Pay-Per-Click Speculation Market Soaring

Rob writes "Computer Business Review is reporting that the number of web sites being opened purely to publish pay-per-click advertising links from the likes of Google and Yahoo is rocketing, according to VeriSign, which runs the .com and .net domain names." From the article: "Sclavos said that the company will change the way it reports the size of its domain name business, in terms of active registrations, because of the amount of speculation going on. It will reduce the size of the reported registrations by about 2%, he said. 'Names are being bought and then tested against traffic analyzers...The ones that can generate more than the $6 or $7 [registration] fee per year are kept, the other ones are returned within the five day grace period.'"

Comments

i must resist the temptation...

[Anonymous Coward]

but i didnt, FIRST POST! weeee

Linux users: Why bother?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm a fairly technical user, not a tech god by any stretch of the imagination, but I know my way around. I know how to forward ports on my router, I do all my own XVID rips from Vdub, I can install most Linux distros without a problem, and I'm damned proficient at packages like Photoshop and Illustrator. In addition, I'm a gamer from back in the DOS days, so concepts like editing text files (config.sys, autoexec.bat, etc) don't necessarily scare me.

That said, as much as I like the concept of Linux, I simply will not try it any longer until I hear that a number of problems have been solved.

A) Having to recompile kernels/worrying that apps will be broken by upgrading that kernel. For that matter, I don't want to have to compile anything, ever. Just to make this clear, never. Come up with either something akin to Windows where I click on a standard installer, or make it like Mac where I just drag and drop the folder.

B) Any time I'm forced to drop to a command line, you as a developer have failed. Back 10 years ago, this may have been acceptable. In this day and age, it isn't. Furthermore, while once in a blue moon I may change a text file in Windows, in Linux it's a constant occurence. Again, you have failed.

C) MAN pages do not cut it. Neither does a message board where half the time I'll be called a clueless n00b, 25% of the time I'll be told to use a different distro, and the other 25% of the time I'll get genuinely helpful people giving me contradictory answers. If I'm expected to jump to an alien computing environment you'd best make sure your documentation is up to snuff. Linux sucks in this regard.

I'm an advanced user who's in favor of open source, but the bizarre, arcane, and technical details I have to jump through to achieve the same things that are comparatively simple in Mac or Windows may Linux a deal breaker. You will never, ever, become successful on the desktop until idiocy like this is exorcised from the OS.

Re:Linux users: Why bother?

[RobertLTux]

okay feeding time in the troll pit (wheres your PPC farm link btw) Point A Invalid: 99% of the time you could just drop the distros .config file in place and then do the make deps && make bzImage&& make modules && make modules install shuffle if you wanted to do a full rebuild and most of that time all you need to do is run make on the directory. Point B Feature Not Bug: I would take any number of text files /command lines over regedit vodoo Point C : 25% of the time the answers are not clear using anything remotely this complicated (and 75% of the time folks need to shut up)

Re:Linux users: Why bother?

[datadriven]

I know I shouldn't feed the trolls but sometimes I can't help myself.

a) Most people tend to compile a kernel "because they can". In the several years I've been using linux I've yet to have a single reason NOT to use the kernel supplied by my distro. YMMV

b) The average user who simply checks their email, browses the web, and composes a few office documents should have plenty of tools to do those tasks included in their distro of choice. The console comes in when installing new software in most cases. By your admission of being an "advanced" user you probably installed some software, which is why you needed the console. If you only used the programs included with the distro you could get by without the console.

c) See b above. If you are only using the programs provided by the distro you will have plenty of help files with each program. Man pages are additional sources of information, not the only source of information.

Re:Linux users: Why bother?

[ajs318]

A. If you don't compile your apps locally, you can't be sure they don't contain nasties. There is nothing wrong with compiling applications. It's only like preparing your own food so you know there are no artificial additives in it. What is already being worked on is a system where you will be able to click on a package, download it and its dependencies, and compile it.

B. There is nothing wrong with the command line. Sometimes it is the most efficient way of giving instructions to the computer. Mandriva has some nice utilities for configuring everything without using a text editor or command line. But you really ought at least to take an interest in what is happening behind the scenes. I can flick open an xterm, start pico and have a config file tweaked and the daemon restarted in less time than it takes for a fancy-schmancy point-and-drool frontend to load up.

C. You are not looking hard enough for the information you seek.

Conclusion: you are either an incorrigible whinger, who needs to be fed with a spoon; or a troll. I recommend that you stick your head up your arse and fart.

Re:Linux users: Why bother?

[pandrijeczko]

Just to put you right on your three statements:

1. Saying apps get broken by the kernel indicates how little you know about Linux. The kernel is an abstraction layer between the operating system and the hardware. Yes, it's quite possible a piece of hardware might stop working following a kernel change but an application will stop working as the result of a library change, more like.

2. You do not like the command line and you are entitled to your opinion. However, the command line exists because of it's power, the fact that commands can be strung together in millions of different ways to achieve precisely what you need. You cannot possibly understand this power unless you are prepared to spend the time to learn what you can do there - if you are not prepared to do that then Linux probably is not for you.

3. Why don't Man pages "cut it"? They're invariably always there, available as online documentation, they're not detailed enough for newbies possibly but then that's what the numerous UNIX and Linux reference books are for. They server a purpose as a quick reference for command usage, they're not there as an educational reference.

Quite frankly, I don't believe you are an advanced user because you quite clearly assume Open Source to be Linux only - what are Firefox, OpenOffice, The GIMP, etc. etc. but three examples of the myriads of Open Source applications that run on Windows as well as Linux?

You seem to be of the mistaken belief that there is some kind of "Linux vs Windows" was going on when, in reality, it's just about having and exercising a choice.

Linux will not just "drop into your lap" while you sit there with you arms folded waiting. If you don't want to use it, fine, you have a choice. But if you do want to use it, then you have to make some effort yourself.

In the meantime, those of us who do realise and use it's power will just get on with doing that, irrespective of your comments.

Re:Linux users: Why bother?

[floorgoblin]

While all the other replies to this have good points, the original poster does too. If Linux is going to become a truly viable option versus mac or Windows, than it needs to be accessible to those who don't like command lines or reading numerous Linux refernce books... that doesn't mean that Linux should not have a command line, obviously, but it wouldn't hurt to provide greater automation and an interface that even the layfolk can use easily, without sacrificing any of the more complex (and powerful) capabilities that Linux posesses. Personally, I think the open source world would benefit from being opened up to everyone (like Firefox, for example). People say, if you don't like spyware, switch to Linux, but then say if you don't like command lines, go shove it.

Re:Linux users: Why bother?

[mu22le]

Come on, do not be so rude to him (you are proving one of his points, btw)!!!!
He's a _gamer_, not a linux user, he probably wants to use his pc to _do_ things, nice and smooth. Play Doom 7 or edit a picture or whatever, getting basic things done. And linux is not delivering it.
I am a (kinda) linux nerd, I am willing to spend time looking for compatible hardware, recompiling the kernel to get things faster... he does not.
And, belive it or not, most useres are like him.
And untill the linux comunity does not find a way to give them what they look for they'll be Microsoft most secure market share.

BTW
the parent-parent article states a lot of false assertments (read bull$hit): you can have a nice guy to install application on your system (say, synaptic), for example.

Re:Linux users: Why bother?

[wkonkel]

I'm not sure why this post is here... but I'm glad to hear that compiling code yourself is more secure because you don't know what nasties are in the binaries... because I for one look over every single line of code that I compile... all 50 kazillion lines of code for kernel, system tools, x windows, gimp, gnome, and every other piece of software I use! No sir-ry bob! I don't let a single line of code get compiled before I look over it!

Re:Linux users: Why bother?

[Gondola]

I've tried a lot of different Linux distros, and I can say honestly that they are getting slowly better.

I can install a Linux distro after burning the ISO's to CD, run the install process, and boot to a GUI. A simple GUI network setup utility is all that is needed to get people online and productive, if a browser and office-type software are included.

4 requirements for making Linux mainstream

- Easy install (create a Windows-based installer that will download and burn your CDs/DVD for you, perhaps using BitTorrent, or perhaps FTP with automatic md5 checking). No complicated questions during Install process unless user chooses Advanced setup.

- Easy network setup. Automatically check for a DHCP server, and put up a big "Do you want me to use this automatically obtained IP address? (Default, YES). Otherwise, Skip Network Setup, or Advanced network setup.

- Default to a GUI login with a simple username creation process, or default to a no-password GUI console only login. Do not enable any externally reachable services by default, such as SSH, FTP, Apache, etc. Anyone who knows how to use SSH would choose Advanced setup anyway.

- Basic word processing and other office-type software, GIMP, etc., a couple games, all clearly labeled and available from a simple menu, with all system setup/advanced options available from an Advanced menu.

World-dominating option...

- AOL client. Is there an AOL client for Linux? That'd be a killer app. Imagine an AOL subsidized Linux machine that's free with your subscription to AOL. If you sub for a year, you get to keep the machine.

As usual, google to the rescue...

[Emperor Stalin]

Once again they they have a solution to the problem...

Email A Fiend link at the end of article

[Anonymous Coward]

what if I do not have any fiends?

HARRY POTTER SPOILER IN PARENT

[troon]

...I assume. I've not actually read the book.

MOD DOWN-- TROLL

[alc6379]

The original article doesn't say anything about Snape or Dumbledore in the article.

plus 1, TroSl7)

[Anonymous Coward]

to look into thing for the^ little-know8 may be hurting have the energy and personal Creek, abysmal

Re:complex?

[symbolic]

without sacrificing any of the more complex (and powerful) capabilities that Linux posesses

This is what I find rather ironic. The very nature of complexity implies that we should know a little bit about what we're doing before we actually do it. I don't believe there is anything that will step in and understand this stuff for you, on Windows, Linux, or any other operating system. You can make the process less cumbersome, but if you don't understand the consequences, you're still in the same boat.

Fp do7L

[Anonymous Coward]

say I'm packing to its laid-baJck are having trouble To you by Penisbi8d a child knows IN ANY WAY RELATED