Microsoft Sibling Rivalry: Fast vs SharePoint
January 5, 2011
Have you ever been curious how SharePoint’s competition measures up? The SharePoint Field Note Blog has a post that compares the regular MSS search with the FAST search: “Developing SharePoint 2010 Search Solutions (Fast and SharePoint).” From a basic glance, MSS and FAST searches aren’t that different. They both have service application infrastructure, metadata schema management, crawl scheduling, and scopes, best bets, and synonyms.
“The biggest differences between SharePoint and FAST is FAST’s more robust ability to crawl millions of documents and better relevance in search results. SharePoint search can efficiently crawl and query up to 100 million documents, whereas, FAST can efficiently do the same up to a 500 million documents.”
Has anyone considered that FAST technology might be superior to SharePoint’s technology? What happens when an organization is dealing with 500 million plus one documents? That might be a weakness. The post also lists individual quirks one will encounter when developing custom search solutions, such as FAST doesn’t support SharePoint Search SQL queries. Both have problems when searching with decimal places, which can be overcome based on the program. In the end, which has the better searching solution depends on what you need for your organization.
Whitney Grace, January 5, 2011
Semantic Web Fire Starting from Google
January 5, 2011
“Welcome to Metaweb” on YouTube showcases the startup Metaweb Technologies, home of Freebase, acquired by Google in July 2010. The cute video belies the huge difficulty of what librarians refer to as authority control, but in this case organizing concepts for the entire web. An admirable project, for sure, but I wonder how much effort The Math Club is really planning to put into this idea. After all, Google has a history of both not doing much with the startups it takes over, and also of figuring out semantic relationships rather than having them created. Maybe this purchase is simply a way of acquiring talent, or maybe even paying off investors? Google has been working on the semantic web for years, though, so maybe 2011 will bring some fire starting that won’t fizzle.
Alice Wasielewski, January 5, 2011
Buzzword Advice for LinkedIn Users
January 5, 2011
I know that quite a few professionals are excited about LinkedIn.com, the “real” social network for job seekers. But my heavens, advice from a real journalist about buzzwords. Computerworld commands, “Don’t Abuse These Buzzwords on LinkedIn.” Computerworld never uses buzzwords, do they? No, no, never.
Actually, writer Angela West is reporting on a list compiled by LinkedIn of the ten most overused terms in 2011 LinkedIn profiles. “Creative” is number one, and “effective,” “motivated,” and “innovative” also feature prominently. West admits that a couple of the entries, like “problem solving” and “dynamic” can be used effectively in certain situations. The write up summarizes:
Most of the terms on the list fail because they are too general. Remember that your LinkedIn profile is your opportunity to showcase yourself as a unique snowflake, not to blend in with the rest of the job-seeking hordes. Be specific about what you can do, make sure to fill out your LinkedIn profile as thoroughly as possible, and let the hiring gods take care of the rest.
Not bad advice. However, it isn’t any smarter to reject these terms out of hand just because they are popular; some are popular for a reason. Users could find themselves unwittingly opting out of potential employers’ keyword searches if they avoid all the buzzwords. Here at Beyond Search we are too busy to hunt for “real” jobs like “real” consultants. Also, we try to use as many buzzwords as possible. A “real” consultant told us search engine optimization, fancy talk, and building online relationships is the next best thing to a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream and a 1,200 calorie cherry on top.
Cynthia Murrell, January 5, 2012
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A Trend in 2011: Criticizing Google?
January 5, 2011
The Atlantic Monthly is jumping into the digital world. What better way to rack up clicks than to tackle a subject that will work like an the best a search engine optimization expert can craft. Navigate to “Is Google Too Big?” The write up explains that some folks think Google is, well, to big. On the other hand, some folks think that Google is just fine. After 153 years of operation, the Atlantic Monthly—er, Atlantic Wire—let me know that Google is either too big or not too big. I whipped out one of my candy colored 4X6 note cards and jotted down: “Google, either too big or just right.”
Does anyone remember these ads about a strong person picking on a weaker person. Some companies are now picking on Google, which is far from a weakling in our opinion.
When I was a college debater, I treasured factoids that I could use to crush my opponents argument. One never knows when a “too big, just right” factoid will come in handy. For my part, the Google has been chugging along for 11, 12 years. Google has not changed all that much in the last five years. What’s changed is that folks are now understanding the importance of infrastructure, the third party payer model, the importance of integrated services, and usage tracking.
Light bulbs have been operating on a time delay. Too bad the room illuminated has been lived in for a long time by the Math Club members. Room occupied. Look elsewhere. But picking on Google is au courant.
Here’s a run down of the “challenges” Google faces in 2011:
Google Management Emulates Microsoft
January 4, 2011
Quite a surprise for the old goose. I read “Google Takes Another Big Step to Retain Employees: Autonomous Business Units” and chuckled. The consultants advising Microsoft and the Math Club leaders have come up with a new organizational scheme: Microsoft’s approach. Here’s the key passage in my opinion:
Not everyone gets to be an autonomous unit, but those who do have the freedom to run like independent startups with almost no approvals needed from HQ, according to our sources. For these divisions, Google is essentially a holding company that provides back end services like legal, providing office space and organizing travel, but everything else is up to the pseudo-startup.
In 2011, let the games begin.
Stephen E Arnold, Janauary 4, 2011
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Yahoo Cranks Out a Beyond Search Quote to Note
January 4, 2011
Yikes, more Yahoo drama. You can read the scoop on the layoffs in some “real” publications like this one. Here’s the statement from the top Yahooligan, Carol Bartz that I have selected as a quote to note:
…it’s no secret that we’re cutting investment in underperforming and non-core products so we can focus on our strengths (like email, the homepage, search, mobile, advertising, content and more).
Okay, search. Yowza.
Stephen E Arnold, January 4, 2010
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Facebook Gouges Google TV
January 4, 2011
The basic information about Facebook’s TV service is set forth in “Reality TV for the Rest of Us.” The idea is that TV listings recommended by friends is better than slogging through lots of channels or, even worse, recommendations generated by a numerical recipe with thresholds that may or may not deliver what you expect.
This service is a fresh approach to finding. The method ignores the brute force indexing of some companies and relies on recommendations. The significance is that brute force search is not in the leadership position in terms of a social walled garden like Facebook’s.
The shift is going to be dismissed by Google. Google will attempt to slot social content recommendations into its services. Who knows? Maybe Facebook will implode. Google would then have a shot to get back in the game. I think that this “reality TV” thing is going to be as painful and damaging to Google as a world champion fighter getting a thumb in the eye and then losing vision in that eye.
Why?
First, lightweight. Recommendations are just less hassle than brute force search. Humans do the work. Volunteer work.
Second, relevance. What are friends for? People trust referrals from friends. Word of mouth works. Different and better than a numerical recipe. (Go ahead. Disagree.)
Third, fits core demographics’ established behavior. For those hooked on Facebook, having Facebook spit out TV shows when one is listening to music, texting, and doing homework is a really nifty attention deficit disorder service. I might be driven crazy. For Facebook’s users, the new service is likely to be a must use function. Habitual behavior means a big win for Facebook.
Google may have to go through its social life with one eye operating at 50 percent. Upside? Maybe Google won’t see all those Android devices using Facebook to find content on the vast wasteland?
Stephen E Arnold, January 4, 2010
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Exorbyte Explains Its Strengths
January 4, 2011
“What Makes Exorbyte Commerce So Good (The Nature of Ecommerce Search)” lays out the reasons why a good search tool is essential for any commercial website, saying, “Because of the ubiquity of Google with the Web, more and more people are actually using the search bar as their sole tool to navigate a website and find the product they’re looking for.”
I couldn’t agree more as I myself am not one to browse around, or heaven forbid, watch “animation or short movies” to find what I want to purchase. The post goes on to say that “It is imperative, in order to capture a sale, and in order to engender brand loyalty, for the search box to be error tolerant, extremely quick, and extremely user friendly.”
Obviously, Amazon figured this out a long time ago, but as the post points out, this type of super-sharp search “often runs into the five and six figures.” Not exactly within reach of even a medium-size site, but Exorbyte Commerce promises to provide this service without the exorbitant cost. An interesting approach, and one that sounds like it will provide the stickiness of the big-time to even a modest player online.
Alice Wasielewski, January 4, 2011
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Forrester Tips on Metadata. Whoa, Nellie!
January 4, 2011
The growth of the Internet over the past couple of decades has created a massive amount of regulated and unregulated data that can be a headache for enterprises to sort through.
According to the ZDNet article “Metadata Virtualization and Orchestration Seen as Critical new Technology to Improve Enterprise Data Integration,” business leaders are now recognizing that managing and exploiting information is a core business competency that will increasingly determine their overall success. Therefore, they need to invest in technology and often third party solutions that will manage their data for them.
Noel Yuhanna, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, and Todd Brinegar, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing at Stone Bond Technologies help readers better understand these issues in a panel discussion.
The article asserts:
This discussion then examines how metadata-driven data virtualization and improved orchestration can help provide the inclusion and scale to accomplish far better data management. Such access then leads to improved integration of all information into an approachable resource for actionable business activities.
Behind all of the unbelievable double talk and jargon, there is a good point to this article. However, one must winnow.
Jasmine Ashton, January 4, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Exclusive Interview: Francois Bourdoncle, Dassault Exalead
January 4, 2011
Before the New Year break, I interviewed François Bourdoncle, who is the co-founder and Chief Strategist of Exalead, a global leader of information access software for businesses and the Web. You can see the complete interview on Vimeo.
François Bourdoncle, Chief Strategist of Dassault Exalead
As you may know, Dassault Systèmes acquired Exalead in June 2010. In my analyses of search and content processing systems, Exalead has scored at the top of the league table I maintain for many years. Since I first tested the firm’s technology in 2003, Exalead has moved up the league table as other vendors stalled or drifted downwards. Not Exalead, however.
I have been invited to Exalead several times to explain my views about Exalead’s search-based applications approach and my particular method of analyzing content processing. In late 2010, I was able to interview François Bourdoncle after my presentation.
This interview provides insight into how Mr. Bourdoncle’s passion for understanding Internet technologies, and search technologies in particular, can be used as the foundation of next-generation business applications that are faster to develop, less expensive to deploy and operate, and more intuitive to use.
Exalead, asserted Mr. Bourdoncle, takes a platform approach. The platform angle is one key to Exalead’s success. Most vendors repackage traditional key word methods. Exalead has an infrastructure approach which has some characteristics of mainstream database vendors. Exalead supports cloud methods, delivers a holistic view of digital information, and provides a new way of performing many enterprise tasks, including business intelligence, customer support, and finding the item of information necessary to close a deal.
In the interview Mr. Bourdoncle said:
Key word search does not work…. The question is now how do we help people find the what they want.
I asked Mr. Bourdoncle about the benefits of joining the Dassault organization. He emphasized, “Visibility and the company as a whole.”
The interview runs about eight minutes, and you can access it at this link. For 2011, my suggestion is that organizations wanting to improve such diverse information functions as customer support to business intelligence, check out Exalead. You can also read the Search Wizards Speak interview with Mr. Bourdoncle at this link. If you have not added Exalead’s excellent Web search function to your bookmarks, navigate to http://www.exalead.com/search/. I use this service as my primary Web search system because the results are not distorted by ad-driven hit boosting.
Stephen E Arnold, January 4, 2011
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