Web Search Seems Interesting Again
October 15, 2010
From the goose pond, Web search has not been too interesting in the last few years. Others see an open market. I see a closed market. Others see many Web search options. I see limited options. The reason? Most people take one of a small number of options as naturally and unconsciously as a breath of air:
- Use a default search engine, which means either Bing or Google, enter a keyword or two, and pick one of the hits
- Navigate to Google, type a letter or two and click on a link
- Click something on almost any page that looks interesting.
Sounds simple right? I think it is simple and the usage data suggests that anything involving Google is good enough for two thirds of those who “search”. The other vendors are pretty much irrelevant in the US. In other countries a similar skewed usage pattern is evident. Some countries’ users rely on local systems, but for the purposes of this blog post, let’s focus on the US market.
In that market, there are, in my opinion, two players–Microsoft Bing and Google.
“Bing = Bing + Facebook” caused me to think that Web search is once again interesting. Here’s the point that hooked me:
Effective immediately, when you search on Bing you can see results based on what your friends and other people are recommending and talking about. So your search results will be different from mine because we know different people.
Eeek. Microsoft and Facebook appear to have — if the information in the write up is spot on — a search feature that Google does not. Google has stellar earnings, but Microsoft has a pipe into Facebook. What makes this more interesting is that Facebook has been hiring Googlers. The combination of chemicals could produce an interesting compound.
When I was in high school chemistry, I found that departing from the lab workbook produced some fascinating results. One example was a mixture of calcium carbide and concentrated hydrochloric acid. A click from the Bunsen burner ingniter thing was particularly memorable.
Search is interesting because the combination of Googlers migrating to Facebook, Microsoft’s Facebook data, and the poorly understood behavior of the Facebook addicts could produce a bang. Of course, the compound may be unpleasant. Google, on the other hand, is missing one of the ingredients: Facebook data. The void can be filled but at this moment, Bing is in a space and may expand.
The uncertainty adds interest to what is for most people a routine and method that gets little thought.
Stephen E Arnold, October 15, 2010
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