Update: Google’s move to using JavaScript to retrieve search results, while making Google much more robust and responsive, means Googlewhacking at Unthunk has been permanently retired. If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can still view the thunklist and stats at http://whack.unthunk.com.

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 1: “We need a good, catchy name for our tablet, something that will really get people talking.”

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 2: “Hmm, Apple plus tablet equals Applet?”

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 3: “But where’s the ‘i’ in that?”

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 1: “iApplet? sound like an ointment for pink-eye.”

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 3: “Ha ha!”

Steve Jobs: “Lame. Why am I paying you guys again?”

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 1: “How about iReader?”

Steve Jobs: “That just channels Ralph Wiggum’s ‘Me fail English? That’s unpossible?’”

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 2: snickering “Let’s call it the iPad”

Apple Tablet Development Team: laughing followed by awkward silence

Steve Jobs: “Yes.”

Apple Tablet Development Team: Silence

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 3: “Uh, but won’t people make jokes like you can only use it once a month?”

Steve Jobs: “Yes.”

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 1: “Or call it the iPon?”

Steve Jobs: “Yes.”

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 2: “iPad. Really?”

Steve Jobs: “Yes.”

Apple Tablet Development Team: confused silence

Steve Jobs: “Don’t you people have marketing degrees?”

Apple Tablet Development Team: more confused silence

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 1: “Uh, yes?”

Steve Jobs: silence

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 1: coughs and clears throat

Steve Jobs: “Exactly. It will be a viral hit.”

Apple Tablet Development Team: “Ooooooooh!”

Apple Tablet Development Team Member 2: “So, we’re naming it the iPad because of the viral marketing opportunity of using bad jokes to make it an instantly memorable name?”

Steve Jobs: “Yes.”

Looks like the joke’s on us. Well played, Apple.

I checked over at Googlewhack to see if Gary had any news on this.  According to Googlewhack “Late 04 Nov 2009, Google stopped providing definition links for public searches under certain conditions. That effectively broke Whack — which could be fixed — but similar problems occur every few months, and often are corrected by Google.” That’s the most recent update at Googlewhack, so it looks like it’s been broken since the beginning of November.

A quick Google search turned up an explanation.  About the time Google rolled its new live search it also changed the way it links words to definitions so that only single words and idioms are linked to definitions.  Additionally, the dictionary links are now pointing to definition pages on Google instead of answers.com.  Since multiple search terms no longer link, unthunk (and presumably Googlewhack) cannot validate whacks by checking for links when checking that the pair of terms returns only one result.  Link checking could be removed altogether or moved in single word score checking, but the former would change the rules and the latter would require additional searches.  As it is now, single word searches to get the counts per word are not performed unless pair checking show both are linked and only one result.

So for now, it’s dead, Jim.

We are writing from the Amazon Associates Program to notify you that your Associates account has been closed as of June 26, 2009. This is a direct result of the unconstitutional tax collection scheme expected to be passed any day now by the North Carolina state legislature (the General Assembly) and signed by the governor. As a result, we will no longer pay any referral fees for customers referred to Amazon.com or Endless.com after June 26. We were forced to take this unfortunate action in anticipation of actual enactment because of uncertainties surrounding the legislation’s effective date.

Please be assured that all qualifying referral fees earned prior to June 26, 2009 will be processed and paid in full in accordance with our regular referral fee schedule. Based on your account closure date of June 26, 2009, any final payments will be paid by September 1, 2009.

In the event that North Carolina repeals this tax collection scheme, we would certainly be happy to re-open our Associates program to North Carolina residents.

The North Carolina General Assembly’s website is http://www.ncleg.net/, and additional information may be obtained from the Performance Marketing Alliance at http://www.performancemarketingalliance.com/.

We have enjoyed working with you and other North Carolina-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program, and wish you all the best in your future.

Best Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team