furl.net and social sites ...

Much has been written in relation to the merits of Looksmart's Furl and the role it will play on Social Sites with the exciting Vertical Search approach that Looksmart have embarked upon.

(Check this Link here, for this very post you are reading now, that has been saved before you have started to read it. A great research tool).

the BIG Search portals (including both Google & Yahoo) are now quickly, trying to follow in Looksmart's footprints. The a post I came across made a very good point, in it's final paragraph:

< The future of social search depends a great deal on how fast the general searching public adopts it. It may never totally replace algorithmic search. However, it could be a great supplement to both organic & paid search, providing yet another set of criteria for establishing relevance for end users to consider. >

And yes, Industry "experts" are only just starting to now "jump on the bandwaggon" it seems with many articles (of late) advising of both the merits and potential of this "user results" generating, phenomena. And surprisingly, it was in my previous post that I showed random examples trumpeting the merits of Looksmart's Furl, in this growing segment of search. Looksmart have already advised (in the CC following the Q1 Report) of the strong growth in Furl's membership.

A recent article from The Los Angeles Times asks: "Do social search engines have the answer"?

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-so...
a-headlines-business

They explain their reasons for asking this question (within) & best describe difference from search as we know it, as follows:

< Traditional search results are largely based on objective criteria such as counting the number of links other sites have placed to a given Web page. Social search gives people subjective answers — the best sushi restaurant in Chicago or the best website for information about French Impressionism — not necessarily the site visited the most. >

And "French Impressionism" - (whatever that is??!!)

Search for it on Furl.net to find the latest articles "saved" by those with an interest in the subject.

Showing 1 - 25 of 294

http://www.furl.net/search?enc=UTF-8&sea...
ead=all&expd=7&keyword=French+Impressionism&src=4&x=14 &y=8&category=-1&date=0

Yes ....And the more that Furl members contribute (with 'saves') to the Site, the better the results then become!!!!

Advertisers will (in turn), follow users like the cart ALWAYS follows the horse!! LOL !!

Go LOOK !!

:)
LC