More patents for Yahoo, Google, IBM

Well for you techie types these might seem like a big deal so here goes

Yahoo abstract: A traffic monitor provides statistics of traffic using an activity input for receiving data related to activity on a server system. Events being monitored are binned by topic or term, where the terms are associated with categories. The categories can be a hierarchy of categories and subcategories, with terms being in one or more categories. The categorized events include page views and search requests and the results might be normalized over a field of events and a result output for outputting results of the normalizer as the statistical analyses of traffic.

Google abstract: A system performs cross-language query translations. The system receives a search query that includes terms in a first language and determines possible translations of the terms of the search query into a second language.

IBM abstract: Disclosed is a system architecture, components and a searching technique for an Unstructured Information Management System (UIMS). The UIMS may be provided as middleware for the effective management and interchange of unstructured information over a wide array of information sources.

Now for the real news – what is going on with Yahoo? Have they finally figured out what a ship does with a broken rudder – runs around aimlessly with no apparent direction. You mean you can’t just try the old shotgun approach and hope something meaningful comes out of it. I will only say what I say to my teenage daughter – stay focused – there is so much potential money coming into the Internet – figure it out. You don’t need to go the Google model but the approach you have is not working. I am not sure how breaking things into 3 different divisions will help either – your thoughts folks!!

Rick Simmons is a principal at Dinkum Interactive, a firm specializing in online marketing solutions for small and medium sized businesses around the globe. With more than 25 years of experience in advertising and marketing, Simmons has spent the last four years focused on search engine optimization, and other Internet marketing strategies. Reach him at 267-626-9094 or [email protected]