Google Tries Social Inputs for News
April 27, 2011
In the midst of farming and Panda bashing, pundits and poobahs did not pound the drum for Google’s social ranking tests. Nieman Journalism Lab did examine one of Google’s projects in “The Layered Look: How Google News Is Integrating the Social Web.” Google keeps plugging away with social features, of course, but this one is a little different. It’s a layer of social networking- based rankings integrated into the Google News page. Writer Simon Owens explains:
I spoke with Jeannie Hornung, a spokesperson for Google News, about the various ways Twitter and other social media platforms are used by the aggregator. She pointed first to the ‘Most Shared’ section, found on the right sidebar near the bottom of the main page. At the time of this writing, it displays headlines from a mixture of blogs and more traditional news outlets and allows you to sort the most popular stories by day, week, and month.
Owens was unable to get straight answers as to how exactly some of the ranking works. Twitter feeds factor prominently, but it looks like the share feature also plays a part.
The component may seem superfluous to some. But for those of us looking for the most important (or at least most shared) news stories in a limited browsing time, it can be a helpful tool.
One thing is certain, some Googlers will respond to the money carrot that Google is dangling in front of its engineers. Will those crunchy treats result in real progress in the social media sector? Facebook, according to some, is on a roll. To date, Microsoft, not Google, has a stake in Facebook. More significantly, when making news, a Googler in Egypt mentioned Facebook as one of the conduits for the social movement. Will that type of nuance be hooked into the new social news algorithm?
Cynthia Murrell April 27, 2011
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Vertical Blog: A New Angle for Online
April 27, 2011
Our Overflight intelligence system tracks certain types of information. There are some basic Overflight services available from the ArnoldIT.com Web log. We have other systems running as well. One of these identified a new blog called Backnotch. Published by Jean Glaceau appears to cover one narrow segment of online information; namely, transactions related to Angola. What’s interesting about the publication is that the content appears to be summaries of publicly-accessible information. The Backnotch service is similar to a traditional abstracting service. The principal difference is that the contributors are offering some broad editorial comments. These comments, plus the collection of articles, comprise a useful resource for anyone looking at what types of open source information cover certain activities associated with Angola and related topics.
According to the About page of the blog:
In my first week of work, I decided to narrow my focus to a handful of issues which are covered in the open source literature. The information I located struck me as similar in some ways to a fictional story or a Hollywood film. Going forward, I want to continue to explore how the open source information follows a particular story and what entities surface in those stories.
The publisher is Jean Glaceau. When we did a couple of queries for him, we found a number of individuals in the hit list. We were not able to determine which Glaceau was running the research project behind the information service. We wrote the email address for the blog, but we had not received an answer as we queued this story for publication.
We checked out the search engine for the service, and it appears to have a backfile of about 60 articles. If Mr. Glaceau keeps up his current pace of content production, the service will generate about 50 to 60 stories each month. Our view is that online has moved from vertical search to vertical “finding” services.
We will check back with Backnotch in a couple of months. Worth a look.
Stephen E Arnold, April 27, 2011
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Ducks and Alphas: Wolfram Alpha and DuckDuckGo Unite
April 25, 2011
“Wolfram|Alpha and DuckDuckGo Partner on API binding and Search Integration,” touts Wolfram Alpha’s own blog. Both organizations have brought something unique to the Search universe, so we’re interested to see what comes of this. Will it be more agile than a Google and Godzilla would? (Googzilla?)
Wolfram|Alpha’s Computational Knowledge Engine not only retrieves data but crunches it for you—very useful, if you phrase your query well. Play with that here.
DuckDuckGo’s claim to fame is that they don’t track us; privacy champions like that. A lot. The site provides brief info, say from a dictionary or Wikipedia, as well as related topics at the top of the results page. It’s also blissfully free of advertising clutter. Check that out here.
According to the Wolfram Alpha blog, they are combining the Wolfram|Alpha functionality with the DuckDuckGo search:
So what does this new partnership mean for you? If you are a DuckDuckGo user, you’ll start to notice expanded Wolfram|Alpha integration. DuckDuckGo will start adding more Wolfram|Alpha functionality and datasets based on users’ suggestions. If there’s a specific topic area you’d like to see integrated into DuckDuckGo, your suggestions are welcome.
And for developers, DuckDuckGo will maintain the free Wolfram Alpha API Perl binding. With that, you can integrate Wolfram|Alpha into your application. Keep in mind that InQuira and Attensity are “products” of similar tie ups.
We’ll enjoy watching the progress of this hybrid beast.
Cynthia Murrell April 25, 2011
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Autonomy Financials via a Mid Tier Consultant
April 23, 2011
In my email this morning, was a short item that pointed me to Autonomy’s 2011, first quarter financial results. I took a quick look at the top line revenues, multiplied by four and concluded:
- Autonomy has a better than even chance of breaking $1 billion in revenue before the end of its current fiscal year
- Autonomy was growing and rolling out new products and services, including an interesting medical and health product, other vendors of search were floundering (Google), giving away search as part of bundles and other deals (Microsoft, Oracle), struggling to be findable by potential customers (Thunderstone, a search vendor whose name is now used by a band and a game), or repositioning themselves to be something other than a vendor of enterprise search (Brainware for scanning, Coveo for customer support).
- Autonomy was reporting growth in its various of lines of business at a decent rate; 28 percent organic growth if I read the report correctly.
The story was ignored by most of the financial wizards who monitor search for the bottom tier and mid tier consulting firms. I read one “analysis” from an outfit called Gerson Lehrman Group which was written by a single individual but presented with a royal “we”. What struck me was that individuals seem happy pontificating about search, financials, and a darned complex technology using sentences that remind me of the rhetoric for the royal wedding. Wedding coverage has more substance than analyses of enterprise search I think.
In my new landscape of search study for Pandia.com, I analyze Autonomy, finding enough bone and gristle to fill 13 pages with technical goodies, comments, and critical evaluation of a company that blew past Convera, Delphes, Endeca, Entopia, Fast Search & Transfer, Powerset, Radar Networks, and a bunch of others.
If you want a free run down on what Autonomy has been doing in the last two years, just do the query “Autonomy” in the search box on the splash page of this blog or click this link. We changed our search results display to make it easier for users to get a sense of search vendor activities. For the more timely information, click this link for my free Overflight “what’s happening” report.
Stephen E Arnold, April 23, 2011
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Google Campaigns Against Web Censorship
April 22, 2011
The worldwide web could possibly undergo some drastic and even somewhat controversy changes in the future. According to the Ars Technica article “Google: Don’t Give Private Trolls Web Censorship Power” the US government is currently working on legislation in support of Web site blocking at the domain level. If this bill comes to pass it would mean that online ad networks as well as credit card companies would be required to cease working with any site that falls on the blocked list. Eventually, “private companies get the right to bring a censorship action in court without waiting for government to act.” The web giant Google has wasted little time speaking out against this potential bill. Appearing at today’s “Legitimate Sites v. Parasites” hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Google’s Kent Walker was clear: a private right of action to bring a COICA claim would give rights holders tremendous leverage over Google.
Walker went so far as to warn of “shakedowns” from private companies wanting to force changes in Google’s behavior. Google has been under noted scrutiny due to controversial search results. Google prefers to take a more neutral role and states that it “doesn’t want to be the “judge, jury, and executioner” for Web sites. Finally, the company simply doesn’t know what sites are “authorized” outlets for music and movies, nor when some use is fair. Legislators want to pass a law that allows them to go after anyone who they feel has inappropriate content on their Web site, from child porn to counterfeit products. Though evidence clearly shows that there are questionable sites online, if search results are allowed to be censored, changed or filtered by the wrong people according to a particular guideline, when it comes to search engine results it will become difficult to determine truth versus fiction.
We don’t want to be sticks in the mud. But: If certain content is excluded because it lacks “value”, is that not a form of censorship? Nah, probably not.
April Holmes, April 22, 2011
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Online Addiction: Will Search Be a Controlled Service?
April 20, 2011
TechEye.net reports that “Kids Go Cold Turkey When You Take Their Technology Away.” We never agreed 100 percent with Marsshall McLuhan and his hot and cold thing. We do understand dependence, involvement, and digital magnetism. If the good Dr. McLuhan were in Harrod’s Creek today, he would sit up and take notice at this story.
Researchers at the University of Maryland subjected participants ages 17 to 23 to 24 hours without cell phones, the Internet, and TV. They could use landlines and read books. (Our view is that digital addiction can take place much, much earlier.)
The subjects’ diaries show that such restrictions threw many of them off their game. For a generation raised with such devices, unplugging is apparently unnerving, according to the article:
“[The study] found that 79 percent of students subjected to a complete media blackout for just one day reported adverse reactions ranging from distress to confusion and isolation… One of the things the kids spoke about was having overwhelming cravings while others reported symptoms such as ‘itching’. . . .One in five reported feelings of withdrawal like an addiction while 11 percent said they were confused. Over 19 percent said they were distressed and 11 percent felt isolated. Some students even reported stress from simply not being able to touch their phone.
And on the plus side, one in five enjoyed the experience, and some found they had more in-depth conversations during that day.
For a busy one parent family, hooking a child or adolescent means some blissful moments of peace. But what about other effects? How will these dependencies change search and content processing. Can an addicted user discern whether information is accurate or inaccurate? Will the user notice? Will the user care?
The study has me wondering about the future—will our grandchildren have chips in their heads that keep them wired 24-7? Will in-depth conversation, even in-depth thought, go the way of bound books? Key word search seems less likely to appeal to those who find the warmth and comfort of online so appealing. Facebook, on the other hand, offers a warmer place. Is this the McLuhan “hot”?
Will the solution be to make search a controlled service.
Cynthia Murrell April 20, 2011
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European Google Alternatives: Not Too Many
April 19, 2011
State of Search ran a very interesting story called “5 Google Alternatives in Europe.” We knew a few of these, but others were new to me.
The article points out that, aside from Russia, Google has the European search market locked up. However, Microsoft’s Bing, as well as some home-grown options, are viable rivals. The Microsoft allegation about Google’s competitive posture in Europe may be in part related to Google’s dominance in the European search market. The article said:
But despite [Google’s] dominance, there are alternative search engines in Europe, and they can be worth looking at. With Europe’s more than 800 million people, of whom about 60% spends time online, even a small percentage using alternatives to Google offer attractively large numbers, and targeting users of those search engines could be very profitable.
Naturally, Bing is a contender. In France and the UK, it is doing better than elsewhere across the pond, with a market share of 2.8 percent and four percent respectively.
In Russia, Yandex has a 64 percent market share, and Yandex continues to expand. The company is adding features that go beyond search. Yandex wants to serve other European countries as well.
Seznam is the engine to watch in the Czech Republic. For Czech language searches, the system returns useful results. Germany and Spain present a different case. Although the runner up to Google there is technically T-Online, that portal is Google-powered. You might want to try Conduit, which has traction in Germany and Spain.
Google has what seems to be a firm grip on the Netherlands, where its market share is alleged to be 94 percent. There are a few other engines in Europe to explore, such as Poland’s Onet.pl, Ask.com in the UK and Nordic countries, and Orange in France.
Stepping back, despite the attention given to search, there seems to be fewer and fewer choices for those who want results not processed by one of the giants. We have frozen our list of international search engines. The choices keep dwindling. Is this a positive or negative development?
Most users want to go one place and get the answer needed. Dinosaurs, like Stephen E Arnold, ArnoldIT.com, runs multiple queries. Soon the dinosaurs will be dead and I won’t have to listen to explanations of the issues in today’s search engines. That’s a plus!
Cynthia Murrel, April 19, 2011
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EReaderIQ: Find Kindle Freebies and Bargains
April 17, 2011
We are book lovers here at Beyond Search. We want to call your attention to “eReaderIQ Is a Complete Database of Free and Discounted eBooks on Amazon”.
Whitson Gordon at Lifehacker points out a source of goodies with “eReaderIQ Is a Complete Database of Free and Discounted eBooks on Amazon.” The service offers a database, updated hourly, of all of Amazon’s eBooks. Search is available, but the browse option works well for a reader like me.
Gordon likes the alerts feature:
. . . where you can track other books on Amazon and get alerted to when their price drops. You can import your Amazon.com wish list, or just paste in its URL on the price tracker. Then, just give it your email and the price drop you’d like to be notified for (e.g. entering $1 would alert you when the book’s price drops by $1).
You set your geographic region and then browse. There is an advanced search feature and some hot links to “free” Kindle books and to price drops on Amazon eBooks. Check it out at eReaderIQ.com.
Cynthia Murrell April 17, 2011
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A Swiftian Moment: Google Becomes the Music Biz
April 16, 2011
My broken leg and ankle notwithstanding, I want to take a moment to call to your attention a Swiftian idea: Google opens its checkbook and buys the entire music industry. Good stuff. The idea is that Google or its executives have enough money to buy the entire music industry. Yep, Arrowsmith to Nikolaj Znaider.
First, whip out your dog eared copy of Cliffs Notes for Gulliver’s Travels or click here for the free version. Second, scan it to get the drift of the satire. You will recall the Queen’s dwarfs, the former top dog of Lagado, and, of course, the Yahoos and Houyhnhnms. Third, point your browser at “Why Google Should Buy the Music Industry.” Once in the Googleplex, Google can be a player on iPods, Android devices, and elevators worldwide.
Once that Google check is cashed presto chango!
Google has power to push which could launch music consumer services on Android users and contracts with darned interesting terms on the likes of Amazon, Apple, and (why not?) Microsoft, the motion picture industry, and the pesky cable and TV industry. Each of these is annoying because Google’s objectives are either slowed, blunted, or derailed by these entities and groups.
If I were taking one of those required classes in the English Department, I suppose an essay comparing Jonathan Swift and the author of Open Source, Open Genomics, Open content’s article. However, this is the rough and tumble world of poobahism, punditry, and pontification. The idea is a good one because it would have flashed through the minds of such outstanding executives as Cornelius Vanderbilt and John Pierpont Morgan.
Nothing negotiates like power and money, or is it money and power?
My view is today’s financial climate might entertain this idea. The problem is that some would object to pragmatic capitalism applied in this manner. The method works quite well in such US sectors as telecommunications, railroads, and politics, music hits a particular chord. The “hooks” are set deep.
Alas, another solution to Google’s music woes may have to be found. Either a solution emerges or Google will face another China maneuver. At this time, China is a big, juicy, complex market. Google appears to be playing a minor role. Is music the next Middle Kingdom for Google? Makes no difference to me. I am hard of hearing. But noise I usually detect.
Stephen E Arnold, April 16, 2011
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Bilingual Search at PaginasAmarillas.com
April 13, 2011
We learned via PRNewswire’s “YaSabe.com to Provide Bilingual Local Search for U.S. Hispanics at PaginasAmarillas.com” that PaginaAmarillas is now bilingual.
With over 50 million Hispanics now living in the U.S., it only makes sense to address that niche. YaSabe and Publicar, S.A. are teaming up to do just that with their bilingual products and services search deal.
Hispanics everywhere can relate to the Paginas Amarillas brand,’ said Carlos Caceres, Internet Business Director at Publicar. ‘Partnering with YaSabe, we will provide a world-class local search experience at PaginasAmarillas.com for the 50 million Hispanics that live in the United States.
Publicar S.A. blankets South and Central America with access to multimedia content, directory assistance, internet search services, and other digital products.
Ya Sabe, Inc. connects U.S. Latinos with resources from local businesses to national brands. Their bilingual search, complete with access to a live human for recommendations, taps into the almost $1 trillion in combined disposable income wielded by Hispanics in this country.
This new service promises to be a welcome tool for Spanish speakers in this country. It is also a smart business move. Check it out at PaginasAmarillas.com.
Cynthia Murrell, April 13, 2011
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