re: looksmart Yes, it is down .5cps today. Following the US from...

re: looksmart Yes, it is down .5cps today. Following the US from friday, with the SP brought down a similar margin. LOOK?LOK is a hard stock, to understand these days. Even smuggler hasn't a "clue', it seems.

< LC Whats so good/promising about looksmart, I am a novice in this area. >

IMO, (& from what I have seen behind the scenes) Looksmart are 'knee deep' in what can only be described as, a 'paradigm shift' in 'search', as we know it.

The collecting of Millions of web pages (in similar fashion to what is commonly known as 'bookmarking', along with other articles of interest) are being 'saved' for 'sharing' by the likes of Looksmart's Furl, Spurl, CiteULike.org (& in conjunction with others) is currently, a daily, 'work in progress'. These published articles, including RSS feeds (like this, although, we have no RSS feed, as yet) that are also posted daily, being from the 'squillions of 'bloggers' on the net, for them to be then collated and have 'contextual' & adsense, ('relevant' to the 'topic') type ADS placed on, alongside, or, intersecting these same pages, or, saved articles. Some 22 Million users have already been recorded and this figure is now conservative. They have already shown, their liking for a 'topic specific' type of search, with those results provided, being what has been made popular, by other users with similar type interests, of this growing (shifting?) group of internet searchers. They have also been proven, to be receptive to this type of advertising, with great results for advertisors taking part. Revenues are 'shared' between the parties, (of what is described as an 'open type search' network - A 'pool'), that have a direct involvement on an individual, per 'click' basis. Looksmart do have (already) a collection of over 5 Million much prized articles, (besides their daily collection of more, through Furl from other parts of the net) that will be drawn on daily, within seach results produced, (from various/many sources), thereby satifying the many millions of "searched for" content, each day !!

Dogpile are a current Looksmart partner, & could very well have an involvement with this particular project. I have reason, to feel they are.

There are (at least) two other involvements I have found, that pertain to the Licensing of Furl, (in publisher's 'own' labeling type arrangements), that will also ensure ongoing Q on Q revenues, surrounding the extent of these individual licensing type agreements.

LOOK have already announced the latter two 'deals', I have just mentioned. They are yet to announce, just WHO they are with. Many similar type deals with other publishers on the Net, are assured in the immediate future. They will become, formalities. Why .... Because advertisers & agency's already know of this publisher type, contextual/content form/avenue, & the success it already enjoys, although, still in it's infancy.

Advertisers do see this as a genuine alternate to 'natural' search, as we know it, that is offered through the likes of GOOG, YHOO, MSN & AOL, for starters. (Including Looklistings, of course). And better returns, no doubt. There is also more control over their 'spend' being offered with this type involvement, a fact that they will enjoy & are expected to (also), gain EVEN more confidence with.

The continued growth of 'online' news & article sourcing by searchers, (we only need to look at 'general' posting here on HC, some attracting up to 200 or, more 'hits'), will be sensational, as is predicted in many quarters. These ADS 'matching' good news, or, of similar nature to the content of a particular article, will also perform well.

Of course, smuggler is welcomed to pick this apart, although, I would be surprised, if he is that silly, to make a bigger fool of himself, than he already has!!

Cheers,

:)
LC