Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Yahoo beats Google in user satisfaction...

The search engine world's Yahoo vs. Google battle reminds me of the Yankees and Red Sox, Dodgers vs. Giants, Giants vs. Cowboys, Oklahoma-Texas, Ohio State-Michigan, Notre Dame-USC. You get the idea. In this highly competitive sci-tech universe in which we live and spend most of our waking hours, you, like me, probably use both Yahoo and Google equally as much. A press release just out this morning has the results of the latest battle between the two search engines and this time Yahoo comes out on top...

Data from the University of Michigan American Consumer Satisfaction Index a.k.a. ACSI, shows that Yahoo's customer satisfaction score rose 3.9% from a year ago to 79 out of 100 points while Google's rating fell about 3.7% to 78 points. The ACSI method uses data from interviews of nearly 70,000 customers to measure satisfaction with more than 200 companies in 45 industries. The Internet business data was compiled in the second quarter with at least 250 respondents for each company studied. Ask.com's search engine went up a whopping 5.6% (remember yesterday's MPR findings?) to 75 points as it continues to improve its search technology in a more user-friendly environment. AOL, moving in more of an ad-supported e-mail/entertainment direction, slipped more than 9% to a score of 67 points, only slightly higher than the customer satisfaction agencies, notably the Internal Revenue Service tax authority. No lie...

My blog is on blogspot.com, owned by Google. I search both Yahoo and Google and use news from both. They are both excellent sources. Long may the rivalry last...

10 Timeline Memories:
  1. 1935] FDR signs SSA: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law creating unemployment insurance and pension plans for those over 65...
  2. 1953] Whiffed: The whiffle ball is invented providing lots of future major league players with their first taste of hitting a pitched ball...
  3. 1973] No more bombs: Bombing in Cambodia comes to an end...
  4. 1980] Vote for me: The Democrats choose Jimmy Carter to run for president at Madison Square Garden...1996] The Republicans opt for Bob Dole as their presidential candidate...
  5. 1980] On strike: Workers go on strike at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, Poland in a job action that results in the creation of Lech Walesa and the Solidarity labor movement...
  6. 1985] Breaking the Beatles bank: Michael Jackson outbids Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono for the ATV Music Publishing catalog containing the rights to more than 250 songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Total price for the catalog: $47.5 million. Paul will regret this day as long as he lives or until he gets the catalog back...
  7. 1992] "Happy Trails": The Platters' lead singer Tony Williams dies at 64 from diabetes and emphysema...
  8. 1994] Jackal roped: International terrorist 'Carlos the Jackal' is captured in Sudan. He's extradited to France the next day...
  9. 1997] Guilty as charged: Timothy McVeigh is sentenced to death for the Oklahoma City bombing...
  10. 2003] Lights out: A massive blackout hits the northeast and parts of Canada with 50 million losing power. Guess who was unaffected on the Cape??? For those who would like to reminisce: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2_c3ZXM2ws ...

Music Memories:

  • 1965] Released on this date: "Hang On Sloopy" - McCoys (with Rick Derringer singing lead): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73epSGdTWaY ...1971] "Reason To Believe/Maggie May" - Rod Stewart (the 'A' side was "Reason" until everyone started flipping the record)...1976] "Rock 'N Me" - Steve Miller Band...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Patriot's linebacker Mike Vrabel (32), Halle Berry (41), Magic Johnson (48), 'Far Side' cartoonist Gary Larson (57), Danielle Steel (60), Susan St. James (61), Steve Martin (62), David Crosby (66), Dash Crofts (66) and here's Dash with partner James Seals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLhDNvbtFp4 , Earl Weaver (77), Alice Ghostly (81) and Buddy Greco (81)...

Timeline Countdown: 20 days until Labor Day and 23 days until the NFL opener...