Ads? Content? Snap.com Blurs the Line
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Written By Reprise Media | May 15, 2006 | Share This
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The site that calls itself “the other way to search” - Snap.com - has just announced a complete overhaul of its search user interface (read the press release here).
The most notable changes are the inclusion of a page preview function and the blending in of sponsored results with organic listings.
For this reason some watchdog groups are saying the company is acting irresponsibly and outside of search engine advertising guidelines adhered to by search giants like Yahoo and Google.
Says Gary Ruskin of Nader darling Commercial Alert:
“[Snap’s system] is neither clear nor conspicuous. It is completely inadequate.”
Snap chief exec Tom McGovern says it’s all on the up and up:
“For very commercial searches, you will see all commercial results. We are not trying to mislead anybody.”
One thing’s for sure, it’s all a little confusing. Just ask John Battelle, who admits that though it’s exciting from an innovation standpoint, he’s a little more comfortable with Google.
Read more in this article by AP reporter Michael Liedtke and in this piece in ClickZ News.
Topics: Search: Innovations |
Why ask John Battelle anything? Has that idiot ever been right?
Sounds like you’ve got some pretty strong opinions about Battelle - do you really think he bears the bulk of the responsibility for the tech bubble?
And let’s say for the sake of argument that we’re headed for another burst bubble with search (by no means a foregone conclusion) - does all the onus fall on him then, too? And does he get to take all the credit if there isn’t a crash?