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Ask.com rebrands as social search engine

Stalwart search engine Ask.com has unveiled its new look to the public, returning to its Q&A roots by supplementing search algorithms with human assistance. The new website aims to provide a solution for web users seeking urgent or more reliable responses to tricky questions not available on the internet by incorporating social networking features that allow people to submit queries directly to other users. In an official blog post, Ask.com explained: “Today we’ve officially launched the public beta for the new Ask.com, which combines our proprietary answers technology (specifically tailored to extract questions and answers from the Web) with the human insight of the thriving Ask.com community drawn from our 87 million monthly uniques.” In its beta form, users can only access the service through invitation . By offering “the capability to pose questions to real people”, the new Ask.com aims to answer “those complex, subjective and/or time-sensitive queries that, no matter how advanced, computers simply can’t address.” This rejuvenation of the somewhat struggling search engine - which currently ranks fourth in the US search market with a 3.6 per cent share, according to comScore - may allow it to distinguish itself as a viable alternative to the likes of Google , Microsoft and Yahoo! Or, as the blog post puts it: “Ask.com is now uniquely able to offer the most comprehensive and convenient approach to getting answers, combining pages and people to help users find the answers to all questions - even questions for which no answer is published online.” Digg | delicious | Reddit | Google | Twitter | Sphinn | StumbleUpon | YahooBuzz | Facebook | Mixx | Contact bigmouthmedia

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Ask.com rebrands as social search engine

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British internet providers misrepresenting broadband speeds to customers

Ofcom research suggests that 97 per cent of internet subscribers do not achieve the broadband speeds originally promised by providers. When choosing a broadband provider, internet-savvy Britons may check for features such as maximum download and connection speeds, as well as if there might be a monthly cap for use, in addition to the price of the service. However, new research from Ofcom, the government regulatory department for broadband services, amongst others, suggests that only 3 per cent of internet subscribers in the UK achieve the speeds promised by providers. Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, explained that there was a “growing gap” in what speeds broadband providers promise and what actually gets delivered, despite a rise in connection speeds across the board. “The gap between the average headline speed and actual speed has increased in this period even though the actual speed has risen,” he said. Richards explained that though the average broadband connection speed was 4.1 Mbps in 2009, the promises of services averaged out at 7.1 Mbps. In 2010, the average connection increased to 5.2 Mbps; however, the advertised claims for speed have jumped to 11.5 Mbps. Currently, broadband is advertised as being “up to” a certain speed, but this can be misleading, and needs clarification, the regulatory council said, as for speeds advertised at 20 Mbps, around 65 per cent of users will actually achieve speeds of 8 Mbps or less.

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British internet providers misrepresenting broadband speeds to customers

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How Does Your Website Make Me Feel?

When people think about the Internet, they think about technology. When people hear that I am a Website strategy expert, they see me as a “techy type”. But for me, the most intriguing aspect of your online business isn’t about the technology. It’s about human connections, and how you can create these in a virtual environment. It’s commonly understood that “people buy emotionally, not intellectually.” Even when people think they’re making a rational decision, powerful subconscious factors come into play. To sell effectively, we’re told to anticipate our customers’ needs, to demonstrate that we “feel their pain”, and to respond to clues in their body language and tone of voice

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How Does Your Website Make Me Feel?

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Internet Marketing Via E-mail Promotion

Marketing, as defined by the American Marketing Association, is any activity that involves the flow of services, products and/or goods starting from production until consumption. It involves various activities such as profiling, planning, pricing, promotion, and distribution of products and services. Promotion is a crucial method that can make or break a market. Promotion stimulates demand and therefore increases profit from sales. It makes use of every media available that are accessible to potential customers.

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Internet Marketing Via E-mail Promotion

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How to Persuade Without Really Trying

Recently, the owner of a consulting practice contacted me. In the email, she said that she needed an easier, more predictable way to find ideal prospects. She had already tried a lot of different things but nothing worked. So we set up a meeting so I could learn more about her situation and whether I could help. As we spoke during the meeting, it became clear to me that, yes, I could help this business owner. I felt quite certain of this. But when it was my turn to tell her what I recommended things bogged down

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How to Persuade Without Really Trying

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Is the pope a catholic? Aardvark returns immediate answers to life’s esoteric questions

There seems to be a proliferation of Q&A sites, which assume to offer “answers” to anyone who poses a question. Aardvark, WikiAnswers and Mahalo are three new services that purport to deliver education on demand. But it’s not quite feasible, is it? If you are of a mind to ask randomly trivial questions, you may be surprised that Aardvark, WikiAnswers and Mahalo have all arrived to assist you in your quest for knowledge. But ask something “esoteric” and these systems fall flat on their faces. For example, should one be tempted to ask: “How many bones are there in the human body”, within minutes you would be emailed with the answer: 206

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Is the pope a catholic? Aardvark returns immediate answers to life’s esoteric questions

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5 Blog Post Styles to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Keeping your blog interesting and fresh isn’t just a case of posting regularly, you also need to mix things up and use different styles of posts to keep your readers engaged. Here are five different styles you can try out to make your blog more interesting. 1. The inspection post One of the easiest ways to make money with your blog is to review products that then pay you a commission for any sales that you make. The inspection post is one where you take a closer look at a product and review it for your readers. An effective inspection post will cover the positives as well as the negatives. People want to know what’s good and bad about a product before they buy it and the more honest you are the more likely they are to buy the product through your affiliate link.

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5 Blog Post Styles to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

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Podcasting Questions and Answers

Podcasting is an up-and-coming and increasingly popular medium for communication. The following are common questions about podcasting, perfect for those just getting started in podcasting as a communication channel… What Format Should I Record To? While other formats are supported, MP3 is by far the most common format used for audio podcasts. Unless there is a specific and compelling reason to use a different format, you should stick with MP3 files for audio podcasts. What Microphones Are Best For Podcasting? It depends on the type of recording you intend to do. There is a big difference between portable and fixed microphones

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Podcasting Questions and Answers

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Facebook drives mobile web boost

A new study has revealed that Facebook is leading the way when it comes to mobile web use, with the social networking site gathering more hits on the go than search king Google . The GSMA Mobile Media Metrics report provides insight into mobile web use, and its first findings, released on Friday, revealed that Facebook was leading the way, with five million unique users accessing the site from mobile devices. Google was hot on its heels however, with 4.5 million users accessing its various sites.

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Facebook drives mobile web boost