Caveat emptor on the Web: ad and editorial lines blur
Article Abstract:
No universal standards exist on the World Wide Web enabling users to distinguish editorial content from advertising. Some of the book reviews published by online bookseller Amazon.com on it's Web site are paid for by publishers. The Web page of the popular television show, 'Dawson's Creek,' contains stories of the casts' visit to Dep Capeside Salon for hair care along with paid promotions for its beauty products. The clear demarcation between ads and content that exists as on television, radio and in publications is absent in cyberspace. The order in which listings appear on some Web sites can be a function of the fees paid by listed companies for advertising or for their own pages on the service. Some sites receive commissions from sales generated via links on their pages. Some search engines, Yahoo for example, have standards for distinguishing paid and unpaid content pulled up as search results. But, as long as no pressure exists for the universal imposition of explicit standards, consumers of online information must be cautious about accepting it at face value.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1999
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Compaq to sell small stake in Alta Vista search site
Article Abstract:
Compaq Computer Corp. inherited Alta Vista when it bought Digital Equipment Corp. Now Compaq is planning to offer a stake in Alta Vista to the public in an attempt to build it up into a big Internet player. Among several other, Alta Vista would compete with Yahoo and America Online. The search engine will operate out of Palo Alto, Calif. The public offering is planned for sometime in the next 12 months now that talks with Time Warner Inc. have halted.
Comment:
Internet search engine to be revamped for the big time by Compaq
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1999
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
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