Comments on: Do you have a right not to be indexed? http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/06/15/do-you-have-a-right-not-to-be-indexed/ ... at the intersection of media, technology, business and the web Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:01:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Rob Hyndman http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/06/15/do-you-have-a-right-not-to-be-indexed/comment-page-1/#comment-272509 Rob Hyndman Sat, 16 Jun 2007 11:33:26 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/06/15/do-you-have-a-right-not-to-be-indexed/#comment-272509 Well, I guess anyone who reviews anything - or maintains a database in which humans or machines compile and store information about a subject - should be interested. Eg Wikipedia - not much difference, I would have thought, for this purpose between operating a site that automatically indexes publicly available information about a subject and one that allows third parties to add information about a subject. Eg. Google - you may be able to cause the spiders to pass on your own site, but not on other mentions of your name. Eg. Globe and Mail restaurant reviews? Utlimately, this seems to me to be well-trodden ground, and my gut is that the play is to run through Avvo's cash before it can move to phase 2 of the business model - the revenue generation phase where it tries to position itself as an intermediary in brokering referrals to recommended lawyers. Hence my comment in my post about plaintiff's lawyer's rather obvious attempt to frighten away follow-on round VC financing. Well, I guess anyone who reviews anything – or maintains a database in which humans or machines compile and store information about a subject – should be interested.

Eg Wikipedia – not much difference, I would have thought, for this purpose between operating a site that automatically indexes publicly available information about a subject and one that allows third parties to add information about a subject.

Eg. Google – you may be able to cause the spiders to pass on your own site, but not on other mentions of your name.

Eg. Globe and Mail restaurant reviews?

Utlimately, this seems to me to be well-trodden ground, and my gut is that the play is to run through Avvo’s cash before it can move to phase 2 of the business model – the revenue generation phase where it tries to position itself as an intermediary in brokering referrals to recommended lawyers. Hence my comment in my post about plaintiff’s lawyer’s rather obvious attempt to frighten away follow-on round VC financing.

]]> By: Neil Sanderson http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/06/15/do-you-have-a-right-not-to-be-indexed/comment-page-1/#comment-272364 Neil Sanderson Sat, 16 Jun 2007 04:50:55 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/06/15/do-you-have-a-right-not-to-be-indexed/#comment-272364 My sympathies are with the lawyers on this rare occasion. One of the problems, I think, is that Avvo will not reveal the formula for their rankings. Just browsing the listings, it seemed to me that lawyers early in their career tended to have lower ratings than the veterans. It's one thing to report that a lawyer has only two years experience, for example, but quite another to saddle them with a lower quality ranking, through a secret algorithm, on that basis. My sympathies are with the lawyers on this rare occasion. One of the problems, I think, is that Avvo will not reveal the formula for their rankings. Just browsing the listings, it seemed to me that lawyers early in their career tended to have lower ratings than the veterans. It’s one thing to report that a lawyer has only two years experience, for example, but quite another to saddle them with a lower quality ranking, through a secret algorithm, on that basis.

]]> By: Leigh http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/06/15/do-you-have-a-right-not-to-be-indexed/comment-page-1/#comment-272327 Leigh Sat, 16 Jun 2007 02:55:50 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/06/15/do-you-have-a-right-not-to-be-indexed/#comment-272327 note to self - business models involving lawyers.... bad...... note to self – business models involving lawyers….
bad……

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