This is quite an interesting new Spam Technique that some users are doing to apparently improve their rankings on Google. If it actually works, it will mean we’ve found out another factor of the Google SERPs.

What this involves in where some Webmasters hire some people in China (Because it is “cheaper” apparently) to drive around internet cafe’s around the area and search a desired key phrase on Google and then click on the Webmaster’s result. This is supposed to increase the rankings as a few Webmasters who have tried it have said. We can’t really say whether it is true or not without more research into the idea.

If this really is true and the number of clicks is actually a factor used in the Google SERPs, then that means anyone could easily manipulate it. Those people who have a lot of contact to people around the world (Such as on Instant Messengers) will have a big advantage because it doesn’t take much just to ask them to do so.

The funny thing is that these Webmasters are paying these Chinese workers to do so when they’ve forgotten one simple thing they could do which is free - Proxies. Anyone could just do so through multiple proxies and it could work, it would be far easier. That is if it is actually true though.

We obviously need more proof that it works, but its a very unique idea.

Google has reportedly banned downloads of Google Chrome from certain countries. Some of these include Cuba, Syria, North Korea, Iran, and Sudan.

This is a very silly move for Google since they do have an international company, so it doesn’t seem much sense to ban some of their clients in other countries. Doesn’t make sense to most.

What is funny though is that users in these countries can still see Google Advertisements and can still click them with no problem. Basically, they’re saying you can’t use their software, but you can make them some money through their Google Adsense - Google Adwords system.

They have also blocked the use of some other Applications too, such as Google Talk and the Gmail Notifier.

You can read some more into this strange announce at the Official Article. Hopefully you’ll find it an interesting read, we did.

Bans are common to those who don’t follow the Google Adsense Terms of Service completely. Google don’t seem to ban you straight away, they ban you when you get close to the minimum payout of $100, that way they get more money off you before you get banned. Some of the main tips to avoid getting banned by Google Adsense are:

• Content - You need good content on your website or Google will ban you. Google hate websites full of advertisements but little content, so the more the better.
• Hidden Texts - They also don’t like you using very small or hidden texts in order to change the types of advertisements shown to increase revenue. Google can still notice it and probably will punish you for it.
• Ads - Whatever you do, do not click your own advertisements. This is one of the most common reasons that people get banned. They easily detect it and you will get banned for doing so. As well as this, do not participate in Click Exchanges. They will find out about these too. Just think, you’d be wasting advertisers money for your own benefit, not kind. Even writing on your website asking them to click your advertisements will get you punished.
• Cover Ups - Don’t try to cover up the Google Advertisement part of the unit - The “Ads by Google” part. This can be done by using div’s, but Google will ban you for it.
• Images and Ads - Don’t place your advertisements next to images that will focus the attention on the advertisements. Google are very clever and will find out.

Those are just the most common ways people get banned. Make sure you follow those tips.

Most people have heard of Windows 7. Windows 7 is the next Operating System in line to take over Windows Vista. Microsoft have been talking about Windows 7 for a long time now, even when Vista had just been released. It seems that Vista was just to “fill in the gap” between Windows XP and Windows 7, they’ve gone straight into Windows 7 already.

Microsoft have officially announced that they will hand out Windows 7 Pre-Beta releases to people at the Professional Developer Conference (PDC) in late October and the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in early November. The official release for the public is said to be released in 2010.

One rumour that could be true is quite shocking - The minimum requirements to run Windows 7 is a massive 4GB Ram! Of course this might be fine for people buying new computers because it will come with it on straight away, but the problem is that not many people will be able to upgrade to Windows 7 anyway because of the requirements, meaning that they’d need to upgrade their PC as well as paying for the upgraded Operating System. Another requirement is 20GB space for the Operating System, which again is quite a lot.

You can see a screenshot of it here too.

Looks remarkably like Vista.

A second rant about DigitalPoint Forums. This is only going to be a short one because its extending on what was said in the previous rant. If you haven’t read that, you can read it at DigitalPoint Forums Rant #1.

They’ve just brought out another rule, bringing the rules to a whole new level of dumb. As you probably know if you’re a regular on the DigitalPoint Forums, there is a very popular Web Hosting section where users advertise and make requests for Web Hosting. This is where all the Web Hosting threads should go.

This is where the new rule comes in.

If the first package you are selling is lower than $5, then they will now move your thread to the Freebies? Not quite sure of the reason, surely if you’re selling Web Hosting then it should go in the Web Hosting forum. This means that good quality Web Hosting threads are put with the rest of the “Free Wordpress Themes” and “Free E-Books”, thats going to lower the attention of the threads and just make the forum more untidy.

The worst point about the rule (And probably the dumbest part about it) is that you get an infraction for it. Even if you posted before the rule started. We started a thread on the September 26th and we’ve just been given an infraction from a rule they brought out yesterday. Surely how can we have abided by the rules if they haven’t even been brought out yet?

A moderator on the forums said:

“If any of your packages listed are $5 or under (or barely over $5 solely to try to get around the rule - like $5.01 or some BS), the WHOLE THREAD belongs in Freebies. This is because you’re not allowed to exchange iTrader on anything at that level or below, so any thread with those kinds of deals belongs in Freebies where that functionality is disabled. Don’t like it? Split into two threads - $5 and under in freebies and the rest in a Web hosting thread.”

Very, very dumb. Just when you thought the rules couldn’t get any more dumb.