Friday, August 01, 2008

To dethrone google

There's a new search engine out. Cuil

What I like:
-the layout of the search results page is interesting: a three column spread with pictures next to many of the results, with a suggestions box that gives you ideas on how to tweak your results further.

What I don't like:
--The search algorithm (like the millions of pigeons clicking on keyboards over at google) needs to be worked on. Some searches turned up interesting results, others fell down the rabbit hold. For instance, a search on "christian classics" (I was thinking of the "Christian Classics Ethereal Library) brings up a long list of various university database pages that include links to the CCEL, in addition to the homepage of CCEL. While the fact that a search engine appears to be searching university library pages, and putting those near the top of results, is interesting--does it need to list every university library out there that has this one resource listed on its website? Compare this to google, which has hits beyond just those relating to the CCEL.

--Where are the pictures coming from? Some of the pictures appear to have been plucked randomly from the sea of the internet, not from the website they're supposed to represent.

--The brief paragraphs accompanying each hit make no sense--they're just strings of words that don't necessarily have anything to do with each other.

They have a long way to go before they can dethrone google.

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