New one. Al Green is God! Hmm, time for what, Barry? 
Archive for March 7th, 2007
iTunes Search Results Playlist: Time for
March 7, 2007
iTunes Search Results Playlist: Waiting
March 7, 2007I am tired of creating playlists, so I am listening to playlists created through random search words. This is one for “waiting”
Microsoft’s search for relevance
March 7, 2007In today’s NYT:
Despite a lack of visible progress in catching up with Google, the leader in Internet search engines, Microsoft says it still believes that it will eventually turn the tables by improving the quality of its search results and by changing the way computer users search.
…
“This is a prototype of a browser that aims to change the way we interact with information,” said Silviu Cucerzan, one of the researchers who designed the new tool
Two points:
1. Search behavior and expectation is set for the most part. For a while now, the quality of results has been much better with other search engines than just Google.
1a. Unfortunately, because of previous experiences with products, consumers do not associate the term “quality” with Microsoft. Sorry.
2. Most people do not want to “interact” with their search – they want their results fast and easy to navigate.
Search in the future will look nothing like today’s simple search engine interfaces, she said, adding, “If in 10 years we are still using a rectangular box and a list of results, I should be fired.”
Yes, but Microsoft does not understand the search market now – why is there reason to believe you know about future needs?
Meanwhile, this from Yahoo:
The #2 search engine’s top two executives told investors that its new search tool Panama is leading to higher quality search results and leads.
At least, Sue Decker, unlike the executive at Microsoft, seems to realize the challenge. It’s not the quality, but brand:
She [Decker] conceded, however, that Yahoo faces a tough challenge due to “the strong brand of our friends up in Mountain View” referring to the headquarters of Google
I am not sure how Microsoft can topple Google – maybe their Vista embedded web search will increase their share. One thing I know is that it won’t be because of the quality of, or interaction with, results.
