WebProNews

Social Media Release Useless?

Greg Jarboe of SEO-PR started the trial over at Search Engine Watch, taking all proponents of the SMR to task and declaring that social media releases are a meatball sundae - a phrase from Seth Godin's new book on marketing. 

Google OpenID Trials

What with social network APIs and mobile phones, Google has gotten all open and loving all of a sudden. It’s next step in taking over the world is the trial of OpenID for Blogger in Draft (it’s testing area for Blogger). With the adoption of OpenID, commenters on Blogger blogs will be able to use their “one login fits all” username and password when leaving a comment.

What Better Relevancy Can Google Come up With?

Google, already has a near infinite number of data points to compute relevancy for the active parts of the web, and is looking to gather even more user data information. The WSJ has background on the story:

Fraud Trial Scuttled By Ebay Employee

A UK man on trial for defrauding eBay users received a break yesterday when an employee for eBay left the country before offering key testimony.

Google Chalks Up Victories In Print, Radio

A lot of Google’s products and services die quiet deaths in dark corners, but on the other hand, there are times when the company seems to have a Midas touch.  New reports indicate an appropriately golden future for Google’s newspaper and radio ads.

Patent and Trademark Office to Enable Comments

According to the Washington Post, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is planning to launch a trial project in which outsiders will be able to comment on proposed patents that are working their way through the (incredibly time-consuming) patent application process. In effect, people will be allowed to post comments on patents and then other users will be allowed to vote on those comments, a la Digg.com.

Wikipedia Goes On Trial?

Professors at most major universities frown upon research papers that cite Wikipedia as a resource, given the socially driven nature of the site. The United States judicial system, however, seems to believe that using Wikipedia as a reference in court rulings is a good idea.

AP To Wire Libby Bloggers To Readers

As a pair of bloggers take their media seats in the highly visible Scooter Libby trial in a Washington federal courtroom, it has been learned that the Associated Press will carry the bloggers' trial coverage.

Joyner, Waas To Blog Libby Trial

The first two credentialed bloggers to gain access to a federal trial should begin their blogging next week, after Media Bloggers Association president Robert Cox wraps up his voir dire (jury selection) coverage.

Bloggers Going To Libby Trial

The Media Bloggers Association will have two seats available to its members once the Scooter Libby trial begins in Washington after the Martin Luther King holiday.