google

Google Stops Supporting Search API

The O'Reilly Radar picked up on an internal conversation I was involved with about Google's decision to stop supporting their Search API. There's more at the Radar: Google Deprecates Their SOAP Search API.

I can't help but think of the lawyerly phrase arbitrary and capricious to describe the decision because no one from Google has explained the move in a public forum. I'm sure there were some black hat SEO types using the Search API for nefarious purposes—and I'm guessing the decision to shut it down stems in part from that. (Not to mention that SOAP has fallen out of favor.) But that's like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Why such a limited alternative? (The API has been "replaced" by the Ajax API, a very limited cousin of the Search API.) And why not move to a REST API if that's where the developer preference winds have blown? In one of my emails I mentioned that this decision reminds me of Microsoft's decision to scrap their MVP program (which was later reinstated). Why alienate future potential power users?

Also, the new Hackzine blog picked up a tip I stumbled on for grabbing an API Key while the grabbing is good: Get a Google SOAP API Key.

Update: Slashdot weighs in. For them it's all about the failure of SOAP, not a misstep by Google.
Dec 18th, 2006, 11:35 am
Nov 9th, 2006, 6:45 pm
  • A VC: Data Portability
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Nov 6th, 2006, 6:45 pm

Paul ego surfing

Hey, this site is the fourth result on Google when you search for Paul. I'm situated behind Paul Graham, Paul McCartney, and DePaul Univeristy. I know because I heard from the fifth Paul on the list—Paul Stamatiou—who found me via Google. (I'd link to them, but I don't want to add to their Paulrank values.) I'm expecting an email from Paul Harvey (10th on the list) any day now.
Oct 15th, 2006, 4:38 pm
Oct 10th, 2006, 6:45 pm
  • Google Ping Help
    Yet another site you can ping when you update your blog. This one's for Google's Blog Search. Ping!
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    Nice tutorial that shows how you can saturate the colors in a photo by switching to Lab Color mode and messing with the channels. [via nelson]
    filed under: flickr, photography, hacks
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    search for code in specific languages (except VB?) from across the web.
    filed under: development, google
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    lectures from UC Berkeley classes online. [via Searchblog]
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Oct 5th, 2006, 6:46 pm
Oct 3rd, 2006, 6:45 pm
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    filed under: future, google, privacy, writing
Sep 26th, 2006, 8:45 pm
  • Cool Tool: Google Hacks
    "But simply by enhancing my ability to google, this guide -- now in a meaty third edition -- is worth the price. It's the Missing Manual to Google." - Kevin Kelly
    filed under: books, google, hacks
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    filed under: environment, cosmic
  • Picasa Web Albums
    Google's Flickr competitor (via nelson)
    filed under: google, photography
Sep 20th, 2006, 8:45 pm
Sep 19th, 2006, 8:50 pm
Aug 31st, 2006, 8:45 pm
I'm going to start pulling my del.icio.us links in as a post like the cool kids do. Here are the links from yesterday to kick things off...
Aug 29th, 2006, 5:04 pm
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