Google Expected to Cut 300 Jobs at DoubleClick

Google plans to eliminate approximately 300 jobs at DoubleClick, the company it recently acquired. This represents one-quarter of the 1200 Doubleclick jobs in North America.

DoubleClick employs 1500 employees worldwide. Employees outside the USA may be affected by this downsizing later.

Google also plans to sell DoubleClick’s Performics a search marketing/advertising firm on search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. Keeping Performics would put Google in a conflict of interest because it would be engaged in business on both sides of the table, essentially because of selling advertising space on its own engine.

Google shares are currently trading in the $460 range, after reaching a peak of $750 in November 2007, which is a significant plunge within just 5 months.

In addition, rumors are circulating that Google may also acquire Skype (eBay) and the online travel site Expedia.com.

Happy New Year 2008 with Google and TCP/IP !!

Happy New Year and Best Wishes for a wonderful year 2008 !!

See the nice Google Logo for 2008. This a TCP/IP cable. TCP/IP was adopted by ARPANET on a January 1 (in 1983). ARPANET gave birth to Internet this same day.

Google Zeitgeist 2007

Google put online its Zeitgeist 2007 for USA and Global.

Zeitgeist 2007 shows the most searched terms in Google Index during the year.

Fastest Rising (Global)

1. iphone
2. badoo
3. facebook
4. dailymotion
5. webkinz
6. youtube
7. ebuddy
8. second life
9. hi5
10. club penguin

Fastest Rising (U.S.)

1. iphone
2. webkinz
3. tmz
4. transformers
5. youtube
6. club penguin
7. myspace
8. heroes
9. facebook
10. anna nicole smith

Fastest Falling (global)

1. world cup*
2. mozart
3. fifa
4. rebelde*
5. kazaa
6. xanga
7. webdetente
8. sudoku
9. shakira
10. mp3

(*) featured in 2006 fastest-rising list

Google Knol against Wikipedia

Google is going to launch a similar service to Wikipedia in the next months : Google Knol (from the word “Knowledge“). The service is currently in very private beta.

People who are experts in their domain will be invited to write an authoritative article about it on Knol.

Like Wikipedia, Knol will be totally free and contributors will be able to make money from their articles with sharing ad revenues with Google. For example, see the screenshot below where you can see the Adsense Block:

(Click to enlarge)

Knol will be a online encyclopedia and will cover all subjects, from scientific topics to entertainment.

Contrary to Wikipedia that is a collaborative encyclopedia, Knol authors won’t be able to contribute anonymously neither edit the articles from other contributors.

So we are going to see (for the best) in the next year a war between Google Knol and Wikipedia, and between Google Search Engine and Search Wikia (open source Internet search engine, to which the community can contribute, by Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia).

Knol is not even public that Small Business SEM wrote an interesting article on 7 ways how to use Knol.

FCC Spectrum Auction : Google will bid

Google just announced today that they will bid in the Wireless FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Spectrum Auction in January.

Winning the wireless spectrum auction in the 700 megahertz (MHz) band would allow Google to provide mobile phone and Internet services. The reserve price for the C Block at the auction is $4.6 billion.

According to Official Google Blog the winner of the Spectrum Auction will be: CONSUMER.

The winner will have to allow their users to download any software app they want on their mobile device and to use any mobile devices they would like on that wireless network.

“We believe it’s important to put our money where our principles are” said Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google.

What we don’t know is what Google intends to do exactly with this Spectrum..

Om Malik points out a interesting comment : “So Google Will Bid For Spectrum. Will It Play To Win?“

Google Advertising Professional Bug

UPDATE: it seems to work now but 3 weeks have gone since my certification..

As you can see I have the Google Advertising Professional certification, see the logo on the right.

But a real problem is that the link
(https://adwords.google.com/select/ProfessionalStatus?id=2A8NuRDuoVNOF560mTwGcw&hl=en) that leads to my page does not work at all, it asks to log into Adwords.

How many readers or potential customers lost?

Google just answered me that for some professionals there is a bug.

Is Google going to give me a compensation for potential loss?

Actually a french company already ask me if I were really certified as they are unable to display the page..

Why Google is exploding

Google discreetly opens office in Montreal..

According to french Business Newspaper “Les Affaires“, Google just bought an office at 1000 de la gauchetiere street, downtown montreal.

7 engineers are currently working there.

Montreal office is looking for windows developpers and C, C++ programmers. See this job opportunity: Senior Windows Developer - Montreal

And the most interesting part: according to real estate agencies, Google would be looking for commercial offices of 100 000 square feet.. Such an office could have 200-300 people working in..

Please review your resume..