many more.

Keynote Speakers

This year’s keynote speakers are Bas van den Beld of State of Search and Matt Bush from Google. They will be providing talks on matters that interest them the most and that they have faced over the past twelve months. Such speeches can provide great insight into how he the search market is changing and what to expect in the year to come.

The Event

Tickets are available for £150 + VAT until the 10th February and are priced at £195 + VAT after this date. Tickets are still available for the event which will kick off with the Chair Welcome by Richard Gregory before handing over to Gareth Hoyle, MD of our very own Manual Link Building.

For further details and tickets, please contact Don’t Panic. 

Filed Under: Conferences

Facebook And Google Agree To Removal Of Offensive Content On Indian Sites

February 7, 2012 By

Facebook and Google have complied with an Indian court ruling which means that they have had to remove questionable and objectionable content from their Indian domains. Sites like YouTube, Google Search, and Facebook, have come under scrutiny from the court after at least two individuals complained that the Internet giants had published or linked to content on their websites that was religiously questionable and contravened Indian Internet decency laws.

Court Action

The move comes following three months of court hearings and legal battle between the Indian High Court and 21 Internet companies and following the introduction of new Internet laws in India. These new laws mean that websites are legally responsible for the material that is published on their own website. The laws and the aftermath of the changes have led to services like Google and Facebook saying that filtering such content is impossible.

Avoiding Complete Censorship

It seems likely that the two have agreed to remove the content for fear of India, the world’s largest democracy and a major emerging market, blocking such websites in a similar fashion to China. The country asked the companies to put improved checks and filters in place on their websites or face having those sites censored completely in the country. With such demand now coming from India; demand that only looks set to increase further, the removal of content could pave the way for both sites to benefit in the future.

Continuing Action

A criminal case is still in the process of being heard and the companies are due in court next month as a result of this. Other companies facing similar threats include Microsoft, who have said that they are appealing the decision and they have yet to take action to remove the content that is causing the furore.

The Start Of The Troubles

The case was started primarily by the posting of altered images containing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi. There was also a picture that showed pigs running through the holy city of Mecca and these pictures caused several complaints to the High Court from Indian citizens.

Filed Under: Industry News

Graffiti Artist To Be Worth £126m After Facebook Flotation

February 3, 2012 By

David Choe will remember the year 2005 fondly when Facebook finally undertakes its much vaunted IPO in the coming weeks. The graffiti artist, who dropped out of art school and took up graffiti, was employed by Facebook in 2005 to paint murals on the walls of their offices. When offered the choice of several thousand dollars or shares in the company he opted for the latter despite dismissing the service as ridiculous and pointless. Those shares are now estimated to be worth around £126m potentially making him one of the best paid artists of all time.

The IPO

There has been much talk and rumour over when, rather than whether, the social networking giant would go public. Earlier this week, they filed forms for an Initial Public Offering of $5bn, which has led to speculators putting a price tag of as much as $100bn on the company and there are many employees and former employees of the company who will benefit.

Facebook Surges On

Facebook now has more than 800 million users and attracts more than 400 million registered members to its site every single day. However, it has not been without its problems or publicity and some of the people that Mark Zuckerberg has essentially paid off in stock will be rolling in it come the time of the flotation; so much so, in fact, there are fears that some of the brains behind the company’s success may well leave.

Those Who Stand To Gain

The biggest gain will come from Zuckerberg himself who owns a majority 28% stake in the company, worth up to $28bn. Co-founders Dustin Moskovitz and Eduardo Savarin will net £2.2bn and £1.3bn each respectively while Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss who claim they originally came up with the idea for Facebook and accepted a £12.6m cash payment and shares in the company will also be £95m better off.

The Richest Graffiti Artist In The World

The biggest winner, in some respects, though is Choe. Few will have heard his name but the decision to be paid in stock rather than cash means that he will soon be one of the richest artists in the world, richer than many tycoons and celebrities alike.

Filed Under: Social Media Marketing

Facebook IPO And $100bn Price Tag Imminent

February 1, 2012 By

There have been rumours around the mooted IPO of Facebook for some time now and analysts and marketing experts alike are looking forward to the prospect of getting their hands on Facebook annual figures. According to reports, the release is extremely imminent with many under the belief that it may occur this week. One point that has got everybody talking is the proposed $100bn valuation that the expected release will place on Facebook.

The Release

Founder Mark Zuckerberg has been reticent about floating the company too soon, for fear of losing control over how the company operates. However, it seems his fears may well have been overtaken by a desire to raise up to $10bn in capital. It is expected that up to 10% of the company will be made publicly available in the shape of shares and if the company does receive the $100bn valuation that many expect then this means that it will raise $10bn in cash.

Facebook Products

Facebook has 800 million users worldwide and holds a massive market share for display advertising, bigger in fact than Yahoo, Google, and all other companies. While they don’t manufacture or retail tangible goods, Facebook do hold real financial value to many of the people that are preparing their trading accounts for the release. There is almost certainly room for further improvements too, as Facebook Payments continue to build up a head of steam and further monetisation is almost certainly on the cards.

The World’s Most Valuable Companies

Apple is the world’s most valuable company, according to recent reports, and their value is said to be $418bn with oil giant Exxon coming in close 2nd place with a value of $415bn. Exxon had overtaken the consumer electronics giant in the last couple of months of 2011 but better than expected iPhone and iPad sales helped boost their share price by 6.6% to $448.14 putting them back on top of the pile.

The Facebook Float

No figures are yet known, and in fact there’s no official word on whether Facebook will float this week or not, but analysts are waiting with baited breath to see the figures that are introduced and whether the stock will be considered worth investing.

Filed Under: Industry News
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