#google ads account under review

[cool-xtremeads]

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[ms-demeanor]

making my own post because nobody needs my bullshit on their post:

OP:

Reblog 1:

Reblog 2:

My response:

The IRA blogs were here and they were active and they were quite popular; their posting patterns did not match normal tumblr users (i was followed by lagonegirl and followed back only to be put off by the account reblogging the same five or ten posts every hour for a day before selecting another five or ten posts to reblog hourly the next day - it was clear engagement bait).

Tumblr has never been as transparent about these accounts as both Twitter and Facebook were, but several of the accounts had shared names across platforms and you can find a significant amount of data that was released by both facebook (ex: ads purchased by the IRA accounts) and twitter (over three million tweets from IRA accounts). Academic researchers have published papers on the data released from facebook and twitter. Several papers. So many papers. Soooooo many papers. We have a LOT of direct evidence that you can explore for yourself that there were hundreds (possibly thousands) of IRA accounts that were created on Facebook and Twitter. Of those accounts, some shared usernames across platforms, and of those accounts, a few had tumblr accounts that posted the same content on twitter and tumblr.

To quote a buzzfeed news article from the time:

The Russian-run Tumblr accounts used the same, or very similar, usernames as the account names contained on a list of confirmed IRA accounts Twitter submitted to congressional investigators. In some cases, the Tumblr and Twitter account has the same profile image or linked to each other in their bios. Some IRA Tumblrs and Twitter accounts also cross-promoted content between platforms, further linking them together.

Current tumblr user @ alwaysbewoke (who I don't want to tag because I'm sure he's got better things to do) is interviewed in that article and talks about following one of the blogs identified by tumblr as an IRA blog that had a matching account on twitter identified as an IRA account but unfollowing when the left-leaning blog supposedly run by a black creator started rooting for trump in the election.

Dr. Jonathan Albright is heavily quoted in the article; the data review he collaborated on is one of the only reviews of this subject that includes data from Tumblr and Reddit.

One of the claims that I've seen is that tumblr just deleted funny black people, but these were blogs with thousands of followers on tumblr who never recreated, never popped up on another social media site, never started a reddit account after getting banned; nobody ever showed up saying "hey this is 4mysquad, I got banned on tumblr and twitter, follow me to pillowfort". These very popular blogs got deleted and, as far as I know, nobody ever popped up claiming to be a person who was deleted - and it's not like tumblr users haven't figured out how to evade bans.

What you are doing when you make posts saying that the IRA accounts on tumblr never existed is *absolving tumblr of guilt for their utter lack of transparency.*

Tumblr is not the only tech company that has tried to fly under the radar as its larger counterparts face regular scrutiny in Congress and in the press. Earlier this month, Reddit revealed it too had deleted hundreds of accounts with ties to the Internet Research Agency. A WIRED investigation found more than a thousand links to Russian propaganda websites are still live on Reddit, and unearthed two suspicious accounts that Reddit immediately shut down.

So should you believe what Tumblr says? No, because Tumblr has been functionally fucking silent on this issue and the information about this subject aside from the list of blogs has come from the hard work of data scientists, journalists, and researchers.

(For the record; some of those bot accounts that were recorded by Dr. Albright also had Google+ accounts in 2017 - there is every possibility that they had myspace accounts).

Now, the reason that I'm popping onto this post as an annoyed anarchist is that I was tracking a similar group of blogs for a while and was discussing them and I stopped precisely because of the galaxy-brained liberals who are now trying to dunk on communists for criticizing electoralism. One of the people who was following my project was one of the ones who started calling out the "joe biden kills dogs" posts as disinfo and I realized they were using some of the guidelines I'd written up to "identify" misinformation and that is very a rock fucking stupid approach to what was clearly a leftist making jokes and was horrified and realized there was no way that I could continue documenting what I was documenting without someone attempting to call actual leftists russian bots.

I've seen the post that OP is referencing [it's one where someone makes a very obvious joke about the democrat presidential ticket and people jump on to call them a bot and then someone tries to do the "AI tell me a story" thing and OP is just like "I don't want to :(", proving that they are in fact a person and not an AI] and have deeply enjoyed the humor of watching liberals a) not understand a very, VERY obvious joke and b) become the unwitting butt of a joke they were trying to make, but also I am so exhausted by watching normie dems call leftists AI bots after years of watching normie dems call real live actual leftists who hold actual political views that real people actually have, like prison abolition, russian bots.

But I am also so fucking tired of left conspiracism and how stupid it sounds when leftists dismiss a preponderance of evidence that is easily accessible and publicly available for analysis as "lol so you just trust everything tumblr tells you?"

No, dipshit, learn to click a fucking link or twelve.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Kickstarting the Red Team Blues audiobook, which Amazon won't sell (read by Wil Wheaton!)

Red Team Blues is my next novel, a post-cyberpunk anti-finance finance thriller; it’s a major title for my publishers Tor Books and Head of Zeus, and it’s swept the trade press with starred reviews all ‘round. Despite all that, Audible will not sell the audiobook. In fact, Audible won’t sell any of my audiobooks. Instead, I have to independently produce them and sell them through Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/21/anti-finance-finance-thriller/#marty-hench

Audible is Amazon’s monopoly audiobook platform. It has a death-grip on the audiobook market, commanding more than 90% of genre audiobook sales, and every single one of those audiobooks is sold with Amazon’s DRM on it. That means that you can’t break up with Amazon without throwing away those audiobooks. Under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, I can’t give you a tool to convert my own copyrighted audiobooks to a non-Amazon format. Doing so is a felony carrying a five year prison sentence and a $500,000 fine for an act that in no way infringes anyone’s copyright! Indeed, merely infringing copyright is much less illegal than removing Amazon’s mandatory DRM from my own books!

I’ve got amazing publishers who support my crusade against DRM, but they’re not charities. If they can’t sell my audiobooks on the platform that represents 90% of the market, they’re not going to make audio editions at all. Instead, I make my own audiobooks, using brilliant voice actors like Amber Benson and @neil-gaiman​, and I sell them everywhere except Audible.

Doing this isn’t cheap: I’m paying for an incredible studio (Skyboat Media), a world-class director (Gabrielle de Cuir), top-notch sound editing and mastering, and, of course, killer narrators. And while indie audiobook platforms like Libro.fm and downpour.com are amazing, the brutal fees extracted by Apple and Google on app sales means that users have to jump through a thousand hoops to shop with indie stores. Most audiobook listeners don’t even know that these stores exist: if a title isn’t available on Audible, they assume no audiobook exists.

That’s where Kickstarter comes in: twice now, I’ve crowdfunded presales of my audiobooks through KS, and these campaigns were astoundingly successful, smashing records and selling thousands of audiobooks. These campaigns didn’t just pay my bills (especially during lockdown, when our household income plunged), but they also showed other authors that it was possible to evade Amazon’s monopoly chokepoint and sell books that aren’t sticky-traps for Audible’s walled garden/prison:

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/cory-doctorow/article/90282-we-wrote-a-book-about-why-audible-won-t-sell-our-book-and-snuck-it-onto-audible.html

And today, I’m launching the Kickstarter for Red Team Blues, and even by the standards of my previous efforts, I think this one’s gonna be incredible.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell

For starters, there’s the narrator: @wilwheaton​, whose work on my previous books is outstanding, hands-down my favorite (don’t tell my other narrators! They’re great too!):

https://wilwheaton.net/

Beyond Wil’s narration, there’s the subject matter. The hero of Red Team Blues is a hard-charging forensic accountant who’s untangled every Silicon Valley finance scam since he fell in love with spreadsheets as as a MIT freshman, dropped out, got his CPA ticket, and moved west. Now, at the age of 67, Marty Hench is ready to retire, but a dear old friend — a legendary cryptographer — drags him back for one last job — locating the stolen keys to the backdoor he foolishly hid in a cryptocurrency that’s worth more than a billion dollars.

That’s the starting gun for a “grabby next-Tuesday thriller” that sees Marty in between three-letter agencies and international crime syndicates, all of whom view digital technology as a carrier medium for scams, violence and predation. Marty’s final adventure involves dodgy banks, crooked crypto, and complicit officials in a fallen paradise where computers’ libertory promise has been sucked dry by billionaire vampires.

It’s a pretty contemporary story, in other words.

I wrote this one before SVB, before Sam Bankman0Fried and FTX — just like I wrote Little Brother before Snowden’s revelations. It’s not that I’m prescient — fortune-telling is a fatalist’s delusion — it’s that these phenomena are just the most spectacular, most recent examples in a long string of ghastly and increasingly dire scandals.

Red Team Blues blasted out of my fingertips in six weeks flat, during lockdown, when technology was simultaneously a lifeline, connecting us to one another during our enforced isolation; and a tool of predatory control, as bossware turned our “work from home” into “live at work.”

The last time I wrote a book that quickly, it was Little Brother, and, as with Little Brother, Red Team Blues is a way of working out my own anxieties and hopes for technology on the page, in story.

These books tap into a nerve. I knew I had something special in my hands when, the night after I finished the first draft, I rolled over at 2AM to find my wife sitting up in bed, reading.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I had to find out how it ended,” she answered.

The next day, my editor sent me a four-line email:

That. Was. A! Fucking! Ride! Whoa!

Within a week, he’d bought Red Team Blues…and two sequels. I finished writing the second of these on Monday, and all three are coming out in the next 22 months. It’s gonna be a wild ride.

Kickstarter backers can get the usual goodies: DRM-free audiobooks and ebooks, hardcovers (including signed and personalized copies), and three very special, very limited-run goodies.

First, there’s naming rights for characters in the sequels — I’m selling three of these; they’re a form of cheap (or at least, reasonably priced) literary immortality for you or a loved one. The sequels are a lot of fun — they go in reverse chronology, and the next one is The Bezzle, out in Feb 2024, a book about prison-tech scams, crooked LA County Sheriff’s Deputy gangs, and real-estate scumbags turned techbros.

The third book is Picks and Shovels (Jan 2025), and it’s Marty’s first adventure after he comes west to San Francisco and ends up working for the bad guys, an affinity scam PC company called “Three Wise Men” that’s run by a Mormon bishop, a Catholic priest and an orthodox rabbi who fleece their faithful with proprietary, underpowered computers and peripherals, and front for some very bad, very violent money-men.

Next, there’s three Marty Hench short story commissions: the Hench stories are machines for turning opaque finance scams into technothrillers. While finance bros use MEGO (“my eyes glaze over”) as a weapon to bore their marks into submission, I use the same performative complexity as the engines of taut detective stories. Commissioning a Hench story lets you turn your favorite MEGO scam into a science fiction story, which I’ll then shop to fiction websites (every story I’ve written for the past 20 years has sold, though in the event that one of these doesn’t, I’ll put it up under a CC license).

Finally, there’s a super-ultra-limited deluxe hardcover edition — and I do mean limited, just four copies! These leather-bound editions have Will Staehle’s fantastic graphic motif embossed in their covers, and the type design legend John D Berry is laying out the pages so that there’s space for a hidden cavity. Nestled in that cavity is a hand-bound early draft edition of The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues. The binding is being done by the fantastic book-artist John DeMerritt. Each copy’s endpapers will feature a custom cryptographic puzzle created especially for it by the cryptographer Bruce Schneier.

I often hear from readers who want to thank me for the work I do, from the free podcast I’ve put out since 2006 to the free, CC BY columns I’ve written for Pluralistic for the past three years. There is no better way to thank me than to back this Kickstarter and encourage your friends to do the same:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell

Preselling a ton of audiobooks, ebooks, and print books is a huge boost to the book on its launch — incomparable, really. Invaluable.

What’s more, helping me find a viable way to produce popular, widely heard audiobooks without submitting to Amazon’s DRM lock-in sets an example for other creators and publishers: we have a hell of a collective action problem to solve, but if we could coordinate a response to Audible demanding the right to decide whether our work should have their DRM, it would force Audible to treat all of us — creators, publishers and listeners — more fairly.

I’ll be heading out on tour to the US, Canada, the UK and Germany once the book is out. I’m really looking forward to as many backers in person as I can! Thank you for your support over these many long years — and for your support on this Kickstarter.

Today (Mar 22), I’m doing a remote talk for the Institute for the Future’s “Changing the Register” series.

[Image ID: A graphic showing a phone playing the Red Team Blues audiobok, along with a quote from Booklist, 'Jam-packed with cutting-edge ideas about cybersecurity and crypto. Another winner from an sf wizard.']

[olderthannetfic]

God.

You know about the recent semi-wank about the unofficial AO3 app? Got people railing up because the dev introduced a "fee" so people can keep reading fucking free fanfiction. Apparently we did learn nothing about the AO3 App Wars years ago.

But the funniest shit I saw is that, I went to the play store and read the reviews, just to see if people were already screaming or something. But I forgot to log in my English account so I ended up seeing the Spanish ones and my god, the dev is also a arrogant POS. One person added the following comment (translated by google because I'm pretty sure that's what the dev used): "It would be nice if you found an option to change the language of the fics". Basically, the person was asking for a translator IN the app. And the dev had the balls to answers "why should I be the one learning Spanish when you coule be the one learning English?".

That's not what the person said. Like not even the BAD translation SAYS that. But oh well, nothing new under the sun of arrogant usamericans being weird about other languages existing.

The person should have avoided that horrible experience with the dev if they used the site since the beginning. But that response was so fucking uncalled for, my god.

Also don't give the dev money????? It's "just" a dollar but like, you don't even have to pay a cent if you use the damn website.

--

I had no idea there was new app wank. Delicious!

[mariacallous]

About three years ago, some of Google’s security engineers came to company attorneys with a gigantic mess.

The security team had discovered that Google unwittingly was enabling the spread of malicious software known as Glupteba. The malware had corrupted more than 1 million Windows computers, turning them into vehicles to mine cryptocurrency and spy on users. By hijacking Google accounts, purchasing Google ads to lure in users, and misusing Google cloud tools, the hackers behind the operation were on their way to infecting even more computers.

Tech giants such as Google long have had a playbook for destroying botnets like Glupteba. They call up fellow companies and US authorities and together coordinate a massive takedown operation. Sometimes, the cops file criminal charges. But this time around, Google’s legal team recommended an approach that the company hadn’t pursued in years: Sue the hackers for money.

The eventual lawsuit against two Russian men and a dozen unnamed individuals allegedly behind Glupteba would be the first of a run of at least eight cases that Google has filed against various hackers and scammers, adding to a sporadic few filings in the past. The tactic, which Google calls affirmative litigation, is meant to scare off would-be fraudsters and generate public awareness about scams. Now, for the first time, Google is opening up about this strategy.

Leaders of Google’s security and legal teams tell WIRED they believe going after people in court has paid off. Google hasn’t yet lost a case; it has collected almost all of the more than $2 million that it has won through the legal process, and forced hundreds of companies or websites to shut down. The awards are trivial to Google and its parent Alphabet, a $2 trillion company, but can be devastating for the defendants.

“We’re disrupting bad actors and deterring future activity, because it’s clear that the consequences and the costs are high,” says Chester Day, lead of the three-person “litigation advance” team at Google that’s focused on taking people to court. Google, he adds, is “making it clear that we’re willing to invest our resources into taking action to protect our users.”

Google blog posts and similar content about the lawsuits and the underlying scams have drawn more than 1 billion views, according to the company. Google representatives say that the awareness increases vigilance among consumers and shrinks the pool of vulnerable targets. “Educating people about how these crimes work may be the best thing we can do to stop the crime,” says Harold Chun, director of Google’s security legal team.

Several Big Tech companies have pursued affirmative litigation, though not necessarily under that name and with varying strategies. Microsoft has filed more than two dozen lawsuits since 2008 with a focus on securing court permission to dismantle botnets and other hacking tools. Amazon has been a prolific complainant since 2018, filing at least 42 cases over counterfeit products, 38 for reviews fraud, three for copyright abuse, and, recently, two for bogus product returns. Amazon has been filing so many counterfeit cases, in fact, that the federal court in western Washington assigned three magistrate judges to focus on them.

Since 2019, Meta has filed at least seven counterfeiting or data theft cases, with settlements or default judgments in four so far, including one in which it won nearly $300,000 in damages. Like Meta, Apple has sued Israeli spyware developer NSO Group for alleged hacking. (NSO is fighting the lawsuits. Trials are scheduled for next year.)

Some attorneys who’ve studied how the private sector uses litigation to enforce the law are skeptical about the payoff for the plaintiffs. David Noll, a Rutgers University law professor and author of a forthcoming book on state-supported private enforcement, Vigilante Nation, says it’s difficult to imagine that companies could bring the volume of cases needed to significantly stop abuse. “The fact that there is a small chance you might be named in a suit isn’t really going to deter you,” he says.

Noll believes the big risk is that Google and other tech companies could be burdening the court system with cases that ultimately secure some favorable headlines but do less to make the internet safer than the companies could achieve through investing in better antifraud measures.

Still, of the six outside legal experts who spoke to WIRED, all of them say that overall Google deserves credit for complementing the work of underfunded government agencies that are struggling to rein in online abuse. At an estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars per case, it’s a low-risk endeavor for the tech giant, former prosecutors say.

“Reliable and regular enforcement when folks step outside the law brings us closer to a society where less of us are harmed,” says Kathleen Morris, resident scholar of law at UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies. “This is healthy and robust collaboration on law enforcement by the public and private sectors.”

Google’s general counsel, Halimah DeLaine Prado, tells WIRED she wants to send a message to other companies that the corporate legal department can do more than be the team that says “no” to wild ideas. “Legal can be a proactive protector,” she says.

Marketing Scams

DeLaine Prado says that from its earliest days, Google has considered pursuing litigation against people abusing its platforms and intellectual property. But the first case she and other leaders within Google recall filing was in 2015. Google accused Local Lighthouse, a California marketing company, of placing robocalls to dupe small businesses into paying to improve their ranking in search results. Google alleged trademark infringement, unfair competition, and false advertising. As part of a settlement, Lighthouse stopped the problematic calls.

Since then, Google has filed complaints against five similar allegedly scammy marketers, with three of them ending in settlements so far. A Florida business and its owners agreed to pay Google $850,000, and a Los Angeles man who allegedly posted 14,000 fake reviews on Google Maps agreed to stop. Terms of the third deal, with an Illinois company, were not disclosed in court files, but Google spokesperson José Castañeda says it involved a seven-figure payment to Google.

Castañeda says Google has donated all the money it has collected to recipients such as the Better Business Bureau Institute, the National Consumers League, Partnership to End Addiction, Cybercrime Support Network, and various US chambers of commerce.

Another genre of cases has targeted individuals submitting false copyright complaints to Google to get content removed from the company’s services. A man in Omaha, Nebraska, whom Google accused of falsely claiming ownership of YouTube videos to extort money from their real owners, agreed to pay $25,000 to Google. Two individuals in Vietnam sued by Google never responded—a common issue.

In 2022, Google won default judgment against an individual in Cameroon who never responded to charges that he was using Gmail to scam people into paying for fake puppies, including a $700 basset hound. After the lawsuit, complaints about the scammer dried up, according to Google.

But legal experts say the most fascinating cases of Google’s affirmative litigation are four that it filed against alleged computer hackers. The suits emerged after months of investigation into Glupteba.

Security engineers at Google realized that eradicating Glupteba through the typical approach of taking down associated servers would be difficult. The hackers behind it had designed a backup system involving a blockchain that enabled Glupteba to resurrect itself and keep pilfering away.

That’s in part why Google’s attorneys suggested suing. Chun, the security legal director, had pursued cases against botnets as a federal prosecutor. “I thought this would be something good to do from a civil angle for a company as well,” he says. “Law enforcement agencies have limits on what they can do. And Google has a large voice and the litigation capacity.”

Chun and other attorneys cautioned their bosses that the hackers might use the lawsuit to reverse engineer Google’s investigation methods and make Glupteba more evasive and resilient. But ultimately, DeLaine Prado, who has final say over lawsuits, signed off. Chun says his former colleagues from the government applauded the complaint.

Google sued Dmitry Starovikov and Alexander Filippov, alleging that they were the Russia-based masterminds behind Glupteba after linking websites associated with the virus to Google accounts in their name. The search giant accused the duo (and unknown co-conspirators) of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. The lawsuit also alleged a trademark law violation for hiding Glupteba in a tool that claimed to download videos from YouTube.

Google argued that it had suffered substantial harm, having never received payment for ads it had sold to the hackers, who allegedly were using fraudulent credit cards. Users also had their experiences with Google services degraded, putting them at risk and impairing the value of the company’s brand, according to the lawsuit.

In court papers, Starovikov and Filippov stated they learned of the lawsuit only through friends and then decided to hire a New York attorney, Igor Litvak, to fight on their behalf. The defendants initially offered innocent explanations for their software related to Glupteba and said that their projects had not targeted the US market. At one point, they countersued Google for $10 million, and at another, they allegedly demanded $1 million each to hand over the keys to shut down the botnet. They eventually denied the allegations against them.

Following an ordeal over whether the defendants could obtain Russian passports, sit for depositions in Europe, and turn over work files, Google’s attorneys and Litvak traded accusations of lying. In 2022, US district judge Denise Cote sided with Google. She found in a 48-page ruling that the defendants “intentionally withheld information” and “misrepresented their willingness and ability” to disclose it to “avoid liability and further profit” from Glupteba. “The record here is sufficient to find a willful attempt to defraud the Court,” Cote wrote.

Cote sanctioned Litvak, and he agreed to pay Google $250,000 in total through 2027 to settle. The jurist also ordered Starovikov and Filippov to pay nearly $526,000 combined to cover Google’s attorneys fees. Castañeda says Google has received payment from all three.

Litvak tells WIRED that he still disagrees with the judge's findings and that Russia’s strained relationship with the US may have weighed on whom the judge trusted. “It’s telling that after I filed a motion to reconsider, pointing out serious issues with the court’s decision, the court went back on its original decision and referred [the] case to mediation, which ended with … me not having to admit to doing anything wrong,” he says in an email.

Google’s Castañeda says the case achieved the intended effect: The Russian hackers stopped misusing Google services and shut down their marketplace for stolen logins, while the number of Glupteba-infected computers fell 78 percent.

Not every case delivers measurable results. Defendants in Google’s other three hacking cases haven’t responded to the accusations. That led to Google last year winning default judgment against three individuals in Pakistan accused of infecting more than 672,000 computers by masquerading malware as downloads of Google’s Chrome browser. Unopposed victories are also expected in the remaining cases, including one in which overseas app developers allegedly stole money through bogus investment apps and are being sued for violating YouTube Community Guidelines.

Royal Hansen, Google’s vice president for privacy, safety, and security engineering, says lawsuits that don’t result in defendants paying up or agreeing to stop the alleged misuse still can make alleged perpetrators’ lives more difficult. Google uses the rulings as evidence to persuade businesses such as banks and cloud providers to cut off the defendants. Other hackers might not want to work with them knowing they have been outed. Defendants also could be more cautious about crossing international borders and becoming newly subject to scrutiny from local authorities. “That’s a win as well,” Hansen says.

More to Come

These days, Google’s small litigation advance team meets about twice a week with other units across the company to discuss potential lawsuits. They weigh whether a case could set a helpful precedent to give extra teeth to Google’s policies or draw awareness to an emerging threat.

Team leader Day says that as Google has honed its process, filing cases has become more affordable. That should lead to more lawsuits each year, including some for the first time potentially filed outside the US or representing specific users who have been harmed, he says.

The tech giants' ever-sprawling empires leave no shortage of novel cases to pursue. Google’s sibling company Waymo recently adopted the affirmative litigation approach and sued two people who allegedly smashed and slashed its self-driving taxis. Microsoft, meanwhile, is weighing cases against people using generative AI technology for malicious or fraudulent purposes, says Steven Masada, assistant general counsel of the company’s Digital Crimes Unit.

The questions remain whether the increasing cadence of litigation has left cybercriminals any bit deterred and whether a broader range of internet companies will go on the legal offense.

Erin Bernstein, who runs the California office of Bradley Bernstein Sands, a law firm that helps governments pursue civil lawsuits, says she recently pitched a handful of companies across industries on doing their own affirmative litigation. Though none have accepted her offer, she’s optimistic. “It will be a growing area,” Bernstein says.

But Google’s DeLaine Prado hopes affirmative litigation eventually slows. “In a perfect world, this work would disappear over time if it’s successful,” she says. “I actually want to make sure that our success kind of makes us almost obsolete, at least as it relates to this type of work.”

[katkeyboardmastah]

The Young Xehanort inconsistencies

Originally posted: September 3rd 2022.

I want to slowly migrate some of my Kingdom Hearts lore musings instead of just sharing links:

Speaking of links, the original Google doc version of this post can be read HERE.

First up! The YMX doc that I had made after playing through the remainder of Dark Road's story.

Disclaimer: I will only reference material such as in-game cutscenes, interviews and Ultimanias, so other supplementary pieces such as the novels and the like will not be considered. Everything written here is my own personal interpretation. Interview translations were done by KHInsider.

Putting everything else under the cut cuz boy this is gonna be a long one-

First of all, let us review the updated timeline provided by KHDR itself:

----------------------------------------------------

So, Kingdom Hearts Dark Road did not shed light on a couple of things, Xehanort’s eyes becoming golden being just one example. While I cannot say anything concrete about the hows and whys behind the fact that his eye colour changes at some point in time, I CAN, however, make an educated guess as to why the time-travelling Young Xehanort seems to flip flop between gold and silver eyes.

(Xehanort throughout time: 9 years ago, KHDR’s story, 7 years later and 54 years later)

Xehanort’s eyes are naturally silver throughout his youth. Chronologically, the first instance we see him with golden eyes, if we rule out time-travel, is when he is already in his late years, as an old man, 54 years AFTER KHDR. The latest point in time shown to us before that era is when Xehanort leaves Scala Ad Caelum, 7 years AFTER KHDR’s main story. Meaning, the point in which Xehanort’s eyes change colour can be ANYWHERE between age 22/23 and 69/70, assuming the Xehanort in the main campaign is 15/16 years old (if we take Nomura’s statement from TGS 2018, that old man Xehanort is around 80 into account).

Here’s the big kicker though: What about the time-travelling Young Xehanort? In both KHDDD and KHIII his eyes are gold. But then you might say: Well, maybe he was pulled from that blank period of time you just mentioned, his early 20s onwards? The problem with that is the fact that the encounter between Xehanort and the Master of Masters takes place only ONE YEAR after the main events of KHDR. Additionally, in the second part of that very same encounter Xehanort implies that he has already time-travelled at least once:

The MoM: Sounds like you already know where you’re headed. YX: It’s funny. Somehow, I can sense where I’m supposed to go, and what I’m supposed to do. Yes, even this coat, there’s something familiar about it, as if I’m meant to wear this.

This corresponds with what he told Sora in KHDDD:

Since in both KHIIIRM’s and KHDR’s version of the scene his eyes are silver, this means that upon time-travelling they become gold but upon returning they go back to silver. My answer for this ‘switch’ can only be the following:

YX: I will return to my time, and grow into the man who becomes all these others. While I know this future now that I have lived it, returning to my own time will erase the memories and experiences I have gained here. Still my appointed path is now etched in my heart, which will first lead me to seek the outside world. (will return to this part later in the post)

The old man Xehanort gave Young Xehanort a piece of his heart.

Which sounds kinda ridiculous (even for KH standards), but I can prove that might be the case. Let’s remember who makes up KHIII’s true Organization XIII:

The recompleted Master Xehanort, the version furthest on the timeline;

The recompleted people turned once more into Nobodies: Xigbar, Saix, Marluxia, Larxene, Luxord, Demyx and Vexen. The last two being reserve members;

The versions of Xehanort pulled from the past but came to be after KHBBS-era Master Xehanort: Terra-Xehanort, Xemnas and Ansem Seeker of Darkness;

The non-Xehanort characters pulled from the past: Vanitas, Xion and Dark Riku (Replitwo);

The first of the Xehanorts, the Xehanort of the most distant past: Young Xehanort.

You can see that none of the other members aside from YX originate from a time before KHBBS. And as it is now established, this iteration did not originally have golden eyes. To add onto that, as stated in group 4, these 3 were the only characters that travelled to the future by having their hearts be placed inside replicas and are not a version of Xehanort. Vanitas is debatable because we don’t  know if he had that eye colour inherently even when his face changed to reflect Sora’s or was it because of old man Xehanort. The statement about Vanitas originally having red eyes while he was still faceless does not apply because its source is solely the KHBBS novel, which is not canon material. Replitwo’s change is more noticeable since you can directly compare him with the original Riku Replica who even appears in the same scene as him at the very end. As for Xion’s change, it’s only visible if you bump up the brightness while her face is not fully covered or mod out the shadow cast by her hood. If there is a need for official confirmation that these 3 characters do come from the past look no further than this chart from the KHIII Ultimania:

Do note that ‘eliminated’ can also refer to simply returning to their own time period but ceasing to exist in KHIII’s time as it’s said in Young Xehanort’s section of the very same chart.

Ok but, why would there be any need for this. Simple, that version of Xehanort was not ready to handle the darkness the same way old man Xehanort does yet. He needed the Black Coat or the armour or any other form of protection. And as seen in KHDR itself, were it not for the MoM saving him in the Dark Corridor, he would have perished. The following lines from the second encounter cement this further:

The MoM: No… you’ll ditch it soon. YX: What do you mean? The MoM: I mean that one day you’re going to outgrow it. YX: How so? The MoM: If you truly possess great power, the darkness can’t control you. You won’t need a silly old coat to stay safe. In fact, you’ll be the one controlling the darkness instead.

It wouldn’t seem far-fetched either knowing that the explanation behind the Young Xehanort boss fight at the end of KHDDD that the Ultimania provides is this:

Question: Did King Mickey’s time magic not work properly on Young Xehanort because Young Xehanort has the power to control time? Nomura’s answer: Not Young Xehanort’s but rather Master Xehanort’s power. King Mickey was surprised at the time, seeing his Keyblade and noticing he harboured the power of Master Xehanort…

Additionally, aside from King Mickey, Master Xehanort and Young Xehanort are the only other characters who directly take note of Sora’s reckless usage of the Power of Waking in KHIII and KHIIIRM, meaning that at the very least, YX was imparted with such knowledge as well the power to transcend time, which he receives from potato sack Ansem SoD.

The secret endings to KHRe:Coded in the KH HD II.5 Remix collection are another piece of evidence, because we see YX already in place before KHDDD begins, ready to gather the remaining vessels. Meanwhile, since both Ansem SoD and Xemnas have been vanquished, Master Xehanort should by now exist at this point in time as himself given how the same thing has happened with the other ex-Nobodies of the Organization.

To add onto that video we finally have a confirmation from Nomura himself that yes, the design used in KHDR that depicts Young Xehanort’s time on the Destiny Islands is the correct version while the one used in KHBBS and KHDDD is outdated according the most recent Q&A:

Now here’s the funny part. When did Young Xehanort time-travel? Or a better question, if KHDR has revealed that his initial encounter with potato sack Ansem SoD was not the point from which he began his journey to the future but rather his what led him to Scala Ad Caelum… did he encounter him again at some point which finally did spur him to time-travel?

Sonny Novus made a video about how fleshing out Xehanort’s backstory by deaging him even further caused more problems in hindsight and I believe it still holds up so I recommend watching it if you haven’t done so by now.

Question: In previous titles, we saw the Xehanort who leaves Destiny Islands as a young man. He seems a lot younger in KHDR. Nomura’s answer: KHDR presents the correct version. For previous games, we used the young man model we already had as a catch-all symbolic representation of "his youth," in order to save cost modelling a young boy version. In KHIII, they were specifically split. I'd like you to interpret it as the symbolic representation becoming a rich one.

So the only time Young Xehanort could time-travel to the future while still having a consistent design with the one we see in KHDDD and KHIII can be anywhere between the point he changes his hairstyle and his second encounter with the MoM that takes place 1 year after KHDR’s main campaign. Thus, confirming that he could not have possibly transcended time after his first encounter with potato sack Ansem SoD. While it does go in line with the implication that at the time, Xehanort did not realise he was talking to a version of himself, it still contradicts another line in KHDDD by suggest that his now forgotten time-travelling escapades were not the reason he sought out the outside world by rather his dreams of the Player’s life (or lives).

YX: Still my appointed path is now etched in my heart, which will first lead me to seek the outside world.

Putting this contradiction aside, there should have been a second encounter between these two during that 1 year year interval. Either YX found his way back to Destiny Islands or has met potato sack Ansem SoD somewhere else, realising that he is a future version of himself, which would finally spur him to travel forward in time.

Now let’s address the other elephant in the room, Young Xehanort’s Keyblade. We still do not have an official name for it but what we do know is that it’s supposed to be No Name (the goat themed Keyblade) with the hourglass keychain you can see on No Name (the Keyblade you receive after defeating Mysterious Figure aka. Young Xehanort in the Land of Departure).

Nomura: That Keyblade was designed as the one Master Xehanort used in KHBBS combined with an hourglass, you see. (KHDDD Ultimania)

It’s weird, because you can easily interpret that scene in KHDDD as him technically borrowing MX’s. Not to mention that he does not use a Keyblade at all in his fight as the Mysterious Figure in KHBBS. But come KHIII and KHDR, where in the former, YX still uses his unique Keyblade, while in the latter he uses the nameless default Keyblade of that era (KHML has its own default Keyblade too judging from the footage) even during his encounters with the MoM. Let’s try to wrap our heads around this without just saying it’s a retcon that we should move on from:

Nomura changing his mind about plot beats and having genuine oversights is nothing new, there are more examples in this series one could ever hope for, like the eye colour switch that started this whole document. If you recall, the first time we have ever seen an even younger version of Xehanort was in KHIII’s E3 2015 trailer (man I feel old), where his eyes were gold. And in the finalised version of the same scene, his eyes have been changed to silver.

Ok, so let’s say that from YX’s own youth, without his time-travelling escapades, he wields the default Keyblade all the way until him and Eraqus become Keyblade Masters 6 years after KHDR’s main campaign, then they inherit No Name and Master’s Defender respectively to use them from that point onwards. Now winding back to the interval of about 1 year between the ending of KHDR and YX’s meeting with the MoM, you can say that he somehow gains another unique Keyblade upon travelling to the KHDDD era and decides to stick with it in KHIII as well. The time of KHBBS in which he travels to become the Mysterious Figure in order to grab Vanitas for the true Organization XIII, you can maybe stretch it and say that he possibly has foregone that unique Keyblade (or any at all) during that particular fight, much like how Xemnas does throughout the whole series despite also having the ability.

From that you can guess that Nomura reconsidered the meaning of the golden eyes. Because from DDD (not counting BBS since that game only implied it) up until KHIII, when someone would have that colour it would mean they were a vessel of Xehanort or, if we are to use the fan-coined term, ‘norted’. I think we all collectively assumed that Anti-Aqua was actually one of the 13 vessels when she was revealed in KHIII’s Frozen trailer in E3 2018, only for that to not have been the case at all. If anyone needs a refresher for her Gummiphone entry:

Anti-Aqua: Aqua, after she fell to darkness. Years and years of wandering through the realm of darkness ended with her being cast into the watery depths beyond its margin.

Sure, for the members of the true Organization you can say that this still applies (again, Vanitas being debatable) but it’s not exclusively golden eyes = Xehanort’s influence anymore. It’s as if they are meant to represent darkness like they have been prior to KHDDD. And this change sort of makes sense, since the story’s focus is shifting heavily to be about the primordial darknesses and shifting back to how one can fall to darkness due to strong negative emotions. One can conclude that maybe Xehanort’s eyes have changed from silver to gold over time due to him actively trying to become a “dark vessel” as seen in KHDR, and that subsequently, since he has gained them, they have become a trait of his other selves. A parallel to this scenario is how the characters on the protagonist's side associate the Black Coat with the Organization even though, in truth, it dates back much further back into the past.

Like I’ve said before, KHDR did not manage to cover and explain every single facet of Xehanort’s life, for better or for worse. However, it did give a lot of context to preexisting scenes and other character moments in the series, and I think it did a good job at that. As for the remaining mysteries such as the now discussed golden eyes, the fate of Scala Ad Caelum and more, depends entirely on whether or not Nomura wants to or has the chance to flesh out, much like how KHDR’s existence itself was once in a lifetime opportunity to dive deeper into the mind of one of the most important antagonists in the series.

I know what you're probably thinking: the Dark Seeker Saga, which depicted the battle against Xehanort, finished with KINGDOM HEARTS III, didn't it? Well, it's a grey area, but I wouldn't call this title part of the Dark Seeker Saga. Why? Because this isn't about battling against Xehanort—it's about the battles of Xehanort.And maybe you're thinking that's a bit of a reach, but… okay, maybe it's a bit of a reach. However, I had the concept in my head for many years. It got shelved because it never really fitted what our team wanted. But around then, I heard from the Union X team that they'd like to do a parallel title with a new protagonist. And, since it seemed there was an unexpected number of Xehanort fans out there, it all came together like it was destined to be. I do tend to believe in destiny. (Tetsuya Nomura on the launch of KHDR in June 2020)

Author’s note: Sorry if this turned out to be more of a ramble than an actual theory post but… I wanted to say that… I feel content with this story, even without the answers I may have wanted. I still thoroughly enjoyed following Xehanort’s journey from start to finish, which made me like him more as a character even. Anyhow… thank you for bearing with me and I hope you have a wonderful day!

[daemonhxckergrrl]

re: your ask from greyr4t about win10: as you said in your answer its free, just needs a key for 'activation.' ime activating win10 has been worth it. like you mentioned, it isnt strictly necessary, one can make do fine in a somewhat limited capacity with the watermark in the corner forever (unless your monitor is an OLED then have fun with 100% guaranteed screen burn in lmao. or unless always seeing it enrages you disproportionately. as in my case). but having windows activated is honestly just nice, it makes many things easier and is more sustainable in the long run... worth the extremely minor hassle as like a QoL thing imo. you also brought up that its possible to circumvent microsoft (and its brazenly insane asking prices 🤬) & buy cheap keys online from third parties. i wanted to talk about how i did shit, hopefully it helps the original asker directly or at least comes in handy to know

so i bought my (shady bootleg, yes, but perfectly functional for years now) win10 activation key for even cheaper than what Synthia listed as a price point- iirc, under 5 bucks USD. (might be higher now w inflation, but id be surprised if its much more than around 10.) if things still work how they used to, you can do this on ebay. technically ebays policies dont allow it, so the accounts selling these keys come and go frequently due to getting shut down by ebay after popping up. thus, dont necessarily be put off if the seller hasnt existed for long, as often thats just how it goes (or it did. hopefully this sort of thing is still going strong🤞); do trust happy reviews. now, there are a few TYPES of activation keys– priced slightly different, nothing big– that correspond to different editions of windows 10. so basically its home edition, pro edition, and "pro for workstations". might be worth finding a brief summary of each to determine which edition best meets your needs. (there are more editions beyond the main trio, look into those too if you want, but the tldr on em is theyre for like niche markets w/ highly specific use cases.) fwiw, i got pro & am happy with it. another thing, from personal experience: may or may not be obvious but you're gonna wanna save a screenshot of your key somewhere safe and accessible. additionally though, label the screenshot somehow so you know what it is later, and if youre a disorganized scatterbrain like i am then put that in multiple places you can reliably access so if/when youre having trouble tracking it down you know where else to look; it came in handy for me to have access to it in places both online (cloud storage like google drive or dropbox for example, or even just saving the email copy of the ebay mssg in the designated folder in your email for the ones containing info you wanna save) & off (physical note on paper, stored in the files on one or more personal devices, etc). theres a huge chance youll need it again in the future– like say if you want to upgrade certain hardware– and likely more than once. final advice: highly recommend looking into comprehensive ways of "defanging" and/or "lobotomizing" windows, as they say. i.e., a tip that gets circulated is doing the initial setup for windows w your pc in airplane mode / ethernet unplugged so you dont have to make a microsoft account so they cant create a profile on you to collect your data to sell off & target ads at you (which is obvi totally reversible later if you decide the benefits of having an account outweigh the drawbacks). shit like that, plus the loads of guides out there– many here on tumblr itself– on extensive fucking around in various settings to disable bloatware / preserve privacy / other useful stuff, that can get pretty granular. i think ive even seen Synthia herself reblog posts like that here a couple times, maybe? perhaps try checking relevant-seeming tags from the tagging system in her pinned, or do a blog search for the term 'windows' and see what all there is to find

phew, anyway, jesus christ! sorry this got to be such a long writeup!!! some of this blog's aggregate of resources have been a big help to me, so i wanted to try to pay it forward a little <3 and, Synthia, if you wouldnt mind, tagging the original asker in your response to this anon so that greyr4t is more likely to see all this would be very much appreciated by me!! ty in advance!! thanks also for your careful curation of useful info on this blog, plus the helpful posts and guides youve written here for us yourself 👍🌈

hi anon ! thanks for writing all this up !! lots of great points here - hopefully they help you out @greyr4t ! the airplane mode one is real important too if you care about privacy (and the fact you can't choose to make a local account during installation unless you are disconnected from the internet is awful and yet another dark pattern-type tactic.

i'm glad my blog's been good for you <3 (though i do need to go through and make all the important stuff a bit easier to access at some point)

iirc there's some reblogs on general privacy stuff (probably under one of the REPO tags and like "net privacy" or similar) as well as my own firefox post, and maybe more will happen in the future when i get to them

[projectorpheus]

APPLICATION TEMPLATE RELEASED

I'm going to preface this with — graphics are not required or taken highly into account during application review. However! I know aesthetics can sometimes boost muse, and I've heard that some applicants have had trouble finding a template that fits. So I've made my own google doc template specifically for the group that you all are free to use/ edit/ customize as you wish! The folder with the template [ file > make a copy ] and PSD are in the source link. Hopefully this can help cut down time worrying about formatting and leave you more time to develop your character! You don't need to use it at all — it's just another resource option for everyone. <3

Customization guide under the cut.

—PAGE 1: Edit name by double clicking on Perdita's name. It will bring up the drawing box, and you can edit to your own.

—PAGE 2: For images, right click > replace image to add your own. They are size 200xWhatever, meaning it will crop to the height. All headings/ subtitles can be edited by again double clicking to bring up the drawing edit tool, then changing the text within the text box.

—PAGES 3-5: Headings are edited using the drawing tool and paragraphs are plain text.

—PAGE 6: Heading and subtitle poem can be edited as the other headings — by double clicking and bringing up the drawing tool. You'll probably want to create your own version of the rectangle graphic because they have Perdita's face LOL. Don't worry — it's quite easy! The PSD file is located within the folder, and your own images can be added using clipping masks (add image on top of black rectangle you want to fill > right click on layer > create clipping mask). The grainy look in my edits can be achieved by merging all layers and adding a layer of motion blur, then a layer of noise on top (both located in the filters dropdown) and changing opacity as needed. When you're done, right click on Perdita's graphic > Replace Image.

—PAGE 7: Same as previous text pages.

[kollegewinterscheidt]

This day in search marketing history: February 10

Google refreshes Page Layout Algorithm

In 2014, Google’s Matt Cutts announced via Twitter that the company had refreshed its Page Layout Algorithm.

The Page Layout Algorithm downgraded the ranking of webpages with too many ads at the top or if the ads are deemed too distracting for users.

This was the third confirmed update to the algorithm, which launched Jan. 19, 2012 and was updated Oct. 9, 2012.

Read all about it in Google Updates Its Page Layout Algorithm To Go After Sites “Top Heavy” With Ads.

Also on this day

YouTube reveals 2022 roadmap for shopping features, Shorts and more

2022: Shoppable videos, Live Shopping and heavier shopping integration was coming to the YouTube app.

Google officially displays years in business in local pack

2021: After several months of testing, Google officially launched a label that showed how many years a business had been in operation.

In-SERP lead forms convert Google Ads users without a click-through

2021: Google Ads announced its updated lead form extension, which pops up a form directly from a click on an ad in search, Video, and Discovery. 

Google Search Console adds review snippets performance, enhancement and testing reports

2020: Google added an enhancements report, a performance report and added support for review snippets on the rich result testing tool.

How to use Google’s new price competitiveness report in Merchant Center

2020: You could see how your product pricing compared to your Google Shopping competitors.

Facebook buys AR startup building a 1:1 digital map of the physical world

2020: The acquisition appeared to be about augmented reality, but Scape Technologies’ capabilities went way beyond AR.

Video: Chris Elwell, CEO behind Search Engine Land and SMX, talks business — and that time Sergey Brin skated on stage

2020: In this installment of Barry Schwartz’s vlog series, he also chatted with Elwell about how everything got started, working with Danny Sullivan and how he manages everything in this company.

Searchmetrics e-commerce ranking factors study says easy e-commerce sites rank higher in Google

2017: In e-commerce, URLs on the first page of the Google search results had 70% more internal links than the overall benchmark.

Here’s how Google’s own ads impact bids & pricing in AdWords auctions

2017: Google took steps to minimize the impact of its ads on CPCs, but advertisers paid as if Google didn’t win its ad positions, not as if Google didn’t bid at all.

Google Data Studio beefs up AdWords MCC integration

2017: A new “Manager Accounts” option let MCC account holders select individual sub-accounts for reporting.

Florida court: Google permitted to delist sites regarded as spam under First Amendment

2017: Google was sued under various federal and Florida state statutes, basically for unfair competition.

Search in Pics: Google vintage office, embedded wall offices & hamburger bean bag

2017: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have and more.

Google To Remove Right-To-Be-Forgotten Links Worldwide, For Searchers In European Countries

2016: Links would no longer show for those in the particular country where a RTBF request was made, regardless of the Google edition they use.

Google Introduces Rich Medical Content Into Knowledge Graph

2015: Users would soon see deeper health information for more than 400 conditions.

Jewelry Advertisers Spending More On PLAs (Both Mobile & Desktop) Than Text Ads

2015: With a few exceptions, the top jewelry advertisers on Google relied heavily on product listing ads (PLAs) in the weeks ahead of Valentine’s Day.

After Nine Years, Google’s Udi Manber Moves On

2015: Manber was VP of Engineering at YouTube. Previously, he had been in charge of search products at Google.

Bing Ads Auction Insights Now Available Globally

2015: Reports showed how your ads competed against other advertisers’ ads on the Yahoo Bing Network.

Google’s Matt Cutts: Don’t Worry About Poor Grammar In Comments

2014: Cutts answers the question: “Should I correct the grammar of comments on my blog?”

A Paid Search First? Olympic Sponsor Visa Opts To Advertise Its Tumblr On Google, Bing and Yahoo

2014: Visa appeared to be the only major Olympic sponsor to have made Tumblr its Olympic content hub.

Microsoft Testing “Bing Saves” Search Bookmarking Feature

2014: It was a way to click and bookmark a search result for later retrieval from a personal Microsoft account.

Bing Beats Google With Bitcoin Conversion Tool

2014: Bing announced that people can search for the current rates, such as [one dollar in bitcoin].

How One SEO Consultant’s Near Death Experience United The SEO Community

2014: Dana Lookadoo wrote: “Whatever the future holds, I’m ready for it, but I know without a doubt that I won’t be alone!”

Google AdWords Gets Shared Lists To Eliminate Duplicate Data Entry

2012: Google added placement exclusion lists and list suggestions.

Google Moves Away From Large Navigation Drop Down Menu

2012: Most of the main search options were back at the top, placing the less “important”’” search options in a more menu.

Now, Mitt Romney Has A Santorum-Like Bing & Google Problem

2012: The “Spreading Romney” site appeared in the top results on Google and Bing in a search for [romney].

Search In Pics: Google Sugar Cube, Yahoo Valentines & Chrome M&M’s

2012: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.

Google Operators In Instant, Profiles In Navigation & AdWords URL On Description Line

2011: At least three new changes to search results Google had implemented or was testing.

Live Blogging Google’s ThinkMobile Event

2011: Google had seen a 400% increase in mobile searches over the past year.

How Much Will Google Pay for Twitter?

2011: Nothing nearly as close to what Elon paid for it…

Bing Results Get Localized & Personalized

2011: Bing started delivering personalized listings depending on a searcher’s location or past search history, just like Google had already been doing for several years.

Foursquare Sets Super Record During Big Game

2011: It saw 200,000 check-ins.

Mapquest Introduces Transit, Walking Directions

2011: Playing catch-up to Google and Bing.

Google Buzz: The Good, Bad, & Ugly Reactions

2010: “Google Buzz was announced to widespread derision.” (Accurate.)

Policy Change: Advertise Pharmaceuticals On Google AdWords

2010: Only VIPPS and CIPA certified pharmacies would be allowed to advertise and pharmacies could only target ads within their country.

Google May Be Sued By Russia’s Quintura Over Wonder Wheel

2010: Quintura held 8 patents on the technology.

They’re Back: AP Stories Reappear In Google

2010: Thus ending a nearly seven-week absence.

Google To Develop Superfast “Experimental Fiber Network”

2010: Google? Fiber? Ah, Google FIber!

ComScore Releases January Search Numbers (Bing Gains) & Year In Review

2010: Meanwhile, Hitwise Announces January Search Market Share Numbers.

Scoring Super Bowl 2010 Commercials: How’s the Search Visibility?

2010: Better in general. But there was less integration between the commercials and the web.

Google Launches AdSense For Mobile Search

2009: It gave carriers and publishers a quick way to embed a Google search box on their mobile sites.

Yahoo Tries To Be Google With Holiday Search Ad Bar For Valentine’s Day

2009: If you conduct a search at Yahoo on [valentine’s day] or other related search terms, you would see a horizontal search bar with hearts for the special day.

Google Wants To Save You Money On Electricity

2009: Google was testing software that would help people better manage their home electricity use and reduce energy loss and inefficiency.

Yahoo oneSearch Shortcut Adds Auto-Location, Search Assist & More Availability

2009: Enhanced Search Assist that incorporated the user’s recent search history was added.

From Search Marketing Expo (SMX)

Past contributions from Search Engine Land’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

These columns are a snapshot in time and have not been updated since publishing, unless noted. Opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

< February 9 | Search Marketing History | February 11 >

Add Search Engine Land to your Google News feed.    

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<![CDATA[ @media screen and (min-width: 800px) #div-gpt-ad-3191538-7 display: flex !important; justify-content: center !important; align-items: center !important; min-width:770px; min-height:260px; @media screen and (min-width: 1279px) #div-gpt-ad-3191538-7 display: flex !important; justify-content: center !important; align-items: center !important; min-width:800px!important; min-height:440px!important; ]]>

About the author

Danny Goodwin is Managing Editor of Search Engine Land & SMX. In addition to writing daily about SEO, PPC, and more for Search Engine Land, Goodwin also manages Search Engine Land’s roster of subject-matter experts. He also helps program our conference series, SMX – Search Marketing Expo. Prior to joining Search Engine Land, Goodwin was Executive Editor at Search Engine Journal, where he led editorial initiatives for the brand. He also was an editor at Search Engine Watch. He has spoken at many major search conferences and virtual events, and has been sourced for his expertise by a wide range of publications and podcasts.

Read more here https://www.hotfrog.hk/company/1421248156897280

[google4]

How can you get your Google Analytics set up?

It is time to start tracking. With Universal Analytics bidding A final goodbye less than a year away, The deadline is to set up Google Analytics 4. If you want to prepare the firm for success, you need to get your Google Analytics 4 properties in order.

For the last few months, experts have worked diligently to transform E-Commerce clients from UA to G4. We also learned some tricks and tips for smooth migration that capture all that a business needs to bring from Universal Analytics. 

We will share the process of setting up Google Analytics 4 with you. How Google 

 In what ways do Google Analytics 4 vary from the Universal Analytics?

Before we get into the details of setting up Google Analytics 4, you need to understand the difference between Universal Analytics and the platform. Google Analytics 4 is more than an Upgraded version of UA. It's a revamped system That comes with a different approach to event and conversion tracking.

 How can you set up Google Analytics? The basics 

Before you set up your data tracking, you need to configure your Google Analytics 4. If you have not done so, you can follow the steps to get started. 

How can you create your new G4 properly?

The first step to start your G4 tracking is to make sure that you have a property to track with. You can easily create Google Analytics G4 for each of your existing Universal Analytics properties. After you hit create the property, follow the steps to complete the process.

 Click on property settings in the left-hand navigation menu.

 Get the facts filled for the property as precisely as possible.

At this point, you have your basic property created and populated with the must-have info. Before getting to that, there are other properties involved before you can configure your tracking.

Setup and connect bigquery data warehouse  

Keep in mind that Google Analytics 4 gets limited to a 14 months data retention period. So, if you want to store your long-term historical data, you need to use a data streaming warehouse. You can use bigquery as Google Analytics G4 offers an easy connection to the platform.

Before you can link the data to stream your Google Analytics 4 account, you set up a project for your site. You need to follow the guide to do so, and Link your warehouse to G4. 

  In the setup assistant, you’ve to click on the link bigquery In the linking section.

 You need to click on the blue link button.

  You get to select a big query plan.

 You may need to search for the project ID if you don't get it listed.

 You can select the data location and your G4 property name.

You can select the data streams and frequency.

 We ask you to leave your frequency set at daily.

 Finally, Click on the next step. You will now be able to see your account on the linking page.

 How can you link your existing accounts?

 In addition to linking bigquery, you also need to link your Google account. It will allow your business to take advantage of the Advanced cross-platform date of Google Analytics G4 and have reporting capabilities. 

There are two processes involved in it.

Google ads 

In the setup assistant, you need to click on the link Google ads in the linking section. 

You need to click on the blue link option.

 You need to choose a Google ads account.

 You need to select your account and click confirm. 

Tap On Enable auto tracking.

You to click on next and review your settings. Tap on submit to get the job done.

 If you want to use Google ads for your E-Commerce firm, You also use Google shopping.

 if you want to make sure that your Google Analytics 4 data get Integrated into the Google merchant center, you need to link GMC to the new property with the following steps:

Click "Admin" in Google Analytics.

Make sure the desired account is selected in the "Account" column. It will already be chosen if you only have one Google Analytics account.

Select the property you want to link to Merchant Center from the "Property" column.

Click "Google Merchant Center Links" under "Product Links" in the "Property" column.

Click the "Link" button in blue.

To link your property to an account, click "Choose Account" and then choose the account.

To confirm, click.

Press "Next."

Choose to activate auto-tagging for the Merchant Center account under "Enable Auto-tagging" (or leave the settings as they are).

Review and submit your configuration option after clicking "Next."

How can you set up Google Analytics 4 track?

 Now that you have completed the first part of the Google Analytics 4 setup process, it is time to get into the nitty-gritty of conversion tracking. Keep in mind that Google Analytics 4 track events differently from Universal Analytics. you will need to go through the simple steps to configure your event tracking and make sure that your data gets collected accurately.

 Adding GTM container to your site

 If you want to get your G4 tracking to fire, you may need to use Google tag manager and add a custom tag to pages on your site. now you can find your unique measurement ID in Google Analytics f4.

 If you go to the setup assistant, you can navigate to tag installation. You can click on your web data stream and locate your ID in the upper right corner of the page.

Setting up non-eCommerce conversion tracking 

From a non-ecommerce perspective, setting up conversion tracking in Google Analytics can be quite simple. We will ask you to recommend identifying any applicable conversions and events in your analytics properties. 

 Be sure to ignore events that are automatically tracked. Once you identify the metric that you have to track, you want to set this up in Google tag manager using the G4 event tag type. it's better not to forget to mark the events conversions in a G4 interface as you get done if any of the events qualify as conversions.

Setting up eCommerce tracking  

To collect data for all of your eCommerce site occurrences, you'll require custom tracking if your site is an e-commerce platform. Thankfully, using our GTM container makes this process much easier for your development team.

To put it simply, all they have to do is incorporate our GA4 Data Layer code into your website. What eCommerce-related events are taking place on the site are communicated to Google Tag Manager via this data layer. (Actions like purchases, cart additions, refunds, etc. are included here.)

For the majority of eCommerce platforms, adding the data layer code should be simple. Usually, development partners estimate that it will take 5 to 10 hours of effort to finish.

If you use a platform like Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or Magento, you might think about installing the GA4 Data Layer using an app or extension.

[arya-namdeo-45]

app idea realization

 How to Turn Your App Idea into Reality

In today’s digital age, mobile apps have become an integral part of our daily lives. From ordering food to managing finances, there’s an app for almost everything. If you have a brilliant app idea, you might be wondering how to turn it into reality. This blog will guide you through the process of app idea realization, breaking down each step in simple and easy-to-understand language.

 Step 1: Define Your App Idea

The first step in app idea realization is to clearly define your idea. What problem does your app solve? Who is your target audience? What makes your app unique? Answering these questions will help you create a clear vision for your app.

 Step 2: Conduct Market Research

Before diving into development, it’s essential to conduct market research. Look at similar apps in the market and identify their strengths and weaknesses. Read user reviews to understand what people like and dislike about these apps. This research will help you refine your idea and ensure there’s a demand for your app.

 Step 3: Create a Detailed Plan

With a clear idea and market insights, it’s time to create a detailed plan. List all the features your app will have and prioritize them based on importance. Sketch wireframes to visualize the app’s layout and flow. This planning phase is crucial for organizing your thoughts and ensuring nothing is overlooked.

 Step 4: Design the User Interface (UI)

A user-friendly and visually appealing design is key to an app’s success. Work on creating an intuitive UI that provides a seamless experience. Use colors, fonts, and layouts that align with your brand and appeal to your target audience. Tools like Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD can help you create high-quality designs.

 Step 5: Develop the App

Now comes the most technical part: development. You have two main options here:

1. Hiring a Developer or Development Team: If you’re not familiar with coding, hiring professionals is a wise choice. Look for experienced developers or agencies with a good portfolio and positive reviews.

2. Developing It Yourself: If you have coding skills, you can take on the development yourself. Choose the right technology stack based on your app’s requirements. For iOS apps, Swift or Objective-C is commonly used, while Java or Kotlin is used for Android apps. For cross-platform apps, consider frameworks like React Native or Flutter.

 Step 6: Test Your App

Testing is a critical step in app idea realization. Conduct thorough testing to identify and fix bugs and ensure your app runs smoothly. There are different types of testing you should perform:

- Functional Testing: Ensure all features work as intended.

- Usability Testing: Make sure the app is easy to use and navigate.

- Performance Testing: Check the app’s performance under different conditions.

- Security Testing: Ensure the app is secure and protects user data.

 Step 7: Launch Your App

Once your app is developed and tested, it’s time to launch it. Here’s what you need to do:

- Create Developer Accounts: Register as a developer on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

- Prepare for Submission: Ensure your app meets all the guidelines and requirements of the app stores. Create compelling app descriptions, screenshots, and promotional videos.

- Submit Your App: Submit your app for review. This process can take a few days to a few weeks.

 Step 8: Promote Your App

After launching your app, promoting it is essential to attract users. Here are some effective strategies:

- Social Media Marketing: Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote your app.

- Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with influencers to reach a wider audience.

- Content Marketing: Write blogs, create videos, and share content related to your app.

- Paid Advertising: Invest in ads on social media, Google, and other platforms to increase visibility.

 Step 9: Gather Feedback and Improve

User feedback is invaluable for improving your app. Encourage users to leave reviews and ratings. Read their feedback and make necessary improvements. Regular updates with new features and bug fixes will keep your app relevant and engaging.

 Step 10: Monitor and Maintain

Even after your app is launched, the work doesn’t stop. Regularly monitor your app’s performance using analytics tools. Track user engagement, retention rates, and other key metrics. Keep your app updated with the latest OS versions and continue to add new features to keep users engaged.

 Conclusion

Turning your app idea into reality is a rewarding journey that involves careful planning, development, and continuous improvement. By following these steps, you can bring your app to life and make a positive impact on your target audience. Remember, the key to successful app idea realization lies in dedication, research, and adaptability. So, take the plunge and start working on your app idea today. With the right approach, your app can become the next big thing in the digital world.

[shosiblog]

 What is Keyword Planner in Digital Marketing?

In the world of digital marketing, having the right tools to plan and execute your strategy is crucial. One such essential tool is the Keyword Planner, a featurerich application provided by Google Ads. Keyword Planner is invaluable for keyword research, helping marketers discover new keywords, understand search volumes, and plan their advertising budgets. Let’s explore what Keyword Planner is, how it works, and why it is an indispensable tool for digital marketers.

 What is Keyword Planner?

Keyword Planner is a free tool provided by Google Ads that assists digital marketers in researching and analyzing keywords. It is designed to help users find the most relevant keywords for their advertising campaigns, SEO strategies, and content creation. By providing data on keyword search volume, competition, and costperclick (CPC), Keyword Planner enables marketers to make informed decisions and optimize their efforts for maximum effectiveness.

 Key Features of Keyword Planner

1. Keyword Discovery:

   Keyword Planner allows you to discover new keywords related to your business or industry. By entering a seed keyword or website URL, the tool generates a list of related keywords along with their search volume and competition levels. This helps you identify potential keywords to target in your campaigns.

2. Search Volume Data:

   One of the primary features of Keyword Planner is providing search volume data. This metric indicates how often a particular keyword is searched for within a specified time frame, giving you insights into the popularity and demand for that keyword.

3. Competition Analysis:

   The tool provides information on the level of competition for each keyword. This data helps you understand how many advertisers are bidding on a specific keyword, allowing you to gauge the competitiveness and difficulty of ranking for that term.

4. CostPerClick (CPC) Estimates:

   Keyword Planner offers CPC estimates for each keyword, which is particularly useful for planning and budgeting your Google Ads campaigns. Knowing the average cost of a click helps you set realistic budgets and bid strategies.

5. Ad Group Ideas:

   The tool can also generate ad group ideas based on your keyword research. This feature helps you organize your keywords into relevant ad groups, making it easier to create targeted and effective ad campaigns.

6. Historical Data:

   Keyword Planner provides historical data on keyword performance, including trends over time. This information is valuable for understanding seasonal variations and longterm trends in keyword popularity.

 How to Use Keyword Planner

1. Accessing the Tool:

   To use Keyword Planner, you need a Google Ads account. Once logged in, you can find the tool under the "Tools & Settings" menu in Google Ads.

2. Finding New Keywords:

   Enter a seed keyword, a URL, or a product category to generate keyword ideas. Keyword Planner will provide a list of related keywords along with their search volume, competition, and CPC data.

3. Analyzing Keywords:

   Review the list of suggested keywords and analyze the provided metrics. Look for keywords with high search volume and low to medium competition for the best opportunities.

4. Planning Your Campaign:

   Use the discovered keywords to plan your SEO strategy, content creation, and PPC campaigns. Group similar keywords together to create targeted ad groups and tailor your content to match user search intent.

5. Budgeting and Bidding:

   Utilize the CPC estimates to set your advertising budgets and bidding strategies. This ensures you allocate your resources effectively and get the most out of your ad spend.

 Importance of Keyword Planner in Digital Marketing

1. DataDriven Decisions:

   Keyword Planner provides datadriven insights that help you make informed decisions about which keywords to target, ensuring your efforts are focused on highpotential opportunities.

2. Optimized Campaigns:

   By understanding search volume, competition, and CPC, you can optimize your PPC campaigns for better performance, higher clickthrough rates, and improved ROI.

3. Content Strategy Development:

   The tool helps you identify trending and relevant keywords for your industry, enabling you to create content that resonates with your audience and ranks well in search engine results.

4. Competitive Advantage:

   Keyword Planner allows you to stay ahead of the competition by discovering new keywords and trends that others might be overlooking. This gives you an edge in capturing valuable traffic.

 Conclusion

Keyword Planner is an essential tool for digital marketers looking to optimize their keyword research and planning processes. It provides valuable insights into keyword search volumes, competition, and costs, enabling you to make informed decisions and create effective marketing campaigns. By leveraging Keyword Planner, you can enhance your SEO strategy, improve your PPC campaigns, and ultimately achieve better results in your digital marketing efforts.

Ready to master the art of keyword research and elevate your digital marketing skills? Enroll in the Best Digital Marketing Course in Salem today and gain the expertise needed to excel in the competitive digital landscape. Enhance your marketing efforts with comprehensive training and expert guidance!

[flutteragency]

Step to Follow Google Play Store Closed Testing Individual and Organization

Mobile applications have become a most significant part of our lives. App testing was one of the most significant things before it was launched in the market. App testing permits you to gather feedback from individuals, which helps you enhance your mobile app development. This article will provide complete information about closed testing, which supports mobile app developers in making their development more precise and attractive to their valuable clients and organizations. Let’s dive deeper into it.

What is Closed Testing?

Close testing is most useful for testing applications with many testers to collect more targeted feedback and comments. The tester can also use the individual’s email or Google Groups in the testing squad. However, for adding Google groups, the format will be Yourgroupname@googlegroups.com.

When development is done with close testing, it will go into the review phase and permit you to test the app. Also, testers have the power to share ratings and review the app via Google Play Console. That review will not be visible to the general public and will not impact your app’s ratings. Thus, if you are testing any paid app, then testers of that app need to buy it from Google.

What are the steps of adding a user to the closed test?

Google has applied the new app publishing policy for individual app programmers. From November 13, 2023, any experienced Google Developer Accounts will need 20 internal testers to test their app for a minimum of 14 days before they can unlock the production tab demanded for publishing.

If your organization account is under registration, you must follow this process and the Production tab that is automatically available. They will opt for 14 days to publish your application or game on the Play Store. It helps the developers make better apps by getting early feedback from users.

STEP 1: DEVELOPING CLOSED TESTING

Log into your Google Play Console. Now, you can click on the view app option.

In the release section in the left sidebar, click on Testing> Closed Testing.

After clicking on closed testing, you must select from Active tracks. If you have an existing track, click manage the track. If you want to run various tests, you can click on Create Track.

You must write the track name and hit the Create track button.

STEP 2: SETUP THE CLOSED TESTING TRACK

Closed tracking in the Google Play store allows app developers to invite individuals or groups of users for Testing before applying to publishing. It aids in finding and fixing errors, enhancing user interfaces, and improving the overall app quality depending on the feedback you get from your limited targeted audience.

Now, you need to click the tab for the countries or regions, and after that, add countries or regions.

Now, choose the countries where you wish your app to be available, or you need to click the first box to add all the countries.

STEP 3: ADD TESTERS TO TEST YOUR APP

You can add testers in Google Play when you’re making an app and want to get some feedback on it. This means you’re inviting specific people to try out your app before it’s available to everyone. You can either have a closed test where you add testers by email, a join link, or an open test where anyone can join. Testers will get an invite to try your app and give you feedback so you can fix any problems before releasing it to everyone.

Want to help make apps better? You can join as a tester without needing an invite. This helps get more feedback to ensure the app is top-notch before it officially launches.

You need to click on the Testers tab and select your email list. You can even create a new list to add more email addresses. Let’s make these apps awesome together!

If you’re signed up as a solo developer rather than a group, jot down the name of your list, add some email addresses, and save your changes. Remember to add at least 20 emails under the “Add Email Addresses” section.

Google now needs 20 people to agree to be testers for your closed test, so keep that in mind when setting up the testing requirements.

Now, you are required to tap on the Create button.

Check out the Email List you’ve created. In the Feedback section, type in a website link or email address where testers can tell you what they think. Then, click on Save. A window will pop up, so click the Go to Overview button.

If you want to send a link to testers who are joining your app on Android or the web, you can copy the link and share it with them.

But wait! You can only do this once Google finishes checking and approving the release you sent in. The option to copy the link will be grayed out, and you can use it later.

Now, let’s go ahead and click on the “Create new release” button.

STEP 4: MAKE NEW RELEASE

When you release your app on Google Play, you need to ensure that all is set to go properly and work smoothly. This will help the users to get the best experience possible.

To do this, you need to upload the app file that you have got from the WordPress framework or add it from your library under App bundles.

Now, select and click on the “Add To Release” button.

When filling out the Release details section, the release name should automatically show the app’s version number. In the Release notes, you can write any information you want the testers to know. You can even copy and paste that version’s official Flutter Agency App release notes. After that, click the Next button to move on.

Then tap on the “Save” button.

After that, you will see a pop-up window in which you need to hit the “Go to overview” button.

Then click on “Send 16 changes for review.” You will see a list of changes.

When you’re done making changes, a little box will pop up on your screen. Just click the button that says “Send changes for review.” Then, your app will be sent to Google for users to check out. It might take a few days, but hang tight, and soon, Google will give your app the thumbs up.

STEP 5: TESTING A LICENSE

Getting your app licensed in Google Play Console is most important because it ensures that only the people who bought or downloaded your app can use it freely. This helps you to protect your money and ideas from being stolen or used without permission.

While you wait for your app to be reviewed, you can continue working on other projects. If you want to return to the main menu, tap on “All apps” at the top of the left side of the screen.

You need to tap on “License Testing” under the setup in the sidebar.

Opt for the license testers from an email list and hit the save changes button in the Google Play Store.

Finally, you need to click on the save button.

Hence, in this way, your application can perform closed testing, which is only done by the Google Play Store.

After the release is approved by the Play Store, you can share the link with the tester so that they can start the performance testing your mobile app. After 14 days of testing, you need to apply for accessibility to production.

ARE YOU READY TO USE CLOSED TESTING FOR YOUR APP

Steps of Android Plays Store Testing Policy for Individuals

The Google Play Store has integrated the latest and advanced testing needs for the individual programmers who have created their app developer accounts after November 13, 2023. The main objective of this testing is to deliver high-quality standards for the apps that are published on the Google platform. Let’s see some of the steps below.

STEP 1: MAKE USE OF AN INTERNAL TESTING

Before you release your app to everyone, it’s a good idea to do some closed testing on your own first. This will aid you in finding any problems or mistakes before many people use it. You can use the Play Console to invite up to 100 people to test your app before it’s officially released. In this way, you will get feedback and ratings from people you trust, like your friends or family. They can tell you what works well and what needs fixing! Even if you plan on charging for your app later, this testing phase helps improve the efficiency of the application.

STEP 2: SET UP A CLOSED TEST FOR MANDATORY FEEDBACK

Here’s the scope of the new rule for solo mobile app developers. Instead of testing your app with your friends and relatives, you have to pick some testers from outside your development team. These lucky testers will get a special invite from the Google Play Store to try out your app before it’s available to everyone in the general public.

STEP 3: INCLUDE A MINIMUM OF 20 TESTERS

It’s important to have many testers in your closed test. Google Play says you need at least 20 testers to join in. But just putting their names on the list is only part of what you have to do. The testers have agreed to participate in your closed test, which shows they’re ready to try out the app and share their thoughts.

STEP 4: COLLECT FEEDBACK AND IMPROVE

This policy is all about making sure that testing done by people is of good quality. You must have at least 20 testers committed who will be using your app for two weeks. In this way, they can dig into all the features and functionalities of your app. All that is they have to catch any problems that might pop up when people use it daily.

STEP 5: APPLY FOR PRODUCTION RELEASE

Once you’ve completed the closed testing phase and fulfilled the minimum requirements, you can confidently submit your app for production release in the Play Store. The Google Play review process will take the consideration all gathered comments and feedback from your close testers and your app’s overall quality. You will also need to Play Store policies. Therefore, you need to conduct a thorough closed test, so that you will increase your chances of a smooth review and a successful launch on the Google Play Store.

What are the Steps involved in the Android Play Store Testing Policy for Organizations?

The Google Play Store knows that companies and groups making apps have different needs than people making apps on their own. They have a special policy that lets organizations test their apps before they are available to everyone. This helps make sure the app is really good and easy to use.

1. PICKING THE BEST TESTING OPTION:

Closed Testing: Organizations can ask a select group of people outside the company to try out the app before it’s officially released. Unlike individual accounts, organizations can choose who they want to test the app and get specific feedback.

Internal Testing: This lets people within the organization try out the app. Employees can give different opinions on how well the app works and if there are any problems. There’s no limit to how many people can be included in the internal testing process because it helps an organization for analyzing the application.

2. SETTING UP MANAGED GOOGLE PLAY (OPTIONAL):

If your organization decides to use Managed Google Play, you’ll have an easy and simple testing out of apps before they go live on the Play Store for the general people. With this testing service of Google, you can create your private app store only for your organization. This makes it easy to test apps internally and get feedback from your QA team. It will aid you to release the app better than your competitors.

3. LISTENING TO FEEDBACK AND MAKING IMPROVEMENTS:

No matter which testing method you choose, the main goal is to get helpful feedback to make your app better for the users. Encourage testers to give detailed reports on any bugs, crashes, or areas that need improvement in your app. Therefore, by making changes based on this feedback, your app will be more user-friendly and reliable when it’s released to the public.

4. GETTING READY FOR THE BIG RELEASE:

After all the testing is done and any issues are fixed, your app will be ready to launch on the Google Play Store. This final step will ensure that your app store listing will look good with screenshots and descriptions that show off your app to the real world.

How much time will it take for the Play Store to review closed testing for individual and organizational accounts?

Getting your app on the Google Play Store is the most complicated process, so you want to make sure it’s really attractive and creative to the users who are going to use this app. Google has a strict process for checking out all the apps, even if the app is in the testing phase. It might take a while for them to look at your app, but if you know what they’re looking for, you can make sure the best mobile app for a better user experience.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. App Complexity: If your app has a lot of complicated and unconfused features, then there are chances that it might take longer for Google to check it out before it goes live for everyone to use.

2. Update Frequency: If you keep sending the app updates all the time, it could slow things down because each new version has to be reviewed again by Google. So, before sending the new upgrade to the Google Play Store make sure your app is working well and has fixed all the bugs and errors by a QA team.

3. Play Store Workload: Sometimes, there are tons of apps being sent in at the same time, which can make the review process take a longer time and it may also increase the chances of complexity in the app.

INDIVIDUAL VS. ORGANIZATION ACCOUNTS:

Individual Accounts: Google usually looks at your app in a few hours to a few days. It doesn’t matter if you have an individual account or an organization account when it comes to how fast your app gets reviewed with features and functionalities.

Organization Accounts: While Google doesn’t guarantee quicker reviews for organization accounts, having a top-notch developer profile could make the process run more smoothly in the future.

If you know these things, you can make the testing process easier and get your app reviewed faster, whether you have your own or your organization’s account. Keep in mind that a skilled programmer will follow Google Play’s rules give users a good experience and get ready for everyone to use the mobile devices.

Why is my Google Play Store review taking so much time?

When several people are sending in new apps or updates all at once, then the team that checks them out might get busy examining the app. This means they might take longer to look at your app.

If your app is complicated, then you need to buy the plan in the app, or has ads, or need to look at private user info, it might take even longer for them to evaluate it.

Google Play has rules about what apps can do and how they should look. If your app doesn’t follow these rules, they might take a closer look at it, which could slow things down.

Google wants to make sure all the apps in the Play Store are really good. If your app has a lot of problems or keeps crashing, or if it’s hard for people to use, the review team might need more time to figure out what’s wrong.

Sometimes, Google might need more info from you to make sure you’re the owner of the app that you have developed.

If there are any mix-ups or questions between you and the review team, it could make the review process take longer.

Sometimes, there might be technical problems on Google’s end that cause delays in the review process of your business application.

If your app takes longer to get reviewed than expected, you can check the Google Play Console for updates. You can also try and consult with Google Play support to see if they can help speed things up.

Wrap-Up: Improve the App Quality Via Closed Testing and Launch the App

Closed Testing on Google Play is a super important step for app developers before they release their apps to the public. They get a group of people to test out the app and give feedback so they can fix any problems, make it easier to use, and ensure it’s a great app overall. This helps ensure the app is awesome when it’s officially released, which makes users happy and allows it to do well in the app store.

[paddedvibezmedia]

How to Get AdSense Approval faster | AdSense Approval Trick 2024

One of the best and most common ways bloggers can monetize their blogs is through Google AdSense. Nowadays, getting your blog approved by AdSense seems tougher than in past years. You have to strictly adhere to their policies and avoid certain things before you can be approved. Are you looking for an AdSense approval trick? This content contains strategic ways to get your blog or website approved by Google AdSense faster. What Is Google AdSense? Google AdSense is an advertisement network owned by Google which allows site owners to monetize their websites. It displays goods and services (simply known as ads) on your website and then gets you paid for it. Before you can be able to get your blog approved by them, you will be required to ensure that you comply with their ad policy. Users are paid according to the traffic their website can get, Google takes a bigger share of the money while you take the other share. AdSense Approval Trick You Need To Know. Getting AdSense approval today is not quite easy, but with this guide and AdSense approval trick, you can be able to secure your site approval from AdSense. Each is explained below: 1. Write A Unique, Quality, and User Friendly Article. One of Google's strict policies is that your website must contain a unique and quality article. This means that any article on your blog must be free from plagiarism and must provide quality information meant to meet the needs of readers. To be on the safer side, you have to write a user-friendly article, which can easily be understood by your readers. So, you have to use simple languages to write an article, and also ensure using simple layout styles. 2. Good Word Length Any article that contains less than 500 words is considered low content value by Google AdSense, which will be a reason for disapproval. Make sure that each article on your website contains not less than 500 words to avoid disapproval from AdSense. You can make it more than 500 words, but make sure that it is not less than 500. 3. Good Number of Articles Google AdSense requires that each category in your website contains more than 6 articles and that the general number of articles on your website is above 30. Before applying for AdSense, ensure that your blog contains 30+ articles as it will help you get approval from AdSense. 4. Must Have Required Pages As a website, it is required that it has an About Us page, Contact Us page, Privacy Policy page, Disclaimer page, and Terms and Conditions. AdSense values these pages, so you have to create them to be able to secure AdSense approval. 5. Responsive Themes and A Responsive Site Most users neglect the need to make use of a responsive theme, especially newbies who want a flashy and beautiful theme that may not be responsive and ends up slowing down their website loading time, which is strictly against Google AdSense policy. Here are some responsive themes to use: Astra Generate Press Kadence Divi Builder, etc 6. Domain or Website's Age Your website ought to be more than 1 to 3 Month old to get approval from AdSense. This isn't mandatory as many new websites may be approved. But to get approval easily, ensure your website is a month old or even more. 7. Absence of AdSense Alternatives Don't make use of other ad networks when your website is under review by AdSense as it may likely ruin your chance of getting approval. Hopefully, this AdSense approval trick can help you secure AdSense approval for your website. Ensure to adhere to every policy and don't exclude one to be on the good side. Alternative means of getting AdSense approval  Purchase an already monetized AdSense websites.  Instead of starting from scratch or building  new site from scratch,  you can purchase an already monetized AdSense website from marketplace website like paddedvibez.com. paddedvibez.com is a buy and sell marketplace where you can buy digital assets like monetized youtube channel,  Facebook accounts and pages, Instagram pages, website domains,  adsense accounts. AdSense websites and lots more. With this strategy you can save yourself the stress which comes with adsense approval. And apart from that, you can also utilize other high cpm AdSense Alternatives and also nake your money High cpm AdSense Alternatives ads networks with instant approval.  Apart from AdSense,  there are other better ad networks out there that can freely give you instant approval without much stress. And the best part is that, these same ad networks pays even more money than AdSense.  And they are 1. ADSTERRA 2. MONTAG 3. EZOIC 4. HilltopAds 5. Ad cash 6. Ad maven 7. Popads And lots more... With these strategies you can make more money from your blog website on a daily basis.  I hope this article has informed you, if yes, kindly share to your friends,  join us on Telegram https://t.me/realcashclub Read the full article

[teamorningnews]

Dirt on Gaurav Srivastava aired in public as Tumblr shuts fraudulent blogs

Microblogging and social networking website Tumblr has confirmed that it has removed several accounts and posts from its platform after its site was abused by Indian businessman Gaurav Srivastava.

The Indian businessman used Tumblr’s backdating function to create posts that appeared to be from an earlier date, then used these posts as the basis for copyright claim to manipulate Google results for his name.

Tumblr said that the blogs and their posts were removed “for violating community guidelines” after they were used in an attempt to remove factual stories about the businessman, who abused the name of American secret service Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to defraud a Dutch oil trader. The complex, international fraud carried out by Srivastava is the subject of increasing media interest after other allegations about Srivastava’s history of fraud came to light.

According to an investigation, Tumblr accounts linked to Gaurav Srivastava lied to Google to get two articles de-indexed and removed from Google’s search results by claiming that the original investigative stories were published on Tumblr and not on the journalistic platforms.

According to legal complaint repository the Lumen Database, complaints were made to Google citing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The complaints claimed that the stories exposing the fraud and deceit of Gaurav Srivastava on how he cheated a Dutch oil trader were a copyright violation of the stories published on Tumblr site.

Gaurav Srivastava has a well-known history of using false copyright claims to shut down fact-based coverage of his malicious activities. After critical coverage is published, he copies the work to a new anonymous blog with no post history (often on sites like Tumblr or Medium), backdates the post, and files a complaint to Google under DMCA.

The parent company of Tumblr, Automattic, confirmed in a statement their assessment that the blogs were set up to raise fake DMCA claims – by people linked to Gaurav Srivastava – and have been “removed from Tumblr for violating our Community Guidelines”.

The statement added: “Tumblr and Automattic take legitimate copyright protection very seriously. We take great care to protect our users from fraudulent or otherwise invalid takedown notices, and similarly we have a zero-tolerance policy for blogs using our services to abuse the DMCA.”

Gaurav Srivastava first targeted Project Brazen, a US-based investigative journalism outlet run by Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Bradley Hope and Tom Wright, in their original story about him, which contained their own original research and interviews. (https://whalehunting.projectbrazen.com/the-old-im-a-secret-spy-con/, https://twitter.com/brazenFM/status/1722563387983351948 and https://www.gripeo.com/gaurav-and-sharon-srivastava-family-foundation/)

Tumblr also confirmed that it had deleted the post published on its site used to raise a malicious claim against the Project Brazen investigation into Gaurav Srivastava’s fraud. Tumblr said: “Our team has reviewed earlybirdtimes.tumblr.com. This blog has also been removed from Tumblr for violating our Community Guidelines. Both Tumblr and Automattic take copyright protection very seriously. We will continue to manually investigate any reports of Tumblr blogs being used to publish content that is mentioned in these fraudulent takedown notices.”

Former Wall Street Journal reporters Bradley Hope, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and Tom Wright, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, revealed that Srivastava used a creative lie to complain to Google that the award-winning investigative journalism site had stolen the contents of story on Srivastava from another blog. By using Google’s copyright policy to his advantage, Srivastava used a fraudulent technique to get the story on himself de-indexed by setting up a fake Tumblr account and publishing the same content to claim it as his own – and then claimed copyright.

One of the reporters on the investigative story, Soobin Kim, tweeted: “Our @WhaleHunting_ story was removed from Google’s indexes due to copyright complaints. The complaints, saved on @lumendatabase, claim that we copied a backdated blog post, all content of which was lifted from our story. This is how fraudsters curate their online reputation.” https://x.com/soobinskim/status/1722747471888064525?s=20

Project Brazen from its official verified handle revealed the full scale of shocking fraud run on Google by Gaurav Srivastava to remove his expose from Google. In a thread, https://x.com/brazenFM/status/1722563387983351948?s=20 revealed:

“Our @WhaleHunting_ team recently reported on an alleged serial con man named Gaurav Srivastava, who masquerades as a CIA operative to swindle gullible business owners. Less than a month after the story ran, it disappeared from Google’s indexes. Instead, there was a note saying that search results had been removed due to complaints.

On @lumendatabase, which collects online content removal notices, we found two complaints submitted to Google by someone named Sherrie Hagen, claiming that our story had infringed the copyright of a blog post on Tumblr. The post purporting to be the original had republished the text from the public preview of our story on @WhaleHunting_ , word for word. It was backdated to Oct 8th, two days before our date of publication, but the blog’s archive reveals that it was actually posted sometime in Nov.

“This US-based Sherrie Hagen in fact filed four copyright complaints to Google in November 2023, with one even claiming she was based in the UK. The Tumblr blog post that was apparently the original source of this information has now been altered to a completely different story – a move that leaves little trace of reports on Srivastava’s fraudulent activity. Our @WhaleHunting_ team reviewed multiple court documents, transcripts, correspondences and more to report and write this story, which the blog claims as its own in the complaints submitted to @Google to get it de-indexed.

It even lifted the image made by @ProjectBrazen’s creative director – a photo of Gaurav Srivastava with swords in the background, inspired by the ceremonial swords he pretends to have received from various heads of state, when he actually bought them for himself. When you google “Gaurav Srivastava”, you can only find fawning articles that he likely paid for calling him a “philanthropist” and a “loving parent.” This is a glaring example of how copyright laws are abused to launder the reputations of fraudsters, and bury damning information.”

Another investigation published by a Pakistani paper was targeted on 24 December 2023. The Tumblr platform was used to publish the same story in the first week of January 2024 and then backdated, before Srivastava raised a claim to Google using US DMCA legislation to get the story taken down. According to Tumblr archives, the false report was made in January 2024 after uploading it in first week of January 2024 and the same post was removed from Tumblr site two days after the Daily Pakistan story was taken down – a clear case of how the Tumblr platform was manipulated.

According to the US laws, in order to make a DMCA notice the individual makes a legal commitment to tell the truth, which means that lying to secure a DMCA is effectively perjury and punishable by imprisonment and a fine.

[evoblocs20]

Denver SEO Services: How to Choose the Right One for Your Business

Search engine optimization, commonly known as SEO, has become an essential part of any successful online marketing strategy. With more and more people using search engines like Google to find products and services, having an effective SEO strategy can help get your business website found online. However, not all SEO agencies are created equal. If you run a business in Denver and are looking to hire SEO services, here are some tips on how to choose the right SEO company for your needs:

Do Your Research

Don't just go with the first Denver SEO company you find online. Take the time to research different agencies and compare their services and pricing. Look for companies that specialize in SEO for your particular industry or niche. Check online reviews and testimonials to get an idea of each company's reputation and track record. A quick Google search for "Denver SEO Services" will give you a good starting point.

Understand Your Goals

Before reaching out to any SEO companies, think about what you want to accomplish through SEO. Are you trying to increase organic traffic to your site, improve rankings for certain keywords, or boost conversions? Discuss your specific goals with the SEO agency so they can customize their strategies accordingly. Be wary of agencies that promise you #1 rankings or a specific increase in traffic within a short timeframe. SEO takes time to make an impact.

Ask About Their SEO Process

A reputable Digital Marketing Company in Denver will have a proven process for optimizing websites effectively. Ask them to walk you through the specific SEO tactics they use, including keyword research, on-page optimization, content marketing, link building, and more. Make sure they prioritize high-quality white hat techniques over shady shortcuts. Their strategies should align with Google's best practices.

Review Their Reporting and Analytics

The best SEO companies provide regular reports and analytics to demonstrate the impact of their services. During your initial consultations, ask how they will show progress and ROI. You should be able to easily track important metrics like organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversions to gauge whether their efforts are working.

Look for Customized SEO Solutions

Beware of SEO agencies that take a one-size-fits-all approach. Effective SEO requires tailoring strategies to each business based on their unique situation, target audience, and goals. The agency you choose should take the time to thoroughly analyze your website and create customized recommendations to address your specific weaknesses and opportunities.

Ask About Additional Services

Many SEO agencies offer additional digital marketing services beyond just SEO. Common services include pay-per-click ads, social media marketing, email marketing, web design, and more. If you need help with other aspects of online marketing, look for an agency that provides holistic services under one roof. That way you can develop an integrated digital strategy with seamless execution.

Consider Long-Term Partnerships

The SEO agency you choose shouldn't be just a one-time fixer - they should be a long-term partner invested in your continued success. Ask about ongoing optimization, support, reporting, and account management. Establish clear communication channels and project timelines. SEO is not a set-it-and-forget-it tactic. Your agency should be readily available to answer questions, provide recommendations, and keep your website optimized over time.

Compare Pricing and Contracts

SEO services will range in price depending on the specifics of your project and the agency you work with. Avoid agencies that lowball you with prices that seem too good to be true. However, don't assume higher pricing means better service either. Get bids from a few different companies and compare based on the full scope of services offered. Also, be wary of long, rigid contracts - quality agencies will be flexible.

Choosing the right Denver SEO company to partner with requires thorough research and an understanding of your business's specific needs. But taking the time to find the right fit will pay off with superior results and a powerful competitive edge online. With the tips above, you can feel confident in your search for reliable and effective SEO services in the Denver area.