Kosmix: YAGK (Yet Another Google Killer)
January 20, 2009
Kosmix like Cuil.com has some fibrous tendrils that connect to the Google. Not surprisingly, the Kosmix system does not tackle the Google head on. Think of Kosmix as an automated portal for information. When I visit the site, I see what’s new, I have “hot” topic to click and explore. I have trends. I have videos. In short, I get search without search. There is a search box, and it works reasonably well.
Kosmix splash page. An information portal for the 21st century.
One of the wizards behind Kosmix is Anand Rajaraman, who has considerable visibility in the Silicon Valley technology world. I have followed his Web log posts because he has demonstrated keen insight into the technical activities at Google. In December 2008 he wrote “Kosmix Adds Rocketfuel to Power Voyage of Exploration” here. Several points earned a place in my notes about search; to wit:
- Kosmix raised an additional $20 million in financing
- Google=Search+Find. But Kosmix=Explore+Browse
- The system is based on algorithmic categorization technology.
A feature summary appears on the Kosmix Web log here.
A Kosmix results page. Edging into the dossier type output that Google has explored as well.
Reaction to the site has been positive. I think it is an interesting approach that combines facets, trends, metasearch, and portal components (Daily Deals, images, and links to Right Health and MeeHive.
I can’t grouse about the search results, which were pulled from Google’s index. My test query “beyond search” has my Web log as the top hit.
The question is, “Where does a service like Kosmix fit?”
First, it is not a Google killer. It is more like a Google-influenced beta. My hunch is that there may be more than causal interest in this service by the Mountain View clan.
Second, the usefulness of this service pivots on more sophisticated information seekers. A person clueless about the basic of finding information may be confused about the sources and the functions available on Kosmix. The service provides a dashboard for those steeped in the culture of information Silicon Valley style.
Third, the portal interface may have considerable appeal to organizations want to find an automated way to give employees and authorized users a view of a particular information domain. I think that Kosmix may have an opportunity to replace a service like the Microsoft Vivisimo USA.gov system. In fact, if one were to use Kosmix with Google’s government index, the benefit to a user like me would be immediate and of high value.
I give Kosmix high marks. This YAGK is more like a glimpse of future Google services.
Stephen Arnold, January 19, 2009
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