You might think there is some element of bias, but what I just discovered is highly disturbing, and the thought of a family member seeing the same, maybe a child when they clicked a button on the “do no evil” toolbar, is just too great a risk.

Google Personalized Recommendations

Some time ago I wrote about Google’s personalized recommendations button, affectionately known as Google Dice or as I referred to it Google Crap(s).

At that time the results were fairly poor compared to StumbleUpon, but it has supposedly now gained 5 months worth of search history on which to base its selections.

Having not clicked the button in over 5 months, today I decided to give it another click, just as a parting gesture to a Google Toolbar that I have had installed for as long as I have had this PC.
I already intended to remove it, but was giving it a “fond goodbye” ceremony.

I clicked the button 3 times – the first 2 results were reasonably on topic, the 3rd had absolutely no relevance to my prior search history, and my wife uses Internet Explorer which isn’t installed with the Google Toolbar, and is never used to log into my Google Account.

The following picture I regard as not safe for family viewing, is quite morbid in a sick humor kind of way, though it might be regarded as safe for work.

The picture features a small dog staring at a covered object, with a police car in the background. The dog is staring at the covered object as if underneath was it’s favorite toy that got stuck, like under a sofa.

The second picture underneath the first depicts the same dog curled up slightly next to the covered object, or possibly scratching in a slightly curled up manner.

The object however isn’t now fully covered up, and appears to be a corpse with the hand sticking out from under the cover.

Here is a link to the picture, it is nofollowed

It Is Not Based Upon My Search History

I have actually just taken screenshots, and the history is probably on my HDD somewhere if I need proof. I am almost always logged into Google when I am searching, unless I am testing something.

Glancing at the drop down list available from the personal results button, I can see that maybe only 10% of the content I would look on as being relevant to anything I have searched for in the past, and none of it is relevant to my IP address.

How To Uninstall Google Toolbar In Firefox

Go to Add-ons in the top menu

Remove The Google Toolbar

I assure you I am not overly sensitive to this kind of picture, I can even appreciate that some people might find it funny, and I have seen plenty of really gross stuff, but the Google Toolbar is one part of Google’s empire that have not only become irrelevant, but also unsafe for family consumption.

Just added a new toolbar button to my toolbar buttons site for Twitter addicts.

There has been so much talk about Freebase.com, but Twitter.com seriously should have some kind of health warning – so many people are becoming addicted.

Twitter Google Toolbar Button

• Memes – I use the Megite SEO Meme on a daily basis
• Search – I use Alister Cameron’s SEM SEO Search frequently, and he keeps it updated every week
• Toolbar – My Google Toolbar Button combines the Megite SEO Meme with Alister’s SEO Search

Lee has mentioned a good way to add a river of news. Why not take it a stage further and have the OPML used to power an SEO social network

The best possible way would be for all these sites to join the new Bumpzee community for SEO

Yes my SEO category for this blog is feeling lonely as it seems to be the only SEO content currently submitted – the new channel only launched yesterday.
The Affiliate Marketing channel has been running for some time, and is proving to be a huge success.

What would be better than Robert Scoble’s OPML file?

The Best Search Technology

Google Custom Search Engine gives great search results, and quite often gives better results than the main index.

Alister Cameron has just launched his new Scoble Search

It does give more current results on Technology news than Google might provide from the main search, though it doesn’t cover as many sources.

Robert Scoble Megite Meme

Megite have had a meme for Robert Scoble for some time, based upon the same OPML file.

It provides a great alternative to Robert’s Shared Feed from Google Reader. You don’t get Robert’s top picks, but the top picks based upon the people Robert reads. It is maybe slightly broader content, but it is automatic, and works at times that Robert is taking some time off to read his email.

Custom Google Toolbar Button

Of course it is a total coincidence that I happen to have a Google Toolbar button that points directly to Alisters custom search, and includes the Scobleizer Meme on Megite.

Robert Scoble – Custom Search | Megite Meme | Toolbar Button

But then my readers might not believe in coincidence ;)

This one focuses on Google Toolbar buttons

The first button is ideal for anyone interested in SEO

It is a mashup of

Lee’s list of SEO | SEM blogs and websites

Alister Cameron’s S.E.O. | S.E.M Search Engine

Megite’s SEO | SEM Meme

Enjoy the SEO | SEM Google Toolbar Button

I have been monitoring some of my new and old domains, both those on public display and various niche sites. This was especially important to me because of some of the redirecting I had to do to this new domain from andybeard.name and niche-website.blogspot.com. It was also relevant for my WordPress Plugins site because that had previously been PR5, but when I changed the domain over because of the WordPress Trademark, that was lost.

Things I have noticed this time round

It seems the internal pages of Andybeard.eu are starting to gain some toolbar pagerank, such as this page on Nofollow which is showing PR4
My Google Reader post that enjoyed some link love from a number of notable blogs (though most didn’t agree with me) had been showing in the Google Webmaster Console as being the highest PR page on my site for both November and December. That is now PR4 as well.
In theory I should be seeing some PR showing on the WordPress Trademark discussion, but nothing shows.

It is strange that Google thinks this post on Paid Links is my highest pagerank page. Yes it has been linked to, but nowhere near as much internally compared to other pages, and externally it was linked to, but again, not a huge amount.

On the bright side, my WordPress Plugins site has regained its pagerank of PR5. Internal pages are not quite up to date yet. I noticed for instance that my tags page has PR, but categories and individual tags do not. The same is true of most of the admittedly few content pages on the site.

Matt Cutts in the comments regarding the Pagerank Updates has stated it is worth waiting for a few days to see how things develop before blowing alarm whistles. Matt is on holiday for a week, so I will wait at least that long before saying anything.

This site seems to ping-pong out of the SERPs for various terms, one day in the top 3, the next buried down 10 or more pages, for relatively solid content with in-bound links.
I recently talked about meta refresh, and that Google seem to be following them. It almost seems that one day they are giving me benefit, only for it to become some kind of invisible penalty the next. If I could upgrade my blogger account I could probably get a more permanent redirect setup.

Why am I monitoring Pagerank so closely?

Currently this blog is setup for some massive ball linking. Pagerank is dispersed extensively on every page. That being said, I also cultivate my links, rather than hoarding. People leaving comments gain a backlink as do people kind enough to link to some of my content.
I certainly need to improve all my archive and tag pages, and get a real sitemap setup.

I have other linking structure alternatives planned in the near future, hopefully all automated. Hopefully front page pagerank on this blog will start at PR5, one Google have juggled things a little.

He actually forgot to mention it was beta, but that is a minor issue.

Now I have been interested in the Google Toolbar buttons that were previously only available for Internet Explorer users for some time.

I have a project on the back burner, http://toolbar-buttons.com (just parked atm) waiting for a time that I am allowed under the Google rules to go ahead with it.

One of the problems I faced is that you are not allowed to create a toolbar button that points to a Google Adsense for Search searchbox.

The rule isn’t universally applied. Some major publishers have been allowed to create toolbar buttons that point to their search engines that have Google results and advertising, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

I have a very long string of emails discussing this with the Google Adsense team.

One of the problem is that there is nothing to stop an end user creating their own custom button which points to your Google Adsense search box. If you make this easier for them however, you are breaking Google’s rules.

Do not create Google Toolbar Buttons for Adsense for Search