This is a new "trend" that I am seeing amongst some of the blogs I follow: People have started reading their keyword logs and begun answering the questions that their visitors obvisouly have.

Mind you, some of the questions that end up in my logs I am sure most people would leave unanswered. I thought I would give some examples, but there are just too many sensible searches to find the real bizare ones right now.

So lets take a look at a couple of sensible searches that I could probably answer on my own blog:

setting up a wireless network
how to read newsgroups
where to get gmail invitation

Anders is there already with his own answerblog secion. And he is getting visitors from the search engines, as well as a little money from Google ads for his efforts.

Anders Jacobsen's blog: Answerblog Archives

Take a look, he might even have answered some questions you haven't gotten around to Google yet ;-)

Norwegian blogger Lasse Dahl recently wrote about search engine optimization. The article is insightful and full of good advice of what to do and not to do: - Søkemotoroptimalisering. Only problem: Its in Norwegian.

Arve Bersvendsen (another Norwegian) has taken the time to translate and expand on some of the advice in Lasses article. Its an article well worth taking a look at. Especially before spending any money on one of the zillion SEO companies out there. An "investment" that could soon become a great loss when your site is punished for search engine spam..

Virtuelvis: Search Engine Optimization

If you are into new and exciting food, then Oslo foodie is a blog you should take notice of. Unfortunatly I can't tell who this blog belongs to, but it appears he/she must be a chef.

There are some good links to other food blogs as well on the site. So if you are bored of eating the same old thing and want to get some tips to exciting new dishes - check it out.

[Via digme]

For an explanation of what Podcasting is, see the definition at Wikipedia

I haven't really mentioned this new technology before. Partly because the content has been lacking - mostly in quality. And the platform used to be only Mac and iPod. To me the technology isn't that exciting, its just push content with another carrier.

Its the content that has been the barrier for me, and now it seems at least some shows are coming along and Podcasting is spreading like a virus. With this speed your granma will be making her own Podcast show by next christmas. Which means, I guess - that we will get a lot of crap and some cool gems - kinda like blogs in other words.

Doc Searls picked up on a good article about what the Podcast will mean in the future: But the TV show or the band?

I did not expect to like his show. What could that big haired egomaniac from the 80’s have to offer? Teach me to be guided by my prejudices.

Dailysourcecode forever changes the media business. Web-based entertainment heretofore has been like early television - filmed radio shows. Curry shows us how to move the camera and produce content specifically to the medium.

Some Podcasts that I can recommend after just a brief introduction to the shows are:
Dailysourcecode - Adam Curry really makes a show that will make you smile and lets you have a taste at other podcasts worth checking out.
Engadget Podcasts - Lenn Pryor and Phillip Torrone make a Podcast about gadgets and technology. For me its extra fun to listen to it since I know Torrone from the Macromedia conferences.

[Via Doc Searls]

I'm sorry but its not a joke and there is no punchline.

What the US has in common with these others not-so-peace loving countries? It requires all journalists from foreign countries to apply for journalist visas. Thats right, even journalists from the "coalition of the willing" and the countries that the US has a visa waiver agreement with has to apply for special visas to enter the US.

People, its not a good thing to be the only western country to apply restrictions we only see in freedom-oppressing countries. It might even make us outside of the US believe we should trust what we see and not what we hear...

Sources:
The Freedom of Information Center: Journalists expelled, terrorists allowed in. Washington uses obscure visa as political weapon
Boing Boing: L.A. Press Club panel on LAX Journalist Visa controversy
Daily Times: Journalists with the wrong US visa may be let in, but only once
US Department of State: Visa Waiver Program
US Department of State: Journalist Visa

[Via Sex. Drugs Unix]

Virtuelvis writes about Googles decision to remove Radisson SAS (major hotel chain) from their search engine after intentionally spamming Googles database.

Spam and be punished

Norwegian digi.no is reporting as their main headline of the day that the Radisson SAS chain of hotels were thrown out of Google for Search Engine Spam.

The most interesting thing here is that the CEO of SAS Radisson knew about the spamming, and said the following (thank you to Virtuelvis for translating the norwegian quote):

We take this critique seriously, and will run this through our legal department once more. However, our IT departement in Copenhagen disagree with Google on what should and should not be allowed.

References:
Virtuelvis - Spam and be punished
Digi.no (norwegian): Ble kastet ut av Google etter triksing
E-guiden (norwegian): Radisson SAS driver omfattende juks for å få topplasseringer på søkemotorene

From the October edition of Harpers magazine:

Electing to Leave (Harpers.org)

So the wrong candidate has won, and you want to leave the country. Let us consider your options.

Funny piece - if not a little discouraging, written before the election.

[Via Joi Ito]

Today is the day. If you are a US citizen today is the day where you have to do your duty. (Given that you haven't already).

Remember: If you don't vote, you are not allowed to complain about the powers that be the next 4 years!

OSCE is monitoring the US election, as will countless lawyers, videographers, etc.

Remember: Vote or die, Choose or Lose

[Via Anders]

Kinda says it all to me.

Link to the video. (Yeah, its not a fake)

[Via Adam Curry]