“Fool’s Gold” is submitted by Adam Jusko of Bessed.



Recently a site called EventSetter.com requested inclusion in Bessed, our human-powered search engine.  EventSetter is a site along the lines of Upcoming.com or Eventful, offering listings of upcoming events such as concerts, conferences, community festivals, etc., in cities throughout the United States. While adding EventSetter to our index may sound uneventful (pardon the pun), it actually presented a quandary, which led to me realizing that semantic search, personalized search, or any other search engine technology that attempts to understand a searcher’s intentions will never be totally viable. Here’s why…When people submit their sites to Bessed, we build a results page that we believe most closely corresponds to what someone might search for in order to find that site. For example, if CrocodileBoots.com wanted inclusion in Bessed, we might build a page of search results for the keyword search “boots” and include CrocodileBoots.com as one of the results. Easy, right?

But what search would a person conduct that would lead them to find EventSetter.com? We used various keyword tools to see what people search for around the word “event” r “events.” We found that many people search for “upcoming events”, “calendar of events” and “event calendar.” We created a page for the search phrase “calendar of events” and included EventSetter as well as other sites that aggregate event listings.

But that didn’t satisfy us. Because we really have no idea why so many people search for “upcoming events” or “calendar of events.” When they do those searches, are they looking for a general site that lists events in many cities? Are they looking for local events and imagining that the search engine will magically know where they are located? Or are they searching for software that would help them add an event calendar to their Web sites? We have no way of knowing, unless that searcher qualifies the search further by typing in something such as “upcoming events new york.” So, if we as humans have no way of knowing what people want when they do a search for “calendar of events,” how is a search engine algorithm, no matter how sophisticated, ever going to be able to figure it out? It can’t. Which shows that, even if they are possible, next-generation semantic search engines that use artificial intelligence aren’t going to get us much further along the curve. Likewise, personalized search results (using your past searches to help understand the meaning of your future searches) might be helpful, but unless you habitually search for similar things, it’s not going to significantly improve the search experience, and isn’t worth the trouble for most searchers.

In short, no search engine is ever going to be perfect at understanding searchers’ every query. There’s no oncoming Utopia in which a search engine knows your every thought (and maybe that wouldn’t be Utopia anyway).

However, search satisfaction will continue to grow—from incremental improvements by the engines themselves, and, just as important, from searchers who will get better and better at phrasing their queries in ways that make it clear what they want.

The holiday season can be overwhelming for many reasons. Whether you’re seeking sanctuary from the cold, waiting in long lines, or traffic jams, help from friends, family and strangers is always appreciated. Eurekster is here to share useful tips and tricks to help keep you sane through it all. Find some shelter from the holiday hustle by avoiding the crowds and turning to Eurekster’s online communities for solutions to your holiday search.

In honor of the season, here’s a top 10 list of useful swickis to help you through the holidays, filled with tips on everything from how to lose a few holiday pounds, mix the perfect drink and balance your checkbook.  

Newly out of beta, a swicki is a custom search portal on a topic of your choice that can be easily built for you to own and share with others interested in the same topic. With every search and vote or click on results, your swicki learns and becomes more relevant for your community. Check out our top 10 holiday swickis – you’ll soon find out how to spread the holiday cheer. 

1. Holiday Outfits – Clothing to spread the holiday cheer:

 http://christmas-clothing-search-swicki.eurekster.com

2. Entertaining During the Holidays – A must have for the holidays; Fun, Cheer and Libations:

http://cocktail-swicki-swicki.eurekster.com

3. Do-It-Yourself/How-to – MacGyver doesn’t have anything on me!:

http://howto1-swicki.eurekster.com

4. What to do During the Holidays – Use holiday games as a way to keep guests entertained:

http://great-day-games-search-swicki.eurekster.com

5. Personal Finance – Save your smackers for the mistletoe by saving on holiday gifts:

http://i-dig-deals-swicki.eurekster.com

6. Wine and Food – White or Red, or a blush? How to pick the right wine and food pairing for your holiday dinner party:

http://winemaker-swicki.eurekster.com

7. Lactose Free Recipes – For those who wish they could drink a gallon of egg nog:

http://dairy-free-recipes-swicki.eurekster.com

8. Eat too much Pumpkin Pie, oh my! – How to lose those holiday pounds:

http://weight-loss-solutions-swicki.eurekster.com

9. Dating and Relationships – Need a date for that holiday party?:

http://fun-dating-quizzes-swicki.eurekster.com

10. New Year’s Resolutions – Kick that smoking habit:

http://quit-smoking-swicki.eurekster.com

Need help or advice on a different topic?
Visit Eurekster to browse the swicki directory or simply build your own, now with video too!

A Christmas Story from TheFind:

Imagine this scenario:

You are traveling home for the Holidays.  Although you were hoping to arrive at your family’s house more prepared this year, work has just been too hectic and you are again arriving empty-handed.  Your teenaged nieces and nephews will not exactly have sympathy that your busy schedule interfered with your ability to buy them presents this year!   Time to hit the local mall, to get those last-minute gifts.    But you don’t have much time to spare – how can you find the stores nearest you, that have the right gifts,  before even leaving the house?

Or maybe  – your best friend just had a baby!  Being the wonderful friend that you are, you are headed to visit them in their new home in San Diego (where you’ve always wanted to go, but have never been).      You don’t know the area, and it’s a last minute trip so you don’t have time to buy something online and have it shipped – you’ll just have to buy it when you get there.  How do you find the stores nearest their house, that have adorable baby blankets, without wasting a lot of time?

If either of these scenarios sound even remotely familiar, you are not alone.  According to a recent study by Nielsen/Netratings, 86 percent of those surveyed used the Internet to find a local business from which to shop.    This number has gone up significantly since last year, when a similar survey cited that number at just 70%.

I guess initial reports that predicted the death of traditional brick-and-mortar stores at the hands of online shopping were greatly exaggerated.   Instead, shoppers are getting increasingly more savvy in their online activities, and are using the power of the Web to make both their online AND offline shopping more efficient and productive.   The online and offline retailing worlds are linked, and they actually influence one another.

The most successful retailing companies, be they online (Amazon, eBay) or offline (Macys, Nordstrom) in nature, will be the ones that understand and embrace the notion that people live in a multi-dimensional world.   

We certainly believe this at TheFind.com, and it is what drove us to launch our new, local feature to shoppers this week.

And as much as I love shopping online, sometimes I just can’t (or won’t) wait for something to ship.  As the above examples illustrate, I cannot keep nieces, nephews, and newborns waiting!

And now more than ever, as the guaranteed Holiday shipping deadlines are perilously close to passing me by, I will join the majority of other shoppers who will use online resources to help me find local department stores, boutiques or mall stores to finish my Holiday shopping.

TheFind.com was built to be a complete shopping search engine.  Our model ensures inclusion of all stores, boutiques, products and brands that are sold online.    The benefit in this approach, is that  we uncover not only unique items that are normally buried or simply non-existent on other sites that only show paid listings, but it also includes major retailers and brands who do not pay to appear on other sites.
With the advent of our local search feature, that comprehensive simplicity really comes to life by offering a birds-eye view of your local shopping landscape without ever leaving home (and without ever having to ask your gracious hosts for directions to the local Toys ‘R Us.)  [You can sample search for a baby crib near Seattle, Washington.]

So to all holiday shoppers, we say, give us your tired, your frustrated, and your procrastinators, TheFind is here to offer an alternative ending to the age-old holiday story of “shop til you drop.”