Google's Test Search Engine

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Posted by ryuzaki0 on Sunday November 12, 2006 @03:22AM from the well-isn't-that-special dept.

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."

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feedback on the feedback by LiquidCoooled · 2006-11-12 03:28 · Score: 5, Informative

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.

--
liqbase :: faster than paper
yes for wikipedia by cucucu · 2006-11-12 03:29 · Score: 5, Informative
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?
1. Re:yes for wikipedia by thc69 · 2006-11-12 04:04 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  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.
  
  --
  Procrastination -- because good things come to those who wait.
Googles feedback page! by MrShaggy · 2006-11-12 04:02 · Score: 4, Informative

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.

--
I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them.
Re:This site is a little messed up by kicks-ass · 2006-11-12 05:09 · Score: 4, Informative

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 by hotkey · 2006-11-12 05:17 · Score: 4, Informative

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.