Yahoo Upgrading This Weekend

[AussieWebmaster]

I got this these evening in the mail:


You will be unable to access your Yahoo! Search Marketing account for
approximately eight hours this coming weekend while we update our
systems. The outage will begin at 7:00 p.m. PDT on Friday, July 22,
and is scheduled to conclude at 3:00 a.m. PDT on Saturday, July 23.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to improve
our service.

[ileong]

Unfortunately, the upgrade is still affecting at least login to the DTC today. This was confirmed by our platinum rep.

[Chris Boggs]

thnaks ilong...i was wondering what the heck was going on :)

[AussieWebmaster]

We are having the same problems getting into our accounts. Our rep said it may be another couple of hours... they are a little frantic considering it is Monday morning and people want to update their bids etc.

Though I just got in.... if you manage to get in do everything you need before logging out or you may not get right back in.

[sebastian]

If you use their search optimizer product, you can get in here:

https://www3.perf.overture.com/caps/dispatch/noauth/login/login?

Direct Traffic Center is pure garbage functionality. Always has been since the early days of PPC ...and hasn't really ever changed. Garbage.

Ask your rep to give you a free trial for optimizer. You shouldn't have to pay because Yahoo can't keep their flagship PPC product afloat.

pure garbage this DTC. hate it.

[AussieWebmaster]

I have a hunch they will be dumping it some time in the not too distant future. The interface is Overture technology and the Yahoo crew I would think want it to be as reliable as the rest of their own technology.

[sebastian]

aussie... they have said this for over two years. I have emails from my "contact" there stating such as I complain month after month.

whatever...

they are huge. a giant company. you expect me to believe they couldn't fix these problems once and for all?

it's our fault as advertisers too. we take it. if collectively we all bailed on these PPC companies who are shafting us left and right, they'd make changes very, very quickly.

oh well ...life as a internet marketer.

[AussieWebmaster]

Life of an internet marketer is like the life of a pirate

[vinniesmith2227]

The interface is Overture technology and the Yahoo crew I would think want it to be as reliable as the rest of their own technology.


I hope they do! In my opinion, Yahoo is better than this so they should be able to put out a product that works.

[Discovery]

Sebastian, I'm willing to pull out of YSM for 5 days. If a number of us here join the cause we may be able to affect some change.

Outline top 10 changes needed
Have as many of us pull out for a specific time frame as possible
Clearly communicate to Yahoo when this will occur
Send the same communications to every press contact you have.
Talk it up on every forum you participate in.

Obviously even if all of us pulled out we are not going to hurt YSM financially, it will be the PR we generate as to why we have pulled out that will give us leverage. Hell we're internet marketers, we should be able to create a pretty big buzz on this issue if we work together on it.

Any takers, other ideas?

[AussieWebmaster]

Sebastian, I'm willing to pull out of YSM for 5 days. If a number of us here join the cause we may be able to affect some change.

Outline top 10 changes needed
Have as many of us pull out for a specific time frame as possible
Clearly communicate to Yahoo when this will occur
Send the same communications to every press contact you have.
Talk it up on every forum you participate in.

Obviously even if all of us pulled out we are not going to hurt YSM financially, it will be the PR we generate as to why we have pulled out that will give us leverage. Hell we're internet marketers, we should be able to create a pretty big buzz on this issue if we work together on it.

Any takers, other ideas?

That would be well over 50k on my end....

[rustybrick]

What would be on this list?

[Chris Boggs]

What would be on this list?

here's a good start (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=7013) by Sebastian

[rustybrick]

here's a good start (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=7013) by Sebastian
Yea, got it just a sec ago, thanks!

[vinniesmith2227]

Pulling out would not be feasible for us either, but the thought is tempting...

What about an online petition? I think we could get some publicity stirred up and thousands of signatures...

[sebastian]

An online petition would be a good idea; however reality dictates that we are all pretty busy.

Quite honestly, this forum should be our petition. If you have contacts, friends, co-workers who are currently not participating at Search Engine Watch Forums, get them on here. Every voice counts. ...and what's makes our group so special is the fact that we are all in a vertic al market - search and internet marketing.

Let's use the forums as our voice. The reps are already here - well, kinda - they never really do or say much useful because everything that they write has to be "approved" first.

Let's keep the discussion going and keep it strong. I started a similar thread here: 10 Reasons Yahoo Should Kill Direct Traffic Center (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=7013)

[AussieWebmaster]

What time frame is the request going to take? Obviously just because it is wanted does not make it so... unless Jeanne or Samatha work for Yahoo! (it's not Itsgenie.... lol)

[Mel66]

Hey everybody -- as if by serendipity, I received an email from Yahoo SM last night asking me to complete a survey about their PPC program. Now granted I have filled out their surveys in the past, so maybe this is just coincidence, but... The questions mostly had to do with our level of satisfaction with their customer service, responsiveness, and the DTC.

Now maybe they planned to issue this survey all along, but I can't help but wonder if someone with some clout at Yahoo got wind of this thread and the "10 Reasons" one and decided to take some action.

Either way, if others answered the way I did, and if they actually (1) care about our answers and (2) do something about it, maybe change will be afoot after all. We can only hope!

Melissa

[AussieWebmaster]

Hey everybody -- as if by serendipity, I received an email from Yahoo SM last night asking me to complete a survey about their PPC program. Now granted I have filled out their surveys in the past, so maybe this is just coincidence, but... The questions mostly had to do with our level of satisfaction with their customer service, responsiveness, and the DTC.

Now maybe they planned to issue this survey all along, but I can't help but wonder if someone with some clout at Yahoo got wind of this thread and the "10 Reasons" one and decided to take some action.

Either way, if others answered the way I did, and if they actually (1) care about our answers and (2) do something about it, maybe change will be afoot after all. We can only hope!

Melissa

Got that one too.... the Google one last week asked a couple of questions about being willing to pay for added features....

[sebastian]

Yahoo did finally respond to the 10 reasons post:

YahooSarah responds to 10 Reasons Yahoo should Kill the DTC Post (http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=7013&page=2&pp=20)

...but don't get too excited. It reads like a Clickz press release. Says a whole lot of same things we have heard for over three years. Quite honestly, though, what can they say that would help?

Unless they have some concrete time frames for us, everything is just PR lip service.

But - hey - I'm that cynical guy so read it for yourself and see what you think....

[AussieWebmaster]

It reads like a Clickz press release.

LOL... that is classic. Better watch out the new owners may be reading these posts!!!!!

[sebastian]

...just call'em as I see 'em.