Slashdot Mirror
Better Search Results Than Google?
Mechanik writes "CNN has an AP article about the next generation of up and coming search tools, which try to cope with the glut of hits that result from 'conventional' search engines such as Google. One tool, Vivisimo, "is like a superfast librarian who can instantly arrange the titles on shelves in a way that makes sense. [...] But unlike libraries, Vivisimo doesn't use predefined categories. Its software determines them on the fly, depending on the search results. The filing is done through a combination of linguistic and statistical analysis." Grokker, another, downloadable program, "not only sorts search results into categories but also "maps" the results in a holistic way, showing each category as a colorful circle. Within each circle, subcategories appear as more circles that can be clicked on and zoomed in on." You have to love the author's use of trying to look for a hotel in France with the terms 'Paris Hilton' as an example of searching gone awry."
I tried this earlier (around noon) when I saw the article. One of my big complaints is that the searches seem to take too long. Google usually is sub-second searches, this seemed to take about 3-5 seconds (this was well before slashdot posted the article, so it wasn't slashdot effect either).
Also, I already do not like the search results showing up in the sidebar with search engines (with mozilla), as that is one of the features I kill as soon as I install mozilla. So, I guess, this search engine has a ways to go before I prefer it.
The searches didn't seem too bad over all, I tried looking for "linux kodak 4530" and its results were not any better or worse than googles. I tried a couple other searches and they seem to be on target about as well as google though.
Norris/Palin 2012
Fact: We deserve leaders who can kick your ass and field dress your carcass.
Searching for info about electronic products is the worst on google.
I use the following along with any thing i want to search and it usually does the trick
-shop -shopping -price -buy -order -shipping".
This no doubts subtracts one or two sites which are good but atleast filters out most of the shopping sites.
for the last time people, I am "frodo from middle eaRTH", not "middle eaST".
Try this search then.
The search phrase was:
"red hair" singer "tom morello"
- - - - - - - - - - -
I am a programmer. I am paid to produce syntax not grammar. Deal with it.
You can get a similar effect in Google by adding a word or two of context to your search. Searching for "paris hilton" gets millions of links to sites claiming to sell the tapes, but searching for "paris hilton hotel" gets hotels in France.
The most under-utilized feature of Google I think has to be excluding keywords. For this query, I would use:
+"paris hilton" +hotel -tape -porn
and probably get much better results. If the word "naked" is never ever going to appear in a legitimate result page, you might as well exclude it.
Same goes for other things. I was looking for information on Microwaves and WiFi the other day... not the ovens, so -oven -food and I got infinitely better results.
--Darren