We're in the process of moving mshift from one server to another and during that transition we're changing a few other little details. Be patient with us as it will take a little bit of time to get all of your comments off of Blogger and on the new site.

Oh yeah, I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow morning so if the site crashes I guess we'll all have a good laugh... I'm not joking :)

A plug-in for Yahoo's instant messenger demonstrates how graphics can enliven the messaging experience. Jeteye's plug-in for Yahoo! Messenger with Voice is a utility for collecting and displaying content from within the IM environment.

Images, video text can be dragged into an IM client and then shared with other users without the need for transferring files. This customization shows the potential for advertisers to co-brand IM clients or even distribute content. AOL has been serving up rich media ads through its IM client for several years, and we can expect competitors to push the envelope even more.

I'm guessing it won't be long before small ads are prevalent within chat screen windows too.

A survey of 600 companies in PR Week reveals that marketers underestimate the influence of new media. The companies were queried between April and June of this year, and rated the ability of a PR firm to help to "understand and develop programs within the new-media environment, such as blogging, podcasts, and wireless technology" as a low priority.

The survey said developing creative programs is important, but apparently just in the old media space. Having a high quality staff -- which is extremely difficult to quantify -- is also a priority when selecting a PR firm.

Denying the importance of managing public opinion in the blogosphere and in podcasts exposes companies to risks and will limit its chance of success in reaching younger to adult consumers. Bad buzz online can turn opinion in a hurry, and companies should awaken to the opportunity of reaching an audience that spends more time online than with old media.

Starting today Google will reveal to AdWords advertisers the amount of clicks that the company considers to be fraudulent. Coming clean (as much as Google's estimates are accurate) is an important step in regaining trust from advertisers, but it could also complicate the company's settlement agreement.

Google's $90 million click fraud settlement was challenged, and an Arkansas judge is considering whether or not to invalidate the agreement. If Google's stats indicate that 10 percent or more of current clicks are fraudulent, then some advertisers are going to be upset with receiving just a few pennies from the settlement.

Last week an independent consultant studied Google's click fraud efforts and determined that their actions were "reasonable." Reasonableness is in the eye of the beholder, as using the best available technology could be viewed as reasonable even if it is ineffective, while others might view spending millions on better technology as reasonable.

Technology-driven CPA alternatives will like make PPC campaigns mostly obsolete within a few years, but for now, advertisers will continue to overpay while Google continues to walk a tightrope.

For the moment YouTube appears to have an insurmountable lead in the user-generated video space. YouTube has the quirky, clever, and oddball content from thousands of individuals, while Google Video has Mr. Magoo and Charlie Rose.

However, Google has several things -- namely Google Checkout and an advertising network -- that YouTube doesn't, and the power of the purse could turn the tide.

IF Google placed more ads on its website and shared some of the revenue with contributors, they would get many of the YouTubers to post on its website. Google should make a deposit to each contributor's Checkout account, let's say $4 for every thousand videos streamed. (Or, Google could pay a smaller amount by check if people really don't want to participate in Checkout.)

If a video become a hit, then everyone makes money, and getting every contributor to open a Checkout account grows the service. Also, Google takes a cut each time the money is spent on one of its partners website, so the money never really leaves. It's the same model as compensating bloggers who put AdSense ads on their websites.

Sure, some folks may be offended by this "company store" setup, but the most creative contributors would happily jump ship if they could make a few hundred or thousand bucks for their efforts, as opposed to giving up their rights to YouTube. Conversely, YouTube could form a partnership with eBay to protect its turf.

Although it won't be as impactful as online video in creating ad inventory, the growth of free or low-cost WiFi networks will also provide more virtual real estate for marketers.

Private and public WiFi networks are sprouting all over the country, including city-wide efforts in San Francisco, Portland and Philadelphia. JiWire is seizing the opportunity of the day by launching a WiFi hot spot ad network that will insert ads into network log-in pages.

The ad platform will emphasize geolocation ads, so users in the Haight-Ashbury won't get the same ads as in tony Pacific Heights. Capturing users in the moment and knowing whether they are at the airport or downtown will enable advertisers to deliver the most appropriate messages and therefore increase their ROI.

Geolocation is likewise becoming increasingly important in mobile phone advertising, so this will be a good testing ground for advertisers to guage its effectiveness.

Found via Adotas..

Advertising company DoubleClick has added pre- and post-roll Flash ads to its DART products. Flash publishers can insert interactive Flash ads into their content without additional programming.

DoubleClick will track audience interaction and manage the ads similarly to the way it monitors DART Inventory.

Just as in-stream video advertising is exploding, so will Flash advertising, which in many ways enables advertisers to be even more creative with their creative. Last month EyeWonder announced a Flash ad authoring tool.

Rich media sites deserve compelling interactive video and animated ads. Could you imagine static ads running on TV? As YouTube and TV online grows, so will the use of interactive ads, so advertisers will have to spend more to produce high quality ads, but should receive a relatively higher conversion rate.