Ask Slashdot: What Features Would You Like In a Search Engine?

New submitter nicolas.slusarenko writes Nowadays, there is one dominant search engine in the world among few alternatives. I have the impression that the majority of users think that it is the best possible service that could be made. I am sure that we could have a better search engine. During my spare time I been developing Trokam, an online search engine. I am building this service with the features that I would like to find in a service: respectful of user rights, ad-free, built upon open source software, and with auditable results. Well, those are mine. What features would you like in a search engine?

Comments

Re:Best feature

[Anonymous Coward]

Google and Bing now keep track of which search results you click on. When you hover your mouse over a search result they use JavaScript to show you what the final destination URL will be in the browser status bar, but when you click the link it takes you to a Google or Bing URL to record your selection and then it redirects you to the final destination. Very sneaky, they didn't used to do that. Plus many people log into gmail and leave it logged in all the time, so Google can attach your search queries and result selections to your profile. They are engaging in a war on privacy.

Be able to PERMANENTLY disable instant search

[schwit1]

And stop providing results that fail to have ALL of the search terms.

Re:Simple

[CarlosM7]

Also, don't remove search terms, and I want all of them "anded", not "ored."

Re:privacy?

[fahrbot-bot]

Try google verbatim. Saves having to put quotes on every word.

What was wrong with '+' as an operator, anyway?

According to Google Drops Plus Sign from Search Operators

It has to do with limiting confusion about the search engine’s social network, Google+.

To Baio, “it seems obvious that they’re paving the way for Google+ profile searches. When Google+ launched ... they coined their own format for mentioning people – adding a plus to the beginning of a name... The fate of the ‘+’ symbol was clear: protect a 12-year-old convention loved by power users, or bring Google+ profile searching to the mainstream? It was doomed from the start.”