• by Rob Garner , May 7, 2008

On some days, there are so many interesting news stories and topics that I wish I could devote an entire column to each one. But today, if I can get a few thoughts off my mind at once, and also pull off an obscure and misspelled Terry Southern/ Dennis Hopper reference in the column title at the same time, then it might be just enough. Let's face it -- some columns are too text-heavy for the Web, and as writers, we could often do a lot better just to cut to the chase. So let's get this miscellaneous news/commentary roundup started.

Danny Sullivan's analysis of the Yahoo/Microsoft non-deal. Sullivan provides insight and analysis on Microsoft's withdrawal of their bid for Yahoo. If you read one piece of analysis and insight on Monday's news, this might be the one.

How Yahoo sold its search soul back in 2004. With news of the impending ad deal between Google and Yahoo lingering, I can't help but recall a puzzling decision made by Yahoo to settle a patent infringement suit against Google for copying its auction-based PPC process -- for a mere $300+ million dollars. How different the search landscape might be today if they had not settled. Read the 2004 story above from the New York Times to learn more about the terms of that deal -- one that may have been pivotal to the demise of this once-mighty search business. If you were connected to that deal or have any insight on why they chose to do this, please comment in the Web version of this column, or send me an email. I would really like to know.

Is Google locking up historical works? A keen observation by an educator about Google's scanning project that has been in the back of my mind for some time now. This project has the power to literally help advance society's collective and individual intelligence if made freely accessible. But if not, then Google has one of the most valuable digital content libraries on the planet, next to the fragmented array of institutions that gave them that content. Keep in mind that part of Google's power is as a searchable content aggregator -- everybody else's content.

iMediaConnection. I have often referenced iMedia and writers in the past in this column, but I'm finding some of their recent articles could do better to serve the SEM and marketing community. Let's make at least one point perfectly clear: The sky ain't falling.

Greg Sterling's coverage of the Myanmar disaster in search. Sterling documents this breaking story in search. He also notes that the New York Times continues to use paid search in breaking news events. It's no secret that the Times has a topnotch search strategy, and as I predicted in my column over a year ago ("Should Online Newspapers Buy Keywords Related To Tragic news Events?"), they are on the forefront of what will one day be a crowded place for advertising breaking news online: sponsored links.

Thought Convergence acquires DomainTools.com, one of my favorite vertical engines. Make no mistake: there is no other domain engine in the world like DomainTools.com.

Social Media's Dirty Little Secret, by Tony Wright. Hey, he said it, I didn't. I'm just the link messenger here. Just because I link to something, does it mean I think there may be a smidgen of truth to it? Puuhhhhleeeez.