Web Search–AltaVista
Source: News.Com
“AltaVista: In Search of a Turning Point”
Jim Hu provides gives the goings on at AltaVista a thorough review. From the article, “Rivals such as Google have stepped up to challenge AltaVista’s position as the search technology leader, innovating new ways to find relevant search results that cut through the growing clutter of the Web. Facing declining revenues, AltaVista has also begun to experiment with aggressive advertising strategies pioneered by rival GoTo.com, drawing charges from consumer groups that its search results are now up for sale to the highest bidder.”

Newspaper Archives
Tasini Decision
Source: Editor and Publisher
San Diego Newspaper Shuts Down Archives
From the article, Citing a landmark Supreme Court ruling that publishers must get permission from free-lancers before using their articles in electronic databases, the San Diego Union-Tribune is blocking access to all of the archive’s contents created prior to Jan. 1, 2000. Also from the article, “It is possible to go through the database using various tools to attempt to extricate those things that are questionable under the (Supreme Court) decision,” [Hal] Fuson [vice president and chief legal officer of Union-Tribune parent Copley Press Inc] said. “But that’s a very time-consuming, laborious, and expensive process. And the amount of revenue that we derived from selling access to those databases is so small it is uneconomical to do it. We are going to continue to look at ways to restore portions of the database prior to Jan. 1, 2000, as we have resources available but I have no idea how long that will take.”

Information Industry–Questia
Source: Houston Chronicle
“Questia to Let College Buy Online-Library Service in Bulk”
Lead of article, “Questia Media continues to adjust its marketing strategy this summer with a plan to offer universities the ability to buy subscriptions for its online library and research service in bulk.” Also from the article, “The bulk purchase is something of a departure for Questia, which in the past was emphatic that it would only sell its $19.95 per month service to individuals. Most libraries are used to buying such online content through site licenses, which allow them to pay a lump sum based on the number of users.”
Thanks to LISNews.Com for the tip.

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