First off, I love words, which is natural considering I am a writer. But more importantly, I respect words. Not for nothing is the pen deemed mightier than the sword. Words have untold power and when used carelessly often have far reaching consequences that you could never have imagined. Now that I have given you some context, perhaps you will understand my dismay at the New Oxford American Dictionary’s choice of Word of the Year: Unfriend.

I don’t deny that it given today’s increasingly online social society it’s a relevant word. And I think that it’s placement in the dictionary has been legitimately earned, but is it really The Word of the Year? I don’t think so.

I do not find my Facebook account as appealing as it used to be. For me, it’s just kind of lost its spark. I know that many disagree with me here and are still wholly obsessed with their daily updating and uploading. I think that many people out there do not realise that there are more social networking sites out there, and some are much more specific than you think. If you consider yourself a social butterfly, you don’t have to leave the Book, you can just add a few more URL’s to your collection of social networks. So, just as you search the web for the lyrics to your favourite song, or the meaning of that unpronounceable word that has been bugging you for ages, I am sure that you can find a social network that will suit your interests (or obsessions).

Thursday the 13th August saw Media Vision South Africa undertake their first team sailing adventure. The team, comprising of captain AJ, first mate Zeke, skipper Brett and deckhands Lauren, David and Frances, took sail, equipped with nothing more than a couple of flimsy jackets on their backs and cold beers in their hands. Sandy decided to hold the fort by staying at the office and fielding calls from the slightly jealous UK office.

The weather was idyllic for a Cape winter’s day and we took off from Simonstown yacht club at a gentle pace eventually finding some light wind quite a way out at sea. The deckhands were roped in to take some of the slack and learnt some of the nautical lingo, such as ‘guy’ and ‘cleat’ in the process.

The intrepid adventurers, aka MediaVision South Africa, returned once again in April to continue team building, this time it took the form of a fierce game of tenpin bowling. The game started a little later than anticipated as following Brandon’s impeccable sense of direction, the brave writers trio (Sandy, Brandon and Frances) fought their way through the back streets of the Southern Suburb’s urban jungle, in order to experience the world’s longest short cut. Meanwhile, back at the bar, Brett and Darren were being equally brave with battery acid tequila and no lemon. The writers trio joined in on a round of placatory shots and the men flexed their muscles to begin the game of WWW raw tenpin bowling.

The first staff function of the year kicked off in March. We decided on a relaxed afternoon of good seafood, good South African cider (such as Hunters and Savannah) and an up close and personal sea view.

Louis at MediaVision UK made snide remarks about the lack of adventurous spirit this side of the world, until I quickly pointed out that Melissa is rather heavily pregnant, so sand boarding and bungee jumping must, unfortunately, be postponed for a few months. Brett suggested that once Melissa is back from maternity leave we make up for it by skydiving into a shark cage, so never let it be said that we aren’t a hardy nation. We may not have the cold (although this autumn is something like a South African ice age) but we know how to rough it. Just not this time because Harbour House is pretty much as cushy as you get.

So an online marketer makes up a story about a kid who hires prostitutes to play games and eat Oreos in a motel room. He writes it in a reportage style and includes witnesses, comments from motel staff and real locations. The story goes wild on Digg, appears on Fox News, on YouTube and in newspapers. After chinking champagne flutes, the author (Lyndon Antcliff) announces that the story was fabricated for a client who is in no way connected with comedy, journalism, children`s rights or sex work. And the world cries foul.

This debacle raises some interesting concerns about the connection between linkbait and news. From the start, it`s easy to see what the ethics are, because they generally apply to the rest of life: don`t lie, don`t mislead people for commercial gain, and don`t shirk the blame if it belongs to you. The guy who wrote about this mythical teenager placed his reputation on the line (“Not everything I write is fake!” he cried afterwards), and his client was also seen by the world`s inconstant eye as a shady marketer who supported stories about wicked teens who stole credit cards and hired hookers. How will you remember that author`s name now? Can you remember what industry his client was in?

Navigating SEO waters can be perilous for old sea dogs as well as beginners trying to find their sea legs. The industry is in a constant state of ebb and flow. Nothing stands still and if it does, it`s quickly washed away, only to be replaced with the next trend riding the internet wave. Self-proclaimed industry experts jostle for position, sowing harmony as well as discontent whenever they choose to voice their opinions.

There is very little cohesion and nearly every SEO-related topic or news item is subject to fierce debate. Subtle nuances are dissected and toes are stepped on. Something as seemingly simple as the understanding of a term can create lifelong friendships or mortal enemies. It`s an industry where new terms are coined nearly every week, and where the strength of terminology coined can make or break a reputation. Any confusion adds fuel to an already raging fire. And as we know, fire is a sailor`s worst nightmare.

Sometimes, when you read onsite copy, the blatant over-optimisation makes you cringe. The content is stuffed with so many keywords that if they were feathers you`d be able to fill an entire hospital with eiderdowns. Stoney deGeyter from Search Engine Guide has termed this phenomenon, “SEO Bloat”, but whatever you choose to call it, it brings with it certain death to any web page that suffers from it.

DeGeyter says that the bloat grows slowly with a continual stream of small changes that gradually convert a good page into a bad one. This is sloppy SEO practice. All changes, no matter how small, need to be carefully checked to make sure that the quality and desired tone is maintained. DeGeyter recommends that one person be appointed whose sole task is to review page edits.

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Wentworth Miller, you might remember me from such TV classics as ‘prison break`, ‘Prison break season 2` and ‘Prison break season 3`. I have recently had ear-enlargement surgery. My one true vocation or calling is getting myself wrongfully thrown into high level security prisons and then taking on the gruelling, challenging task of breaking out. Well, actually I have slight interest in some other more sensible activity: I do find search technology quite fascinating, and I`d like to learn more about mass parallel computing and how it enhances the effectiveness and accuracy of information retrieval. In short, is the internet one day going to wake up and become sentient, and automatically inherit the personality of Tim Burners-lee, its father, or worse, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo?

Me being the outspoken, intelligent, suave and all around awesome person that I am, it`s inevitable for some people, (everyone) to be interested in what I do for a living. Doesn`t matter where I am or who the lucky person that asked the question: “Dylan, I`m extremely interested to know what you do for a living” is, I answer all the same. “Well, gorgeous lady that is interested in what I do, I am an SEO Solutions Architect…trainee” The last part is said under my breath and covered by a little grunt. They then reply either one of two things: “Oh…ok, that sounds…cool” or just “…?” and then I explain.