Portal Promises

MyWay.com has launched this week. A nice-looking, thorough portal that promises no banners, no pop-ups, and full privacy. Actually, their “promises” page, entitled "The No's Have It," lists some 49 items that they promise not to do—some whimsical (e.g., no dogs wandering around the office), and some important. It’s fun reading, and a heartening approach--if they can make it work. They’re taking Google as their inspiration and relying strictly on the small, unobtrusive text ads that Google employs. Whether they can emulate even a smidgeon of Google's success is another story, but I wish them well.

I think I’ll give it a try as my start page. It loads a lot faster than Yahoo and has a cleaner look. Besides, I’ve been pissed at Yahoo ever since they started playing fast and loose with their privacy rules. Jeez, remember when Yahoo was the rebel everyone loved?

Best of luck to MyWay!