Yesterday, I posted my plea to Tide fans to “Stay Classy” with regards to the upcoming Virginia Tech game.
One of the incoming hits to my site came from Virginia, specifically a site called “Virginia Sites.”
I don’t know who runs and operates the page, but it seems like a harmless resource designed to direct visitors to the many fascinating tourist attractions the lovely state of Virginia has to offer. It certainly appears to be designed to be attractive to search engines.
However, I clicked on the “Virginia News” link, and what I found was a marketing nightmare.
Apparently, the page periodically auto-updates with the results from news searches that mention “Virginia.” However, there appears to be no moderation whatsoever in the process of publishing those results.
I went ahead and snagged a screen capture of the page as I saw it, and here’s a breakdown:
Virginia Named Infrastructure ”State of the Year”
WASHINGTON, DC–(Marketwire – September 1, 2009) – CG/LA Infrastructure, LLC announced today that Virginia has been named the Infrastructure State of the Year, in advance of the upcoming
bignewsnetwork.com Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:09:51 -0400
Well, at least we can count on having nice roads and bridges to drive upon during our stay.
Suspect Climbs Through Window, Sexually Assaults GU Student
Authorities say a female student was assaulted after a man entered her apartment through a window while she was sleeping. When she awoke, they say, the man fled from the apartment.
bignewsnetwork.com Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:37:51 -0400
Nothing like news about random crime to make a destination more palatable!
Same-Sex Marriage Opponents Launch New Efforts in D.C.
‘);} //–> WASHINGTON, D.C. – Same-sex marriage opponents are launching new efforts in the District in an attempt to get the gay marriage issue in the hands of D.C. voters. `We believe we’re…
bignewsnetwork.com Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:37:49 -0400
This isn’t even about Virginia…
Lanes to be opened to ease Labor Day travel in Va
Lanes on major Virginia roads that are temporarily closed for construction or maintenance will be open during the Labor Day weekend. The Virginia Department of Transportation says the move is aimed a…
bignewsnetwork.com Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:35:33 -0400
Yay! Real news that could help travelers!
NC university carries on amid swine flu outbreak
Officials at a North Carolina university say more than 80 students are thought to have swine flu. The Winston-Salem Journal reported Tuesday that Wake Forest University plans to continue with classes…
bignewsnetwork.com Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:35:30 -0400
Ooooh, Swine Flu! Better not go to Virginia. But wait! That’s a North Carolina article. Maybe they’re trying to get people to scrap those hiking vacations in the Smokies or the Blue Ridge…
Reward offered for boy lost in rough NC surf
A New Jersey man is offering a $25,000 reward in the search for his best friend’s son who disappeared in rough surf along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Officials say Chance Cosgrove was body-boarding…
bignewsnetwork.com Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:35:28 -0400
…or the killer waters off the Carolina coast!
NC Army base joins cord blood donation program
The hospital at Fort Bragg has joined a North Carolina program to collect and donate umbilical-cord blood to help researchers and patients. The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Tuesday that Womack…
bignewsnetwork.com Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:35:26 -0400
This one speaks for itself.
Fake bank calls grip JCC residents
When Bill Gibbs received a call last week asking for his bank account information to `renew` his debit card, he knew something smelled fishy — phishy, to be exact. Gibbs, an economic and computer crimes investigator with James City County police, rec…
Daily Press Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:28:00 -0400
More crime news. Apparently, we’re supposed to feel better that the criminals are so dumb they call the police to scam them. (Or maybe they know the police are usually dumb enough to fall for it…)
WVa sees rise in state-paid burials
The number of burials paid for by the state has been increasing since 2006, a trend likely tied to an aging population and the faltering economy.
Topix.com Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:34:59 GMT
Again, not Virginia but West Virginia. Where you can’t walk ten feet without running into some unburied dead guy.
Man Charged With Murder After Allegedly Stabbing Two in Va.
A man who stabbed two people inside a Fairfax County apartment last week, one fatally, has been charged with murder, Fairfax police said yesterday.
Washington Post Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:14:58 EDT
Alright, an actual Virginia-related story again! What’s it about?
My takeaway? You can only automate the flow of information to a point. There is (and will be) a need for human beings to do the curating and aggregating of information. In an age of overload, people crave relevance and context over a river of content.
Too bad that no one from the site will see it, since it is all automated.