The concept of Smart Tags has been heavily promoted by Microsoft, who believe it to be a revolutionary idea. However, not everyone shares this enthusiasm. While Microsoft products do offer certain advantages, such as uniformity across systems, the introduction of Smart Tags could be a step too far. This article delves into the implications of Smart Tags and the potential impact on software developers, PC users, and website owners.
Smart Tags operate on a simple principle. Advertisers agree to pay a fixed amount for a click on a keyword, similar to the model used by GoTo.Com. The ownership of these keywords is subject to the highest bidder. When website pages are downloaded from any website to a computer using Windows, these pages are scanned for these keywords. Any keywords found are highlighted and converted into links to the advertiser's site.
Despite the controversy surrounding Smart Tags, Microsoft initially planned to include this feature in their new XP operating system. However, due to significant opposition, they decided against it.
Despite the setback for Smart Tags, a similar concept has emerged, known as 'contextual advertising'. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, TOPtext is an example of this new form of advertising. It turns existing words on a web page into hyperlinks that redirect users to the advertiser's site. Read the full article here.
KaZaA is using a plug-in to Internet Explorer called TOPtext from eZula. For more details, please see "Is Someone Hijacking YOUR Visitors?" by Bob Smith.
For website owners, their most valuable assets are their visitors. The path to profits often involves generating a subscriber base and building credibility that leads to sales. However, the introduction of Smart Tags and contextual advertising could potentially disrupt this process.
For instance, by adding a link on a subscription sign-up page, potential subscribers could be lured to another site. This could result in a loss of potential profits. Furthermore, since the link is redirected, the user cannot return to the original site using the Back button, making it unlikely they will return.
While the potential loss of profits is concerning, the impact on credibility is even more alarming. Most internet users are not computer experts and may not realize that these links were added by software running on their system. They may believe that the website owner is recommending the linked company, which could potentially damage the owner's reputation.
The future of ebooks is also uncertain due to the potential impact of Smart Tags and contextual advertising. Many popular ebook compilers link to Internet Explorer for display, and these links could be disrupted by the introduction of these new advertising methods.
One of the most concerning aspects of this development is that webmasters may never know it's happening. Additionally, the introduction of these links could slow download speed, impacting the user experience.
While it's unclear if Microsoft is involved in this particular experiment, the effects are similar to what they expected from Smart Tags. It's possible that they are observing these developments closely and may implement a similar plan in Windows in the future.
This issue is likely to be brought to court. The argument could be made that since the downloaded page is on the visitor's computer, they own it and can therefore do as they please with it. However, others argue that the way a page is delivered to a visitor is immaterial and that the visitor should see it as it was created.
While this development may be beneficial to advertisers, it could be detrimental to webmasters who have spent countless hours building their site content. The future of the web as we know it could be at stake.
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