Research Briefs: A Look at Web Search Redirection Spam; Personal Info Management: Calendars; Mobile communication devices may be pocket-size persuaders;
+ Spam Double-Funnel: Connecting Web Spammers with Advertisers (via Microsoft Research)
10 pages; PDF.
Spammers use questionable search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to promote their spam links into top search results. In this paper, we focus on one prevalent type of spam – redirection spam – where one can identify spam pages by the third-party domains that these pages redirect traffic to. We propose a five-layer, double-funnel model for describing end-to-end redirection spam, present a methodology for analyzing the layers, and identify prominent domains on each layer using two sets of commercial keywords – one targeting spammers and the other targeting advertisers. The methodology and findings are useful for search engines to strengthen their ranking algorithms against spam, for legitimate website owners to locate and remove spam doorway pages, and for legitimate advertisers to identify unscrupulous syndicators who serve ads on spam pages.
See Also: Tools: Microsoft Research Strider Search Ranger & Fiddler
+ Mobile communication devices may be pocket-size persuaders in next 10 years (via Stanford News)
+ A Survey of Personal and Household Scheduling Practices: Implications for Digital Family Calendars (via MSR)
19 pages; PDF.
We surveyed employees at a technology company in May of 2005 about how they manage personal and household scheduling. We found that 51% of 621 respondents primarily used their digital calendar at work for managing household events. Several themes emerged as important to respondents including: a desire to have a single place for all calendar information, a need for constant access and wish to easily coordinate household schedules. Respondents’ challenges in using digital calendars and the reasons some respondents use paper calendars provide insights into how digital calendars could be improved to better meet the needs of families