Looking for Answers in the Age of Search

prostoalex writes "James Fallows, in a New York Times article, notices that search engines are getting pretty good at providing information for simple keyword-based queries. However, when it comes to the actual information, such as finding the necessary data and statistics, they're not doing a great job. The article talks about the NSA- and CIA-sponsored Aquaint project that aims to deliver answers to questions that might be expressed with a variety of keywords, and need to be 'understood' by the search engine before providing the answer."

Comments

Not doing a great job

[ArielMT]

No matter which search engine I use, still none of them can help me search for my missing car keys or missing left socks.

Google became self-aware at 2:14am EDT August ....

[Colin Smith]

Ho yes, there's a good idea. Give Google the ability to understand.

I agree

[nxtr]

Just try to google a website for these guys!

Google understands me.....

[Anonymous Coward]

...she's the only one who does...

Re:Cluster Searching

[tomhudson]

I don't know ... I googled for "go fuck yourself" as a test when I read the article, and it returned this, this, this

Seems to understand pretty well what the average /.er is looking for ...

I would welcome them...

[Dog135]

I for one would welcome our new search engine overloards, except google already runs my life, so it'd be a bit redundant.

I continue to welcome the mighty all-knowing google as the ruler of our lives.

Comedy.

[Kerago]

What a surprise. http://www.ai.sri.com/search/

Re:Easy

[houghi]

They beep and flash when you whistle.

I know people who whisle and while they flash.

Things to fix first... [Google]

[mister_llah]

1. Google needs to find and kill keyword-filled spam/malware/whatever pages. Not just remove them from their search list, but murder the people who started them.

2. Google needs to filter responses based on ad content. If there are a ton of ads, chances are, the site is bupkiss and its priority should be massively downgraded.

3. Google needs to filter based on ownership by holding companies. These cybersquatters should be downgraded in response priority and their pets should be sterlized or neutered to control the pet population.

4. Google needs to get back in the kitchen and make me a pie.

===

Fix those things, then perhaps we should worry about statistical analysis... (but hey, thats just me)

IMHO, if you want accurate stats and information, go to a library...

More like...

[ImaLamer]

I for one welcome our new CIA/NSA designed search engine overlords (because they will get me otherwise).

Just think; In Soviet Russia the government searches you!

Re:More like...

[zecg]

shouldn't that be: "In Soviet Russia, the search engine queries you"?