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Block that ad!: reducing Web advertising

By Jon: First published in Online Currents 2002 – 17(5): 20-22

Abstract

There are several types of intrusive Web promotion methods, and an abundance of programs available that claim to be able to stop or limit them. Among the best known and widely used are Pop-Up Stopper, from PanicWare, which disables pop-up windows and Ad-Aware, from [[LavaSoft]], which removes spyware. Both are available in free or paid ‘professional’ versions over the Web. Combined programs and banner ad stoppers are less user-friendly and may cause serious system problems for some users. read more

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Buying and selling on eBay

By Jon: First published in Online Currents 2003 – 18(10) 18-19, 24

Metcalfe’s Law of networks applies also to online auctions: their usefulness increases proportionally to the square of the number of their users. Having seen off its rival Yahoo Auctions, eBay is now the only global auction system with an Australian presence. Yahoo Auctions still lingers on in the USA but its numbers look very small beside eBay’s and its demise surely cannot be far away. For the moment at least, eBay is the online auction site of choice. read more

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Classification versus specific entry in book indexes (PDF)

Classification versus specific entry in book indexes (PDF)

Abstract: The author, a long-standing indexer and teacher of indexing, notes that specific indexing is nowadays generally considered to be the best approach for book indexes, but goes on to look at why specific indexing can cause problems to indexer and user alike, and to examine whether a classified approach still has something to offer.

First published in The Indexer v.28 n.1 March 2010