Facebook Graph Search No Threat to Google Search
February 1, 2013
Contrary to some early predictions, it looks like Google has nothing to worry about from Facebook’s just-released “graph search” function. The Manila Times reports, “Facebook’s New Search Product Not Threat to Google – Analysts.” The brief write-up reports:
“After Facebook rolled out the friends-based search product on Tuesday, people began thinking about the question of how this new feature could affect Google, the king of search. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that ‘graph search’ is different from an all-purpose search engine. His view was agreed by experts, who said that compared with Facebook’s focus on the network of friends, the search function of Google takes a much more holistic approach. Analysts agreed that Facebook’s search tool is unlikely to challenge Google’s leading position in web search at least in the near future.”
The new feature allows users to tap into opinions and recommendations expressed by their “friends” when searching for information. Our own leader, Stephen E. Arnold, has observed that it functions better for some folks than for others, and that the less superficial the search, the less useful it is. Thanks, but no thanks.
If you’re getting a sense of déjà vu, it may be because of similar social-linked moves last year by Microsoft and, yes, Google itself. Microsoft tied recommendations from Foursquare into their Bing results, while Google connected Google+ data with its search (opting out is possible). All three implementations seem like either-love-it-or-hate-it propositions. But, hey, all is well as long as the advertisers are happy.
Cynthia Murrell, February 01, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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