Nope. (It's not just you.)

Sure wish that when I traveled my seat companions were reading Google Hacks. I tend to end up with the people who have screaming toddlers, Dr. Laura books, or Guideposts magazine.

What does Google Hacks have to do with "weblog influence"?

The weblog influence is that the primary word-of-mouth promotion of Google Hacks came through weblogs, most of the tips that make up the book came from people publishing ideas on their weblogs, and (I believe) Rael first became acquainted with Tara through her Research Buzz weblog.

It's a book that couldn't have happened *without* blogging.

So last week this guy ripped out some alien laptop which drew my eye. Then yesterday I was reading Biz 2.0 and an article on Best Buy's vertical intergration had picture of an alien desktop which drew me to read it. Then the guy, you, was cited as an influential endorser.

Sorry, too tall to be a hobbit.

cool to learn of the link between this book and blogging. personally i picked it up while doing some idle roaming through a bookstore. quite readable even for non-techie, searching freaks like me.

Of course, it's not so surprising when you consider how "hip" Google is. Having hardly any advertising for a product can make it extremely popular fast.

"Search engine hacks" wouldn't have worked as well either. As I commented earlier http://www.esztersblog.com/archives/00000363.html "Google has become the high-culture status symbol of Web use." I suspect the people reading this particular book actually know something about the search engine so it is neat that you ended up next to them. However, I don't think all people who refer to Google necessarily know much about it. In fact, I now have some data to prove that it isn't the use of Google in particular that makes people good at finding things online but knowing how to use search engines (whichever ones). Regardless, it's neat that Google has managed to reach such popularity based mostly on recommendations.

On one of my flights to a job interview for a prof position I was seated next to a prof at the school where I was interviewing (completely different dept), which was pretty neat.

Still don't see the weblog connection.

I just wish my blind dates would stop Googling me. Sometimes I feel like I need a pseudonym.

Weblog influence or not, I'm going to check out this book.

Hmm.. I guess I was just influenced?