Google's Test Search Engine

Bengt noted Google's SearchMash which is a testbed search engine. Google spokesbot says: "The goal of Searchmash is to test innovative user interfaces in order to continually improve the overall search experience for our users. The experimental search engine looks very different from Google's Web sites and lacks Google branding. In this way, Google believes the site will yield more objective feedback from users."

Comments

feedback on the feedback

[LiquidCoooled]

I just tried it and gave a search "NASA shuttle" (on topic...) and it gives a page displaying search results, image results and wikipedia results.
There is a small area asking for feedback:


Were these results useful to you?
Web Pages Yes / No
Images Yes / No
Wikipedia Yes / No


Well, The page results were as expected so Yes, as was wikipedia (even though it was closed to start with) and the results for images would be useful if I could see them (they were at the bottom of the page and not visible at first, so I clicked no).

How can I tell them that the images would be really good if they were somewhere else on the screen?
If they want feedback, they should let people give feedback.

yes for wikipedia

[cucucu]

I used searchmash and voted for results for wikipedia. Some time ago I found the following firefox quick searches to be very useful:

• Search in wikipedia: http://www.google.com/search?q=%25s+site:en.wikipe dia.org
• Go to wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%25s
• Go to wiktionary: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%25s

Do ./ers have good wikipedia quick searches to share?

Re:yes for wikipedia

[thc69]

In both Firefox and Opera, you can add nearly any search as a quick search by right-clicking in the text box.

As for me, I have a local home.html in which I put every search I use, with the html stripped of everything I don't need, and the options I use pre-selected.

Horrible

[springbox]

This site requires JavaScript to be enabled to work. I don't usually complain about that, but every other search engine (including Google) that I've ever used works just fine without it enabled.

Re:Horrible

[TeknoHog]

My main problem with the JS there is that it breaks a pretty universal UI feature: scrolling the page with arrow keys. When the search field is visible, it takes focus no matter what, so you cannot scroll with arrows -- or even with PgUp/PgDn! You can try this neatly by scrolling to the very bottom; from there you can scroll up with the keyboard, but only until you see the search field. I came across a similar problem very recently on another site, and promptly complained.

Some JS effects are actually quite useful, like Slashdot's new discussion system.. Such ideas can add to existing functionality without breaking the old, which is nice.

I used to think scrollwheels on mice are useless gimmicks, since the arrow keys provide the same functionality. It seems the solution is to disable the oldskool way via software, so you can sell more mice. Or you can probably use the scrollbars on the side/bottom, if you prefer the extremely inconvenient way of life.

Googles feedback page!

[MrShaggy]

I found this out. It seems relatively hidden.

Googles Web Help Center There is a link at the bottom of the page, that will allow you to send them comments ala suggestion box style. I already suggested that being able to move the content around ala the google.com/ig site, would be nice, as well as a link or webform, that would let people truly feedback would be great.

Re:This site is a little messed up

[kicks-ass]

Argh! ars technica linked to it http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2006/4/ 24/3724 .. no wonder the high rank look for the "always look better " link in the last paragraph

Re:This site is a little messed up

[hotkey]

Look at the full-size picture: http://www.saitti.org/images/HD-DVD.jpg (WARNING: Very NSFW!) The red text explains the reason. Basically, ars technica linked the picture from this guy without permission, so he decided to have some fun.