Internet Ads Update

Some updates:

• [Tutorial] While teaching a course on Internet Ad Systems in Spring (followup to this), I realized that while Algorithmers and Economists have connected with problems in that area, the database and data mining community has focused more on the interface between IR and ads, and less on some of the core data mining problems that arise directly in these systems. So, I decided to spend time abstracting such problems and will give a tutorial at VLDB 2010.
• [FOCS Result] Renato Paes Leme and Eva Tardos have an interesting paper on GSP auctions. For conservative bidders (once who don't risk by bidding above their value), they show that PoA of GSP auctions is bounded by small constants for various equilibrium concepts. Nice, simple combinatorial structure that helps understand a widely used auction.
  
• [Business] Finally, a little bit about business. Omnicom and Google get together via the Ad Exchange, as WSJ reports. This is the new world of display ads. Google Content Network rebrands as Google Display Network.