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Search is arguably one of the most important aspects of the internet. The game is always always changing with technology. Web 2.0 (where users can exchange content in contrast to web 1.0 non-interactive pages) has emerged with facebook, and all the other social networks. Yet, web 3.0 (moving toward live stream like ustream, possibly twitter etc.) already pokes its head.
On Thursday it was announced that google bought aardvark for 50 million dollars. Aardvark allows you to ask any question, and any person can answer. This starts moving toward “human powered search” a service that mahalo.com and yahoo answers will now need to compete with google for. I am a huge Jason Calacanis (CEO of mahalo) fan, and I hope that Google doesn’t drink mahalo’s milkshake and eat their hamburger.
I often get annoyed when google makes another purchase of some new web company because I thought of the idea 3 yeas ago. Given ideas mean nothing and execution is everything I tip my hat to the dudes of aardvark.
In my opinion, aardvark is already way more fun than mahalo and yahoo. It is clean and quick, and auto categorizes my questions. I can’t wait to see what Google has up their sleeve with this one.
Future of Search: I see the future of search being very interactive. It won’t necessarily produce the best search results in the beginning either, but it will be more fun. The future of search will hit web 3.0 on the head. When you type “funny shirts” into google and a live person directs you to a few options and answers any questions you have. This will come, and it is probably not that far out there. I am obsessed with the interactivity of ustream and if they can do it google can do it.
If mahalo and yahoo wants to compete with Google, I would like them to take steps in the direction of video interactive search. This would even get close to Virtual Assistants. . . Okay, lets get to the brainstorm.
As I said, I want to go to my search engine and be greeted by name by my search assistant. They will then direct my question to another more qualified greeter/assistant who will answer my question, or show me resources. (This is where aardvark falls short.) It is silly to assume the average question answerer can meet my needs, but if they can connect me with a site/person who can it is much better. Remember, I want the video interactivity. This makes it fun and so unique.
I want to extend this to wherever I go. Just like chacha lets you text your question, and mahalo answers uses twitter. I want to be able to call my search assistant and ask for directions. I want to be able to text them anything anytime and have an instant answer. My search assistant can even contact me if they have a resource that I might be interested in. I would pay for that kind of service.
This post is a little scrambled, but I felt this need to comment on my thoughts on search. I asked @Jason if he was threatened by googles actions and I am still looking forward to his response. Jason, what do you think about googles move? comments?
#big
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