Judi Sohn has started a thread over at Web Worker Daily.
For about 40 minutes this morning, Google searches were useless. Every result could “harm your computer” with no working link to result. It was, by Google’s explanation, a stupid human error.
All is well now. Less than an hour of inconvenience and the incident was over, but it did show me just how much I depend on Google search. Even though I’m aware of other search engines, I know little about them and rarely, if ever, use anything else in my everyday searching. Judging by the stats on all the sites I manage, I’m not alone.
As fate would have it, during that 40 minute downtime I had to find something. I switched over to Yahoo search. Why? It was the next one listed in my Firefox search box.
Because “it was there” is not a very good reason to use a search engine, so I ask you:
If Google wasn’t available, which search engine would you use? And why?
Caronte Web
Federated Search
Highlight Health
MSearchGroove
Ramenos Blog
Reel SEO
Software Abstractions
The Genius Files
The Next Web
January 31st, 2009 at 3:14 pm
i guess i’d have to use the yellow pages.
February 1st, 2009 at 8:18 am
I have been wary of results found on Google for some time now. At points, I find something that I need through search on that site, so like everyone else I use it because it is there. Since this site has introduced me to the German semantic search site, Semager.com, I have found myself using it quite a bit. It has given me great data on competitors and my own site with its website analysis function, but the semantic search options intrigue me. It is almost like tag surfing. I type in the word or phrase that I am searching to find a list of semantically related terms, which I can then explore. This takes me in unexpected directions.
I was thinking of going back to try out Hakia more. I found some good results there.However, I find that I am using my browser more for search. With Firefox, I can type in a term in my address bar to find results from pages that I have already visited and trust. With the Related Links option, I can go off exploring as well. This is a limited way to search though. I wonder if the future of search could be integrated into our browsers. We type in our request to the browser, which produces a results page of sites that we know have the data we desire along with related links listed. What would be really cool is if the semantic search technology of Semager could be incorporated into this function. Somehow, I think an alternative search engine will have to partner up with an alternative browser to develop a seamless integration of those technologies. Maybe such search functionality could be a plug in to allow users to set the parameters of their search experience.
February 1st, 2009 at 9:35 am
As a habit, I’ve come to use Ask.
I think NO ONE should use just one search engine. Several articles I’ve seen, point out that Google is not an entirely trustworthy source: not out of maliciousness, but simply as a matter of financial focus. They need to monetize. That is “not evil.”
See http://www.kosmix.com/kompany-technology/is-one-search-engine-enough-not-by-a-long-shot/
February 1st, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I’ve been using Sweet Search, which launched last week at sweetsearch.com. It’s small, but quality.
February 1st, 2009 at 5:49 pm
@fjpoblam- sure if we were smart we would remember to use more than one for our searches. I only do that if 1) I do not find what I am looking for on the first engine, or 2) I am researching a topic, and I want to find what search results are produced. Otherwise, I try a few search engines out for a while to see what I come up with, but Google is the five hundred pound gorilla in the room, so it is just so easy to use them.What we need to do is promote sites like this blog to educate the average consumer that search is more than Google, so they can discover the myriad engines out there. Oh thanks for the link.
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:56 am
All of my friends and I use ChaCha to get answers to stuff when we’re hanging out…it’s so cool and a human actually gets you the answer really fast and sends it back in a text………..Love it!
March 15th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Goggle KEEPS all the information (searches, etc) since its start. It letS goverment, business, use that information. Personally, I don’t want to add to their data banks. Next is Yahoo. They supposedly only keep thier informaiton for two years, but I heard when they clicked to the money that can be made and the goverment protection they decided to keep all their information.
Eventually, the goverment will take over the net. We can only keep pushing and be aware of goverment mid-night bills passed that take little pieces away… contact your representatives– state and federal– be involved… look out for spins to create the illusion goverment needs to step in…for example, the sex trade is the newest push to create the illusion we can’t control the net therefore big brother must take it over…. goggle is part of the problem… the information will be used to take over the net.
KEEP THE NET FREE FROM GOVERMENT CONTROL
March 26th, 2009 at 12:20 am
Try http://ixquick.com and hope you would like it.
Best,
Rakesh
January 11th, 2010 at 12:43 am
Dude you hit the nail on the head.
its all started with the Torrent sites fading away of late.
Google wont let me see what i want anymore as well!!
it needs to be free