Raising Search Standards and the Compliance Bar  The search
industry has been showing real signs of growing up in the last
two or three years. Last week's release of the Interactive
Advertising Bureau/United Kingdom (IAB U.K.) search marketing
charter updated with affiliate guidelines moved search a bit
closer to an official seat at the big kids' table.  Any move
toward standardization is a good move, right? The road to
standardization is littered with large potholes and dead end
turnoffs that may seem like a good idea until we realize a left
turn should have been a right turn.  Standardization and best
practices have been a dedicated interest of mine over the years
as a contributor and volunteer with the IAB and SEMPO in the
United States. I've enjoyed working with these groups and have
firsthand knowledge of how difficult it is to orchestrate
change.  Why aren't the standardization/best practices
implementations moving faster? Where are the roadblocks and
potholes? Let's take a stroll down the search market