The Search is On

I want to make reference to the sudden resurgence in the online search engine market that I am finding quite titillating at the moment. Within the past two weeks I have become aware of two equally impressive and significantly different search engines.

The first one that caught my eye was referred to a friend of mine who attends the University of Illinois (who is typically on the cutting edge of most technological innovations which I am continually in awe of). The website is called Scour and as the name suggests the website is a search engine that in effect “scours” the Internet combining the powers of Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. Who cares! You may think that this a show of hubris, attempting to topple Google and Yahoo! using their own technology.

Well, where Scour is slightly different is in that it pays you to search. I’m not sure of how this works exactly, but the best understanding I have of it is that you search enough times, accumulate enough points, and then they set you up with an online American Express card. Some people were weary that they didn’t ask for an address, but just because you don’t have an address doesn’t mean you can’t surf the Internet (at least these days).

There are several problems with this search engine, however, that I think will stop it from becoming the next big thing. First, the search itself is quite a lengthy process. When I say lengthy I mean it takes around 3 or 4 seconds to find the information you’re looking for. In the age of Google and Yahoo! blasting at relevant results in mere split-seconds, 3 or 4 seconds turns into an eternity very quickly. If they want to really compete with the big boys, they’re going to have to drastically lower this wait time.

Second, getting paid for search is great, but in order to reap any of the benefits you have to attain something ridiculous like 6400 points. In order to get a point you can do several things. You can search, this will result in 1 point being added to your total. So, getting to 6400 searches won’t take that long I guess, at around 20 searches a day for a year that’s an American Express card. Then again, when I look at my own Google search history (a very nice feature if you ask me), I’ve searched 4923 times in the past year. So, I suppose it is possible.

Aside from merely searching, however, you could also do two of the other options. You can vote on the relevance of your search by clicking the thumbs up or thumbs down icon. This will generate 2 points. Wow, now we’re talking. That’s going to cut my time in half in order to get that American Express card!

Another feature you’re definitely going to want to make use of if you’re on the 6400 point track is the comment section for each search result. By inputting a comment for a particular search this will yield 3 points. My goodness, this American Express card doesn’t seem so far off anymore.

I have some theories about these additional features that Scour has made use of. If you recall back to my post about Doogle, in which I explored ideas about creating the next generation search engine, I made it clear that the next generation search engine would have both the analytical capabilities of Google’s algorithm and also the compassionate understanding of humanity. The search engine must be both flawless in its approach to digging up data on the Internet, but it also has to have a human component.

I think that if Scour were smart, and the more I think about this the more I realize that they must be doing what I’m about to explain and are indeed smart, they would start compiling a database of the information that is being input into it at the moment. For instance, when someone searches “cat” using Scour, people can vote on and comment on the most relevant.

However, how often does someone actually search for something as trivial as “cat”? I’m not saying there is anything wrong with this search term, rather that searches are becoming more complex, and typing in the string, “how can I get from Memphis to Cincinnati by taking a plane and then a bus,” are probably becoming far more commonplace.

Google has excelled in simplifying search, and perhaps that is where it will find its limits. Typing in more complex strings don’t need algorithms, but rather human input to reach and arrive at an answer. At this point in our computing ability, no computer can truly answer some complex human queries in the most relevant way.

That is why I think Scour is smart to begin using everyone’s favorite search engines. Anyone who is anyone, literally almost anyone on the planet with access to the Internet, has used one of the three search engines that Scour employs. This makes people feel comfortable when they are searching. They see those happy symbols of accurate searches and feel warm on the inside.

Every time Scour gets a really complex search query and users put a thumbs up or thumbs down and comment on why the search they went to was more or less accurate, they can put another coin in the piggy-bank.

I think what they will eventually do after probably a year of compiling enough data is release another search engine that they claim to be the most accurate in the entire world, and you know what, they’re going to be right.

They’ll have both elements to the next generation search engine. Not only will their searches be faster (because it will be their own technology and draw from their own servers, etc.), but it will also be absolutely incredibly relevant, especially when it comes to asking it insanely hard questions.

I think that there is a tremendous amount of potential to Scour and they may not topple the giant that is Google and Yahoo!, but heck, I think that they’re going to give them a run for their money.

The second search engine, which I have done considerably less thinking about and know far less about is Cuil.com. Apparently it was just launched within the past couple weeks and is doing fantastically well.

From the little I know about it, it was started by someone Google Executive who started their own company with what they perceived to be a better product.

After searching on it for a little, I can see why some may perceive it to be a little better. It provides the results in a far more stylish way. The layout is a little different with three columns of search results that have pictures associated with them and a little more description than the two-liner than Google typically provides.

I have to admit, the website is fresh looking and it is fast and semi-reliable. It will probably have to work out a couple kinks in the next couple weeks if it has any chance of competing.

I also have to commend the designer of the search engine for their idea about grouping information that is relevant to a particular search term. For instance you can type in “University of Michigan” and then the results will provide you with some categories that you can look into deeper if that was perhaps what you were really referring to when you typed in “University of Michigan.”

There are several problems with this. First, it is attempting to predict what you’re searching for and I think that’s a bad strategy for search engines. People typically know what they want, they don’t want to be led down random roads where they fall into an abyss of the Internet garbage that is out there.

Second, who and how is the determination made for particular categories that certain search queries get filtered into? I don’t like people to make decisions about my search habits and Cuil.com is attempting to do this. Not clever. Not Skoda.

Here is why I think Cuil.com is just Google with a pretty dress on, except now Google is more annoying and doesn’t give you what you want.

Cuil.com has nice pictures next to their search terms and sweet descriptions. Wow, these are all wonderful features, but Ask.com tried the same technique and they haven’t move an inch after their initial marketing push to gain market share when they made their changes at first. People want simplicity when they’re searching (unless they’re searching for really complex things, in which you need a more complex search engine like Scour).

The problem with entering into the search engine market right now is that if you’re not significantly better at doing something than Google, you’re not going to be able to take any market share away from them. They have a stranglehold on search. That is because they consistently provide relevant results in a quick and timely manner. That’s a tough practice to leave.

Cuil.com does the same thing. They provide search results quickly. It just looks a little different. It doesn’t really do anything much better.

Then again, I still need to do some searching with Cuil.com, and I could be wrong about all of these things. But, I just don’t know why I would stop using Google to use Cuil.com, there isn’t really anything in it for me. I’m so comfortable with my sweet sweet Google, for me to use anything else would take something drastic (or do something far better like solve my complex search needs).

• Conclusion

Scour.com is a search engine that uses the powers of the three largest search engines on the Internet to find the most relevant search results. However, through their implementation of voting and comments they are adding a human element to search, which I believe they will direct into a future enterprise that will be unbelievably helpful when dealing with complex searches. They also pay you for your hard work, so that’s not bad.

Cuil.com is a new search engine that has a fresh look and apparently the largest database of archived Internet pages within its system of any search engine, even Google. While this is a mighty feat, the Internet was big enough as it is, and having a couple hundred million more pages doesn’t really impress me all that much. Additionally, the interface is far “fluffier” than that of Google, which I don’t think provides it with a competitive advantage of any kind.

I think that Scour.com has a huge chance of stealing a ton of “complex” search market share in the coming years. They are building the foundation at the moment. But, like most thinks that attempt to take on Google, both of these search engines will probably be eaten up and fed to one of Google’s many spiders that scour the Internet.

Nobody outsearches the Googmonster!