Better search engine than Google?

[Larwee]

I have started numerous threads about different search engines. Some of the engines were good and some weren't. Some of them made some rather fantastic claims and most of them fell a little short on their claims.

Well, here is one that calls itself the world's most advanced search engine, and says it is better than Google.

The beta was released on August 1, 2005. I've been testing it a little with some searches. There are some things that I do like about it and it might have some potential. I think it remains to be seen if it can live up to those big claims about how great it is.

Those behind this search engine says it is so good because it "understands" the meaning of words.

They say it is more comprehensive and uses what they call their BehaveRank algorithm than changes with user actions.

You can preview search results, and it is available in several languages.

The name of this new search engine is PreviewSeek. Here is a link to it http://www.previewseek.com or you can try http://beta.previewseek.com/

You might want to test it with some searches to see if you feel it is the world's most advanced search engine and if it is better than Google.

Often some webmasters will use a search engine to see how they rank for certain keywords. If they do well, they say the search engine is good. If they don't they say it is a bad search engine.

It is easier to be more objective when searches are made for something which has no connection to you.

It will be interesting to see if PreviewSeek becomes popular enough to challenge any of the big three.

It surely will be interesting to see if it has any chance to become a threat to Google which is always doing what it needs to do to try to stay ahead of their competition.

[rbacal]

I couldn't resist. Figured the post might be spammy but what the heck.

Comment? Not even in the ball park as it is right now. Clearly only limited number of pages have been indexed. Screen layout and display is pretty attrocious and not very functional, text too small, pictures totally useless to functionality. Use of a preview frame pretty useless.

Ok, it's beta. But right now it's bottom level useful.

[Larwee]

rbacal, you have some interesting opinions.

That is why I post things like this. It is to introduce people to something new and/or different and get them to take a look and see if they like it or not. I've done this many times.

Since I am very fascinated by search engines, I have posted about several new search engines. I've also done the same with several different browsers for the same fascination.

The search resources that were on top several years ago no longer are on top. They have been replaced by the current leaders. It is interesting to wonder if those on top today will remain there or if something will come along and replace them.

Sometimes these new search engines have some good features which the major search engines end up using and the new ones never make it.

So far I am not all that impressed with PreviewSeek, but I do think it possibly has some potential. But it will require a lot of work and improvement.

I certainly don't think it is the world's most advanced search engine or that it is better than Google and I made it clear I was repeating their claims.

PreviewSeek is from a British operation. There is also a new Chinese search engine that may or may not have what it takes.

I just like for people to know about these new search engines, give them a try and see if they like them. There might be some that some people will really like. Some of them might also make improvements over time and become contenders.

It is also possible that what someone hates will be loved by someone else. So I post things such as this to make more people aware of these new offerings so they can give them a try and decide for themselves.

[rbacal]

oops. Apology time, Larwee. I didn't notice that you were the person that posted the message. I know you wouldn't post spam stuff, so sorry if I might have offended you.

One other thing about that engine. It uses the MSN archives for its archives, which is a bit curious if it's an completely independant SE.

Any idea why?

[Czar]

Just speculating here, but they're probably drawing from a variety of third-party information sources while the system remains in development. Like most startups, they're probably starved for resources at this stage, and will probably remain so until they're able to demonstrate to investors how their engine will differentiate itself sufficiently as to enable the stealing of visitors away from the market leaders.

Unfortunately, many of this engine's features are common with those used on engines such as A9, Ask Jeeves, Google and the new MSN Search.

Personally, I don't mind the layout and I was impressed with some of the accurate connections that the engine drew even when queried about obscure Australian film directors and the like. They certainly don't offer the whole package at the moment, and I won't give them a second look until they do index a significant enough portion of the public internet to make the service competitive from an information-depth point of view, but they do offer a rich enough feature set to potentially strike a chord with some researchers and information hounds.

[Larwee]

rbacal, there is no problem at all.

I did wonder why you mentioned Spam since I know you have seen many things that I've posted before and know that I often post about something new that I've found and this was no different than the rest. So in the back of my mind I thought you were possibly thinking it was some new poster wanting to promote something without taking notice of who had posted it. So you did not offend me at all.

I posted my reply mainly because there are always new members and new non-members as well viewing Geek/Talk. These people wouldn't have seen what I've posted in the past and it would take them a while for them to become aware. So my reply was mostly for them.

PreviewSeek says they are great and independent but that they use information from other search engines to assist them and their users. That may or may not explain the MSN archives.

From things you've posted before I know that you and I agree on some important issues when it comes to wanting Geek/Talk to remain the high quality place that it is.

[rbacal]

I did wonder why you mentioned Spam since I know you have seen many things that I've posted before and know that I often post about something new that I've found and this was no different than the rest. So in the back of my mind I thought you were possibly thinking it was some new poster wanting to promote something without taking notice of who had posted it. So you did not offend me at all.

OK. Good. I ******* up (I'm getting too old and cynical <grin>. So an apology was in order.

re; search engines or for that matter, anything online - I don't know if I have ever seen a startup say: "Well, we're really crappy right now, but we'll get better" as a way of marketing or creating a buzz, so claims about being the "best" are pretty common, but also pretty tranparent when you go look.

I tested them with search terms that I check regularly in other engines, and where the big guys return, lets say, 1.5 million results for a term, this engine returns about 50 results max. The results I saw for those search terms were pretty much the same that rank high in google, MSN and Yahoo, perhaps slightly differently ordered but not much. So, right now, does this provide added value? Not for me.

Their results would have to be DIFFERENT from the other engines which tend to be similar to each other too.

Now, it might be different for other terms. Hard to generalize.

[Larwee]

rbacal, I have heard from some members through private messages that they got use to seeing that big red "L" avatar on messages from me and would instantly know that was me when they saw it. Since I stopped using it they said they had read a few postings of mine and hadn't noticed they were mine. So you aren't the only person who read something I posted and didn't notice it was done by me.

When I mention new search engines in something that I post, I keep an eye on them to see if they get any better. Most of them didn't and I never said another word about them. A few improved and I mentioned them again. There are a couple that have made some advancements so I've mentioned them a few times.

I am going to keep an eye on PreviewSeek as well. If it makes some big improvements, I'll mention it again. If not, there probably would be no reason to unless they do something real strange.

I said they had potential. That is because of what they have done so far and what they plan for the future.

The thing that caught my attention about PreviewSeek is that they have some very big plans and they think they can deliver. Again many new players have big plans.

I like the fact that they have about 40 patents associated with their search engine and that they tried to keep as much of it as possible secret from the programmers, designers and engineers who were putting it together because they didn't want word of it to leak out. They were spread out around the word and didn't know who was involved or what work others were doing.

I have no idea if this search engine will reach the high goals they say that they will or if they are just full of a lot of hot air. Time will tell.