Pride.

If you didn't know, June is Pride Month. This title means different things to different people, but this is my blog, so I'm going to share what it means to me. :)

Lots of gays struggle with their initial admission of being gay. For some, it's a self-discovery process. I remember looking in the mirror, staring into my own eyes, and not recognizing myself in the reflection. The "me" staring back in the sliding mirror that my parents have had since I was three was the gay me. Growing up, that mirror had helped me pop pimples, examine my teeth, and style my hair. That mirror had also blown up my self-perceived flaws -- the wrinkles on my face, the misshapen eyebrows, the slightly lower left eye that could only be noticed if I stopped tilting my head to compensate for it --  but on that day, the relentless, critical mirror that I both appreciated and scorned year after year introduced me to someone that I wanted to get to know. The gay me came out to me that day and I took my first step with myself -- the first step on the bumpy road to self acceptance. There are a fucking ton of steps on that road and, to be honest with you, that road has no end. It's littered with things that make me trip and stumble, but I always have myself -- in a strange, metaphorical way -- to grab my hand and help me back on my feet. I have myself to say, "Lift your chin up and bring a smile into this world." When you can only see the flaws in the mirror, you forget about the things that make you you, and you are something to be proud of.

Coming out to someone is the stop-motion moment when seconds take hours and ten minutes takes twelve years. It's the conversation with anyone -- including yourself -- where the absence of an immediate response suctions a vacuum of silence that suffocates the very lungs that have already exhausted all of their air whispering one small contraction and a three letter word into the ears of uncertainty. "I'm gay." takes more oxygen than the combination of infinite breaths and trying to inhale feels like choking on water. Sometimes you're inhaling the salty ocean and sometimes you're inhaling a stagnant puddle. As the conversations come and go, so do the waves and ripples, but they seem to get a bit more manageable as you come to realize that emotion replenishes itself just as a body of water does. Each admission of identity is something to take pride in.

You'll get negative reactions, you'll have to fight for your right to put a label on your sexuality, and you'll face some of the darkest times of your life. You'll be damaged by someone you care about and you'll hurt the person closest to you. But through all of this, you'll build your own family -- albeit, an often degenerate and reckless one -- and have a support system that celebrates you for who you are, whether that's gay or straight or a 4.6 on the Kinsey scale. You'll grow in a community where the very same sexuality label you've dutifully worn for years on end has its letters fade just as the pages of an unread book yellow and fray. You'll find that you don't need to wear your label any more. There will come a point where you'll meet a person that sends you to the stars, and you'll stay awake and fight to keep your eyes open because falling asleep means you'll be without that person until you rise again. Above all, I assure you that there will come a moment when you'll look in that chipped, sliding mirror and feel like you've known the person in the reflection for your entire life. You'll be proud to see yourself and that, my friends, is what Pride Month means to me.

Happy Pride.

A Very Basic Bitcoin Primer

I wrote this article to try to explain Bitcoin to my mother in a very basic "cents." It may not be completely accurate, but I think it's a good primer. Feel free to skip over sections that don't interest you.

What Bitcoin is NOT:

It is not tangible. It's not centralized (there is no specific person or company that controls it). It's not infinite (only 21 million will be produced).

So, what is it? It's a digital currency.

How are Bitcoin made?

Let me make this very, very simple. If I were the ONLY person creating Bitcoin (the act of creating Bitcoin is called "mining"), I would get exactly 25 Bitcoin every 10 minutes.

The Bitcoin that I mine come in a "block" of 25, but this amount is cut in half every four years, giving a finite number mined until the year 2140. Supply and demand would tell us that Bitcoin's monetary "value" comes from this fact... they're incredibly limited.

Bringing this to a bigger scale, let's say that I'm mining with nine other people. Together, we would find a Bitcoin block (read: 25 Bitcoin) every 10 minutes. The time never changes. This Bitcoin amount would be split between the 10 of us (me and nine others), giving us about 2.5 Bitcoin each. I say "about" because some miners (people who mine) work harder than others. The speed at which you help generate the Bitcoin is called a "hash rate." A faster hash rate means a larger cut of the Bitcoin reward.

At present, there are a LOT of Bitcoin miners, all mining with different computer hardware. Some work MUCH faster than others, some much slower (read: hash rate higher, lower). The 10 minute production time never changes, and neither does the 25 Bitcoin reward. The time is controlled by a Bitcoin difficulty that self-adjusts to keep the 10 minute time in check.

My desktop computer can mine approximately 0.02 Bitcoin per day. If I were to mine alone (without grouping with others), I would probably never get paid, because ONLY the computer that finds the exact solution (hash) at minute mark 10 gets the Bitcoin block.

The same sentence again: the computer that solves the LAST hash at the ten minute mark gets 25 Bitcoin block.  (This is simplified.)

The hash rate of the entire Bitcoin network, with tons and tons of miners, is SO high that the probability of MY computer getting the exact "winning" hash is astronomically low. This is why miners group together and share the rewards. If you have 1,000 people together, the odds are (simply) 1,000x higher that your group will solve a block. This is called "pooled mining," and virtually all miners participate in a pool.

Unlike a United States dollar, you can split Bitcoin into VERY small amounts. You can split Bitcoin out to eight decimal places, making the smallest payment 0.00000001 Bitcoin.

Pooled mining is very much like winning the lottery. You could buy 10 tickets, or you could buy 10,010 tickets if you and 1,000 others all bought 10. Then you'd split the reward.

Where do you keep it?

Bitcoin is stored in a digital wallet. Very much like your own wallet, you can put money inside the wallet, you can take money out of the wallet, and you can see how much is in your wallet. Bitcoin is regarded as highly anonymous because anyone can create a new wallet, for free, at any point.

What can you do with it?

Lots of things!

1. You can use it to buy things. In most cases, paying and receiving in Bitcoin is free. Some people use Bitcoin to buy illegal drugs in the underground Internet network called Tor. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest reasons that governments are coming in and attempting to reign control... at one point you could purchase guns, anonymously, with Bitcoin.
2. You can exchange it for a different currency. Much like you can turn US dollars into Euro, you can turn Bitcoin into other currencies. This can be accomplished face to face, sold online through an auction site (eBay), or through a Bitcoin exchange.
3. You can invest with it. Lots of people buy low and sell high, just like stock and other gambling.

What are the biggest threats?

Again, not inclusive and not completely my own opinion, but Bitcoin is threatened by regulation, cyber warfare, and volatility. Governments aren't sure how to treat Bitcoin -- is it a commodity or a currency? -- and regulators always want some type of control. Cyber attacks can slow or halt Bitcoin exchanges and make trading the currency difficult. Volatile prices make investors nervous. Bitcoin recently went from ~$80USD/BTC to over $260USD/BTC before settling around its current rate of $120USD/BTC. That's scary.


How safe is it?

Well, it's pretty safe. There are really only two caveats that could ruin Bitcoin. First, a lack of interest. Of course, if everyone stopped creating and using Bitcoin, its value would be irrelevant. Second, a 51% control of Bitcoin creation. In theory, if one person (or entity) controlled 51% of the creation, they could introduce false transactions and other bad things. (Grossly over-simplifying.) Because of the way Bitcoin records are kept, each created block contains the transactions from the past. You can prove, at any point in time, that a Bitcoin transaction is valid or invalid.


I'm out of words for the night. I'll probably re-visit this article and add more, but for now... happy mining!

Your mileage may vary. /j

Identity Theft: Before, During, and After

What would you do if you received an email from yourself without sending it? If you logged into your bank account and saw that your money was gone and your credit cards were over-limit?  If you were told that your passwords had been changed without your knowledge? Identity theft is a real threat and affects all age groups, races, and income levels.

Based on recent experience, here are some things that have helped, did help, or would've helped in an identity theft situation. This certainly isn't a comprehensive list, but feel free to print it out and keep it handy in an emergency.

Before

• Maintain a list of important phone numbers.
  At a minimum, this list should include contact information for all of your bank and credit card accounts. Assuming your wallet is stolen, I bet you'd have a hard time remembering each 800 number. Every major bank and credit company will have a designated fraud line that is available to you 24/7. In your list, you should not include account details (credit card number, expiration, etc.) as the telephone representatives can look all of this up with your social security number. 
• Keep some spare cash around the house.
  We're not talking thousands of dollars, but some spare bills can help in the event that you cannot immediately access your bank account. Re-issuing a debit card does not happen instantly. Think about what you'd need to pay cash for everything for a week or two.
  
• Identify potential threats to your security.
  There is certainly a lot of physical fraud (stealing wallets/purses) that happens, but there is also a scary digital world to be aware of. Keep anti-virus software up to date, properly configure a firewall, and be suspicious of uncharted waters when surfing the 'net. Always err on the side of caution and don't enter passwords on non-secure websites (look for the secure logo or https:// URL).
  
• Enlist the help of two-factor authentication.
  This is relatively new in the digital world, but it adds an extra layer of protection to your security. At a high-level, two-factor authentication requires your password and something else (phone call, text message security code, etc.) to gain access to accounts. USA Today did a nice article that provides more information.

During (Step by Step)

• Act quickly, but stay calm.
  It is imperative that you remain calm. Although time is certainly important, taking deep breaths and allowing yourself a few seconds to re-focus is equally important. You will accomplish very little in a manic frenzy, and you'll be much more likely to overlook something in a big rush.
  
• If available, enlist the help of a friend or colleague.
  Your identity is already at risk, and finding someone to help you can lessen both the workload and recovery time. Give a close friend or someone you trust a few account credentials and ask them to change passwords, report fraudulent activity, and provide information to representatives. Even smaller, less-critical items (like utility accounts, Internet, phone service, etc.) should be examined, and these are easier for a close friend to contact without verifying bank transactions, etc.
  
• Take the time you need.
  If necessary, let your employer know that you're dealing with identity theft. They may be willing to work with your schedule to help give you the time you need for resolution.
  
• Document everything as you go.
  This is a stressful time, and it will be difficult to remember which accounts you've taken care of, who you spoke with, and what was said. Keep chronological notes in a notebook that include (at a minimum) the date, time, person you spoke with, and summary of the conversation.
  
• Go account by account.
  Start by re-issuing credit/debit cards and verifying all contact information (phone, address, recent transactions). If anything is not accurate, correct the information immediately. Change account passwords as you go, focusing on the highest risk areas first: bank accounts, email accounts, social media, utilities, and ancillary Internet services (Dropbox, Tumblr, Flickr, et al.). Many banks will work to expedite these requests in the event of suspected fraud. If your email has been compromised, changing these credentials first -- in my opinion -- is the most important. If someone is actively watching your email, they will see your progress as you go and may be able to work ahead of you.
• Issue a fraud alert to the three main consumer reporting agencies.
  Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are the three main credit bureaus. You should contact each by phone and issue a fraud alert. These phone numbers should be in your list from earlier :). These messages will require future credit providers to verify additional information (which could include a personal phone call to a registered number) before granting credit.
  
• File a police report.
  No matter how small the identity theft may seem, you should file a police report. This can be done over the phone or in person and can wait until your accounts are secure. By contacting your local police department, you gain additional documentation and create an incredibly important legal document that can be used later to prove critical information.
  

After

• Update any changed information with billing providers.
  If you have automatic bill payment, you may need to update your bank account information or credit card for payments. Think through everything -- recurring billing accounts can easily go delinquent after identity theft. Don't forget about toll services, loan providers, and smaller merchant services.
  

Your mileage may vary. Stay safe out there.
/j

Active vs. Passive (FTP Connections)

There's a lot of discrepancy on the interwebs regarding active and passive FTP connections. Here's my attempt to clarify.
 

First, the client connects to the server port 21. This is called the “command port.” It strictly issues commands (log this user in, show me this directory, store this filename, et al.). 

A second connection is also made (with some random port) called the “data port.”  This is where active and passive modes come into play.

By design, in either transmission mode, an FTP server works with the client to determine a port. The port is randomly chosen by the client and can be any port greater than 1023. The "standard" data port for active transmissions is 20, but in most cases the port chosen is not standard.

The difference between active and passive is the way the data port's transmission is treated:

In an active session, the server establishes a connection to the client through the data port.
In a passive session, the client establishes a connection to the server through the data port.

Following the above, active sessions are sometimes problematic due to firewall reasons. Firewalls have to be told explicitly to allow a connection from outside your network (the FTP server, in this case) back in. Remember from above that active sessions require the server to connect to the client on some arbitrary data port.

In contrast, passive connections are often less troublesome because internal firewalls allow traffic to pass out of your network without issue.

To illustrate the difference, here's an excerpt using FileZilla where you can see how the two are different. Note, I've changed the addresses to fake ones.

In both cases, the command port is 21 (seen in blue).

The data port (yellow) is shown in the parenthesis. 

Active

Status:      Resolving address of ftp.somesite.com

Status:      Connecting to 66.55.44.33:21...

Status:      Connection established, waiting for welcome message...

Response:               220 Website FTP Server Ready

Command:               USER joesmith

Response:               331 Password required for joesmith .

Command:               PASS ********

Response:               230 User joesmith logged in.

Status:      Connected

Status:      Starting upload of somefile.txt

Command:               CWD /

Response:               250 CWD command successful.

Command:               TYPE A

Response:               200 Type set to A

Command:               PORT 192,168,1,101,88,78

Response:               200 PORT command successful

Command:               STOR somefile.txt

Response:               150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for somefile.txt

Response:               226 Transfer complete.

Status:    File transfer successful, transferred 500 bytes in 1 second

For our active example, a PORT command is issued (through the command port, ie, 21) that tells the server where to connect back. 

The PORT command consists of six values. The first four values (192,168,1,101) are the IP address of the client and the last two values (88,78) are the port for the data connection on the client passed to the server (port derived generically by the formula value1 * 256 + value2).

Reminder: Active connections tell the server to connect to the client through the data port, so the server will attempt to connect through a firewall to the client machine.

Passive

Status:      Resolving address of  ftp.somesite.com

Status:      Connecting to 66.55.44.33:21...

Status:      Connection established, waiting for welcome message...

Response:               220 Website FTP Server Ready

Command:               USER joesmith

Response:               331 Password required for joesmith.

Command:               PASS ********

Response:               230 User joesmith logged in.

Status:      Connected

Status:      Starting upload of somefile.txt

Command:               CWD /

Response:               250 CWD command successful.

Command:               TYPE A

Response:               200 Type set to A

Command:               PASV

Response:               227 Entering Passive Mode (66,55,4433,174,109)

Command:               STOR somefile.txt

Response:               150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for somefile.txt

Response:               226 Transfer complete.

Status:      File transfer successful, transferred 500 bytes in 1 second

For our passive example, the PASV command is issued (through the command port, ie, 21). This command tells the server that the client will reach out to the server on some port. 

The server's response has six values. The first four values (66,55,44,33) are the IP address of the server and the last two values (174,109) are used by the client to connect to the server on the data port. (Again, the port is derived generically by the formula value1 * 256 + value2). 

So, the math works out like this:

Data port for active was 22606 = (88*256 +78)

Data port for passive was 44653 = (174*256 +109)

There is no way to know ahead of time which port the client will choose to share with the FTP server in either transmission mode, but the way traffic flows through the firewall is generally the culprit when transfers fail.

Your mileage may vary.

Please hold for the next available agent.

Here are a few ramblings about customer service. We can call it my Things every customer service department should know or do to make themselves a tad bit more liked. Or not. Whatever you want.

• Stop reading from a script.
  If I enter my phone number or account number into an automated prompt, it damned well better be making it to you, Mr./Mrs. Next Available Agent. I'm tired of waiting five minutes in an automated sorting machine just to tell you everything I've already pressed into the keypad.
• Check my call log.
  Good afternoon, calling customer! I see you've called six times today. I apologize for the troubles, and I'd like to make it right. How can I help you?
• Smile.
  No kidding. My mom taught me this one. If you're smiling while talking on the phone, you come across much friendlier. Customer service is not just a job, it's a direct relationship to a customer. You wouldn't talk to a customer face to face with your angry mug on, would you?
• Keep in contact.
  If we get disconnected, call me back.  You have my number.
  If you're going to have me on hold for longer than two minutes, let me know what the status of things are every song or so. Thanks for staying patient, [name]. I'm still working on resolving this issue, and I'm going to need a few more minutes. Is it alright if I keep you on hold for a bit longer? Or, maybe, Thanks for hanging in there, [name]. Instead of keeping you on hold, is there a good number I can reach you at? I'll need about a half an hour to complete this for you, and I'd rather not keep you on hold.
• Don't be afraid to tell me that I've got you stumped.
  Instead of repeating things you've already told me, recognize that you're not addressing my concerns (or I'm just completely dense). This goes back to the first bullet: deviate from your script. Explain something in a different way. If we're at an impasse and you're not understanding what I'm asking, tell me that. You look dumb and unconcerned by continuing to repeat yourself. Ask me a question. Let me talk.
• Do not -- I repeat, DO NOT -- cut me off.
  If I'm calling you, I have something to say. If you let me say it, things will go much smoother.
• The customer is not always right.
  For real. I'm not always right. But you don't need to be an ass, either. If I'm misunderstanding something, you can very easily explain it to me or point me in the right direction for clarification. In reverse, this goes back to the point above: If you don't know the answer, do not make one up. I'm sorry, [name], but I'm not sure about that. I'd like to find out the answer for us both. Would you mind if I checked with a co-worker for a moment? No customer in this world would say, "Actually, yes. I do mind. Please continue to speak garbage."
• Figure out what I want.
  I always love it when representatives summarize my explanation. Just to be sure, I think you'd like to return the 18 chimpanzees you purchased and need help printing the shipping label. Is that right?
  That being said, sometimes you need to get crafty. The customer doesn't always know what they want or which resolution will make them happy. Sometimes they just want to vent. In that case, it's not your job to be a punching bag. If you can't do anything about my concerns, transfer me to the manager on duty.
• Don't tell me there isn't a manager.
  On rare occasion, I've been told that there isn't a manager to take my call. That's nonsense because I know that no company in their right mind would leave you unsupervised. If -- for some completely bizarre reason -- there really isn't a manager, always give me a time and direct number to speak with someone.
• Be tactful with your questions.
  Yes/no questions have their time and place, but so do open-ended questions. Be mindful of which one you're choosing because you'll get varied results in each case. 
  
• Summarize.
  Thank you for your time, [name]. This evening, we were able to print labels for your chimpanzees, we've gone over the return instructions, and I've provided you with a reference number in case you'd like additional assistance. Before we end our call, is there anything else I can do for you?

Granted, this is incredibly one-sided. I should probably write one called  Things every customer should know or do to make themselves treated like royalty, but I probably won't.

Your mileage may vary. See store for details.

/j

The judge said it didn't exactly fit under the category of murder.

I'm starting to become healthy(-y +ier), and I wanted to share my plans with the interwebs because, well, some argue telling others about your plans helps you stick to 'em.

I weigh 172 pounds as of this morning. This is fine -- I mean, I'm six feet tall and have an average build. I don't have a slow metabolism, and I'm not classified as obese on the (horribly outdated and unscientific) BMI scale. I'm just... well... normal.

Ever since I can remember, I've always had this cushion around my abs. I have abs, I swear! I swam for three years, danced for three years after that, and have always had some kind of hobby that would fall under the 'active' category, but I've never been satisfied with my own body image.

Go ahead, blame society, but here's what I'm going to do about it for the next thirty days:

• Keep a comprehensive journal of what I eat. And no, vegetables don't count. 
• Stick to a caloric intake of 1770 Kcal (Calories, for you non-nerdies).
• Limit myself to a maximum of 60 oz of 'diet' soda (and no other kinds) per day.
• Drink at least 20 oz of pure water each day.

That's it. Those four things. In case you're interested in reading more, I'll detail my plan a bit down hurr.

1. Writing down (or, in this day in age, using an app (MyFitnessPal)) everything that I eat (again, 'cept them there veggies) helps you actually realize how much you're eating. Too, it gives me an accurate calorie count -- I can even SCAN things (ya know, that barcode thing?) as I eat them. Boom. Headshot.
2. MyFitnessPal also tells me that to lose five pounds over a month, I should intake 1770 net Kcal. They say net because I think it's easier to understand; it's also the way I'm going to count them. If I eat 1800 Kcal worth of food, I need to do at least 30 Kcal of exercise. Luckily, the app knows a bunch of statistics on exercise, too! It also shows me that the Chipotle that I had today for dinner is really horrible for my 'get healthier' plan.
3. I drink waaaay too much diet pop, and I'm well aware of it. Not only is it expensive, the aspartame is rumored (like all other things...) to cause cancer. So, I'm going to cut down. I usually drink around 100 oz a day, so bopping down to 60 will be a challenge, but I will replace it with
4. water! Drinking water is supposed to help you lose weight and cleanse your body, so I'm going to give that good ol' liquid a try. Should be pretty dandy.

So, there you have it my dear interwebbers. My 'get healthy' plan. I'll appreciate any positive reinforcements.

Your mileage may vary. See store for details. -j

The Google Machine

Just in a creative mood, and I wrote this article about the marketing strategy of Google's advertising technologies.

This blog will outline the main components of Google’s business. Focusing on its core revenue-generating business, advertising technologies, the text will be comprised of competition identification and offering, Google’s target market, the AdWords product strategy, Google product dissemination through its concise product strategy, the communication strategy found across the Google platform, and the interesting pricing strategy with its advertisers.

Since its formation 1996, the corporate giant known today as Google has taken the world by storm. Google was originally formed by two Stanford University students and has added over 32,000 employees to its team in just 16 years of infancy. Generating a substantial $37.9 billion dollars in revenue each year is not happenstance, and the marketing minds behind Google’s advertising technologies are – quite simply – geniuses. In the following sections, I will detail just how Google makes internet advertising work.

Google specializes in three main areas (listed in order of consumer knowledge): internet searches, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. The first branch, internet searches, is nearly self explanatory. When a person needs to find something on the complex “internet machine,” they generally use a Google search to do so. In fact, Google processes over one billion search requests each day (Kuhn, 2010), which is nearly 12,000 searches each second. The second branch, cloud computing, is a relatively new introduction in the technology world. Cloud computing works on the premise that users should not need to know the location or details of the underlying infrastructure. More broadly known as PaaS (platform-as-a-service), Google makes heavy use of this technology. Its product Google Apps (which houses Gmail, and Calendar, for starters) is a prime example of Google’s largest cloud platform offering. Finally, Google focuses on advertising technologies. Little do most know, but Google’s revenue is funded (to the tune of ninety-nine percent) by its advertising programs. (Google Annual Report, 2008) The idea behind this product offering is simple, but the effects are quite astounding. Below, we’ll explore them in more detail.

Google is a world-wide company. Although the company was founded in California, over half of Google’s search results are delivered to people outside of the United States. Today, Google has offices in 60 countries and offer their products in more than 130 languages. (“Google,” 2011)

Fortunately for Google, there are only two main competitors: Yahoo! Search Marketing and Microsoft adCenter. In 2010, Yahoo! and Microsoft formed a partnership and merged their core advertising into Microsoft’s adCenter program. The services offered by adCenter are split into two markets: small and medium business and marketers and agencies. The prior allows advertisers to display advertisements on Microsoft’s Bing search engine and on Yahoo!’s search page. The later caters to multi-screen advertising, which is a ring Google hasn’t yet entered and probably never will. On its homepage, Microsoft Advertising for marketers and agencies solicits vendors to have their message heard on services such as Xbox, Bing, Windows Live, Hotmal, MSN, and MSN Messenger. Unlike the Google product offering, these services are distinctively separate and do not integrate with each other to form a sticky service. Because of this, Microsoft’s share of customers in these distinct product offerings is dropping as Google picks up the lost business.

As discussed above, Google was started in California and delivered results to the U.S. only. Since then, the horizontal growth and lightening product offering process has allowed Google to reach to the furthest corners of the world. The implementation took place somewhat organically, but Google gives much of the credit to its employees. By believing in and fostering an employee empowerment culture, Google has been able to disseminate through the complex wires and use them to venture around the globe. What keeps them global, however, is their product offering and excellent distribution strategy.

Google has its own Ten Commandments (although they call it the “ten things we know to be true”). By examining this list, we gain useful insight into their product strategy. The first core principle is the core of Google’s product strategy. “Focus on the user and all else will follow.”

Google’s products are digital. Although they do not follow a distribution strategy in the traditional sense of physical products to physical consumers, they do have a strategy to provide digital products to digital consumers. Customers can go somewhere else (to a competitor, for example) and achieve nearly the same search results. What keeps them coming back? Google’s product offering is a sticky service. Specifically, Google knows that “people want access to [their] information wherever they are.” (“Google,” 2011) When someone checks their Gmail account, they know it will be there. They’ve become comfortable with how it works, its reliability, and also with its integration with their calendar(s), contacts, and internet lifestyle. Every Google product is a sticky service, designed to keep customers coming back because they feel they have the best experience they can find.

To illustrate the importance of this point, let’s look at Blogger, Google’s blog software. Anyone, anywhere, anytime can create a blog, and there are hundreds (likely thousands) of starting points and services. How do the high-traffic blogs get that way? How did Google’s Blogger become so popular? Because Google links with services that people already have. Let’s assume Joe, our test dummy, has a Blogger Blog. Joe, with his blog, is already linked to his Gmail account. If Joe wants to post a blog, but he’s away from the computer, that’s no problem. Google has a mobile application for that. Joe wants to share his blog with the world? Joe can advertise it with the click of a button on Facebook. Joe wants to email his blog article to someone? The "Email This" button on his blog sends the link straight from his networked Gmail account. Joe’s feeling the urge to “tweet” his thoughts of grandeur? There’s a Twitter button. Joe’s really wanting to Buzz? You guessed it… there’s a Buzz button. Why would Joe choose to transfer my blog away from this sticky product offering to another blog provider? If he did, he would lose all of these cool, networked, sticky features. This strategy holds true for Google’s advertising products also.

In regards to Google’s advertising technologies, the way Google communicates with its customers is tied directly to their product strategy. Through AdWords, its big money maker, integration of revenue-generating advertisements into users’ search results happen seamlessly. Not only are the advertisements clearly marked as such when a visitor is viewing the page, the advertisement sections are relevant to the search query. In this sense, advertisement in results is not a hindrance or hassle; Google has transformed it into a positive experience that benefits their customers’ interests and the company’s profits.

In the same respect, its subsidiary company YouTube has begun placing advertisements in select videos. If the user finds the ad irrelevant or inconvenient, they can choose to skip it after five seconds. Alternatively, if they find the ad interesting, they can click on it. Again, thinking about the user experience surrounding the product’s strategy, the video pauses and the advertisement opens in a new window.

Amazingly enough, all of Google’s individual consumer products are free. This was an important decision in the pricing strategy because – as detailed earlier – customers are more than happy to shop around. Fortunately, nothing beats a price of free, and a free service that works reliably as described is even more amazing.

When a Google client wishes to advertise their product through Google’s Ad-Sense, they can do so in one of two ways. First, the advertiser can choose to pay a set price per number of impressions. For example, a car company could decide the best way to promote their product is through mass marketing. They could pay Google to show their banner to 1,000 viewers searching for new cars for a flat rate of $2.00. Alternatively, advertisers may want to target a specific market. In this case, the advertiser can choose to pay per click-through. For example, a shampoo company offering free trials could choose to display their banner to women under the age of 40 living in the San Francisco area until 100 people in that target market click on it. At that point, they might pay a flat rate of $2.00. Both options have distinct advantages and disadvantages, and Google allows the advertiser to not only choose the pricing scheme, but also to choose the target market right for their product.

Google’s product implementation in any one country is similar (if not identical) to the offerings in a different country. What is not similar, however, is the response of the native government. In China, for example, portions of Google’s services have been partially or fully blocked in the mainland. (Google Mainland China) Although Google does not explicitly state how this affects revenue from its advertising line, if search results are censored by the government, it can be safely assumed that advertising services are included.

Google’s product offering contains everything users need, including advertising solutions that provide various methods of flexibility for an advertiser and a seamless, non-intrusive user experience. This experience is based upon a solid foundation made of sticky services, forward-thinking product offerings, and a global familiarity known throughout the world. This winning marketing package is known as none other than Google.

References:

Google. “Annual Report”. February 15, 2008.
Google. "Google Mainland China service availability". Google. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
Google. “Our Philosophy”. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.google.com/about/company/tenthings.html
Kuhn, Eric (December 18, 2009). "CNN Politics – Political Ticker... Google unveils top political
searches of 2009". CNN. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
Schofield, Jack (April 17, 2008). "Google angles for business users with 'platform as a service'".
London: Guardian. Retrieved February 2, 2012.