Facebook Goes for Graph Curated Web Search
June 25, 2010
I whipped up the phrase to explain what Facebook is trying to do. Indexing the “Web” is an expensive proposition. Brute force indexing takes time. Google’s 1998 vision was clever, no Kleinbergian pun intended. Now Google continues to brute force index. The company has worked and invested to deal with the flood of new content and the changes to content already indexed. The real time content just adds to Google’s indexing challenge.
Is there a better way? Yep. Let people point out what pages they like and use these as a seed list. Then take a peek at what behaviors users evidence. Toss in some relationship analyses. Shake well. Serve to members. This is the recipe that Facebook hopes will put a needle in the steadily inflating Google search usage.
You can get the details in “Facebook Unleashes Open Graph Search Engine, Declares War On Google.” The write up has a dose of buzzwords. My take is easy to express.
First, cheaper. Facebook can index the content that members “like” and then add other content sources based on usage analysis and other number crunching. Google pays to index everything. Facebook indexes what users like and the math suggests will satisfy user information needs.
Second, advertising. With this approach to curated indexing, Facebook has a story to tell advertisers. Like Apple’s ad strategy, Facebook may be able to demand more dough because of the member behavior angle. Google may not be a Wal-Mart. Think Dollar General if Apple and Facebook can make their approach seduce advertisers.
Third, social. Google was in the running until Orkut got a flat tire. Google has not yet been able to close the gap between it and Facebook. Facebook, regardless of its weaknesses, seems to have figured out the hippy dippy social networking thing. I don’t get but other companies don’t either. Facebook has bolted search onto its juggernaut.
Interesting play. Will it work? I know that Microsoft will be rooting for Facebook and hoping its investment in the outfit pays off big time. A wounded Google would make some Microsofties happy, very happy.
Stephen E Arnold, June 24, 2010
Freebie.
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[…] “Is there a better way?” Beyond Search asks of Google’s method for indexing the Web. “Yep. Let people […]
I miss Trea from skewl I miss all my friends who i think are kinda actin like my frie