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Google Instant, a pretty cool new feature on Google that generates results as you enter your search. Extremely cool, and time saving for users.

In many cases it may mean that searchers will never get to the standard SERPS where you are checking your rankings, assuming you are watching that closely.

Another good reason to focus on users, content and conversions rather than rankings.

Here’s what Google has to say about it so far.

Here’s what Sara has to say about it.

As a user, I love it.

So, the prez is coming to Cleveland this week. Apparently he has decided to make a last ditch effort to make sure his flunkies don’t flunk out in November, and wants to let all of Cleveland know about it. He has a plan, which sounds pretty good actually. The plan, as it has been laid out so far seems to entail letting businesses write off 100% of reinvestment through 2011. This would be astounding if not for all the new taxes he will be flinging at us starting January 1.

Reinvestment will mean any monies going toward plant and equipment. This tax credit, write off, however it shakes out will purportedly mean a loss of nearly $200 Billion in taxes in two short years.

While my gut wants to high five anyone standing nearby, my brain is a little more reticent. I tend to think this is just another grab for votes, rather than a real plan to stimulate business. Not only that, but there are what? Like, 56 days or something until elections? I really don’t see him getting such an unpopular plan through congress, even if it is to help them out, in such a short time frame. An extension of the Bush tax credits might not be popular with his cronies, but they might buy him a seat or two if he were to actually go through with it.

This weekend Fox News had a nice write up on the whole deal. What do you think – is this a grab for votes? Is the prez trying to grow the economy that is still floundering even though he has poured hundreds of millions down a deep dark well? If he does get it passed, is it going to be enough to save some dems seats, or are they over? You know what my vote on that is, with or without this tax write-off.

Kanye West, rapper, producer, singer, and altogether not a nice guy, has taken to Twitter to basically try and get his life back. You might remember a little scene he caused during the MTV Music Awards last year. He apparently took the stage when someone else was trying to say thank you for an award, and has since been deemed a major jerk by the entire world. Up until recently, he has apologized, but his PR folks wouldn’t let him say much more. Then, Kanye discovered Twitter. Since making this discovery, Kanye has tweeted what he really (he says) thinks and feels about the whole situation. He’s said things that his “people” wouldn’t let him say. He’s apologized…again. He’s also let his followers in on some of the impact of his actions. He’s had to lay people off, cancel tours, and so on.

So what does all of this have to do with you, me, and the web? Just this… Twitter, Facebook, all things social media…. have changed the way we get news, the way we talk (LOL), and the way we communicate with one another.

One blog post I read recently describes how all these facets have allowed for greater honesty, more raw emotion. Playing devil’s advocate for a minute, I also wonder if Twitter hasn’t afforded Mr. West the opportunity to make a play for sympathy in a way that has not been available previously. Because people seem to take you at your word in a Tweet, it gives the advantage that you will be believed. I don’t think it’s a stretch to think that perhaps people, especially celebrities, large corporations, etc, have learned that they can manipulate their image with their Twitter and Facebook updates. I’m all for forgive and forget, don’t get me wrong, but to think that Tweeting your sorrow over some incident is the way to be forgiven, I think actions need to speak louder than words.

You have to know that I really don’t care about Kanye West. I don’t even really know who the girl is he wronged, though I think my 10 year old does. What I care about is the way the web is being used. I think we have to keep in mind that if Kanye tweets that he is sorry, whatever, then he very well may be. But, he very well may be tweeting what he thinks will sell records.

There is no doubt that many news stories, emergencies, and other urgent matters get more immediate attention due to Twitter. It’s been great as a source of news, and whatever you happen to be into. Twitter, and social media in general can be a fantastic tool, especially for marketing. Just be careful about what you allow to be marketed to you, whether it be a new product, or a celebrity trying to market himself when his PR folks have failed.

With Twitter has come a whole new language, beyond the LOLs and MHOs and so on. The “Tweetup” is a somewhat new phenomenon, and an old one. The new part being that you let folks know about it via Twitter, and the old part is that it is any kind of get-together, whether it be friends meeting for drinks, or a networking event. If you’d like to hold a Tweetup of your own, TKG has some great pointers on the “dos” and “don’ts” of the Tweetup!

Tweetups can be just for fun, or friends, or fans, too. Celebrities have been known to cause accidental tweetups when tweeting about where they are headed for dinner. Tweetups happen in every city, just Google your city’s name and “tweetup” and choose your tweetup!

TKG has hosted several Tweetups, and it has been a great way to get a little “face time” with folks you Tweet with, but have not met, or don’t see often. As always, with anything Web related, be careful about where you are going, just watch out for yourself, and always Tweetup with strangers in a public place.

If you have a blog, especially one that is monetized, you may want to pay attention. We all know that municipalities are cash strapped and looking for any way to make some money. Philadelphia is no different. The city is sending bloggers $300 bills, which is the cost of a business privilege license. What amazes me about this is… who is digging around trying to find out who has a blog with monetization? Does the very small amount of money a blogger makes really warrant some city official spending time researching to see from whom they can get 300 bucks? Apparently there is a small number of bloggers who have made a very tiny amount on their blogs and reported it who are now receiving these letters saying they have to pay for this “business privilege license” plus pay taxes on whatever small amount of money they earned.

I get that we are supposed to pay our taxes, I do. However this seems to be extreme. Most bloggers don’t make enough money on their blogs to even consider the paperwork that this would require. If we were talking federal standards, you can make up to $600 before you have to claim it on a return.
Municipalities all have their own rules and tax laws, but this is reaching so far into people’s pockets that it seems just plain money grubbing. And it feels like an invasion of sorts. Big Brother – we knew you were lurking around somewhere – who knew he reads blogs?

As the new taxes roll in in 2011 I think we can expect to see more and more of this nonsense. If you sit on a city council somewhere and have a say, please try to use a little common sense about this kind of thing. If someone makes $15 a year on a blog, I think a business license is a little over the top. I pay my babysitters way more than that. Crap. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud. Now the government it gonna want me to 1099 the 13 year old nieces I pay to watch my kids once in a while so they can send them a tax bill and a request for a purchase of a business license. Sorry, Kenzie and Katie.

Cities, politicians and the federal government have all been trying to find ways to tax the web. Because we are a service based company, we don’t pay a sales tax on what we sell. Instead we have to pay a commercial activity tax. We have all heard how the FTC and FCC would like to try and regulate the web, and I am sure part of the reason is to find ways to tax. Taxing bloggers, right now seems to me to be coming out of the realization that some of them do make money on their blogs. SOME. The vast majority don’t make one thin dime. Some even pay to have their blog up, so then they are operating at a loss. This just doesn’t make sense.

Do you have a blog? Would you continue with it if you knew you would have to buy a business license and pay taxes on it? Does this make any sense to you?

More information about the Philadelphia Blogger Story can be found at the Washington Examiner.