garyp
08-04-2004, 04:36 AM
CNET updates Search.com
A list is available here:
http://www.search.com/guides/whatsNew.html
What's New?
+ Change the color of the homepage
Not a new idea. Is it still a cool one? Heck, Hotbot and AlltheWeb offer(ed) several skins.
+ Links to several specialty searches (Downloads, Shopping, Games, More) linked on the home page.
+ "Research by topic" (http://www.search.com/sitemap) linked on the home page lists searches by type. I checked out the SEC filings (http://www.search.com/search?channel=7&cat=173&tag=ex.se.sm.7.173) category and noticed that to get access document access from two of the databases (where the real power comes from the many advanced searches you can do) is fee-based. Also, there is no explanation of what type of search your doing. I searched by ticker symbol and the results I got were from one of the fee-based databases. I went directly to one of the underlying databases (that is free) and got results.
I also selected the newspaper category and was not impresses with what I saw. Yes, I got results but not from all of the papers I asked to search. I feel rather secure in stating that the Washington Post has articles (http://www.search.com/search?q=iraq&int.47=on&channel=5&cat=15) in their open web database that contain the word "Iraq."
Finally, I visited the encyclopedia category (http://www.search.com/search?channel=19&cat=63&tag=ex.se.sm.19.63) and noticed that one of the databases, xrefer, is a fee-based service available only via a library. At one time xrefer did offer some free content but they made it an entirely fee-based service several years ago.
I'm starting to think that Search.com didn't review the underlying databases before today's relaunch.
+ Thumbnail page previews next to each result
Personally, I like the Vivisimo/Wisenut page preview feature better. The thumbnails also seem a bit small and less useful as compared to the Jeeves Binoculars feature or Alexa.
+ Ability to view search history. I used both IE and Firefox and was unable to get this feature to work.
Other notes
+ Web search result pages DO NOT identify which database(s) the result came from.
+ Advanced page (http://www.search.com/search?channel=1) is still available but again it could be better. For example, one of the default databases tapped for a web search is Thunderstone. Wow, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. The underlying database is now the ODP. They already offer the ODP as another entry. How many ODP's do we need.
Aside from the ability to change the color of your home page and the ability to create "preferences" of what /databases you want searched (http://www.search.com/guides/custom.html) I was unable to find anything that offers personalized results as compared to the type of thing Findory (http://www.Findory.com), MSN Newsbot (http://newsbot.msnbc.msn.com/Default.aspx), and even Google (http://labs.google.com/personalized) are developing.
News Release (http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040804/45207_1.html)
A list is available here:
http://www.search.com/guides/whatsNew.html
What's New?
+ Change the color of the homepage
Not a new idea. Is it still a cool one? Heck, Hotbot and AlltheWeb offer(ed) several skins.
+ Links to several specialty searches (Downloads, Shopping, Games, More) linked on the home page.
+ "Research by topic" (http://www.search.com/sitemap) linked on the home page lists searches by type. I checked out the SEC filings (http://www.search.com/search?channel=7&cat=173&tag=ex.se.sm.7.173) category and noticed that to get access document access from two of the databases (where the real power comes from the many advanced searches you can do) is fee-based. Also, there is no explanation of what type of search your doing. I searched by ticker symbol and the results I got were from one of the fee-based databases. I went directly to one of the underlying databases (that is free) and got results.
I also selected the newspaper category and was not impresses with what I saw. Yes, I got results but not from all of the papers I asked to search. I feel rather secure in stating that the Washington Post has articles (http://www.search.com/search?q=iraq&int.47=on&channel=5&cat=15) in their open web database that contain the word "Iraq."
Finally, I visited the encyclopedia category (http://www.search.com/search?channel=19&cat=63&tag=ex.se.sm.19.63) and noticed that one of the databases, xrefer, is a fee-based service available only via a library. At one time xrefer did offer some free content but they made it an entirely fee-based service several years ago.
I'm starting to think that Search.com didn't review the underlying databases before today's relaunch.
+ Thumbnail page previews next to each result
Personally, I like the Vivisimo/Wisenut page preview feature better. The thumbnails also seem a bit small and less useful as compared to the Jeeves Binoculars feature or Alexa.
+ Ability to view search history. I used both IE and Firefox and was unable to get this feature to work.
Other notes
+ Web search result pages DO NOT identify which database(s) the result came from.
+ Advanced page (http://www.search.com/search?channel=1) is still available but again it could be better. For example, one of the default databases tapped for a web search is Thunderstone. Wow, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. The underlying database is now the ODP. They already offer the ODP as another entry. How many ODP's do we need.
Aside from the ability to change the color of your home page and the ability to create "preferences" of what /databases you want searched (http://www.search.com/guides/custom.html) I was unable to find anything that offers personalized results as compared to the type of thing Findory (http://www.Findory.com), MSN Newsbot (http://newsbot.msnbc.msn.com/Default.aspx), and even Google (http://labs.google.com/personalized) are developing.
News Release (http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040804/45207_1.html)