Comments for 2008 Web Predictions

Ex-Googler Launches Search Engine Community, Topicle

2008-03-10T16:16:06Z

Former Google Product Manger, Steffen Mueller, has launched Topicle, a new search engine community. The service, which went live today, uses a model similar to that of Wikipedia, allowing anyone to contribute to the creation and enhancement of their own vertical search engines.

]]> To use Topicle, the process is simple. You first search for a search engine, using their current database of human-created engines. If you find one that fits your needs, you can use it. If not, you can create your own engine or add to an existing one to make it more suitable.

Each search engine is actually a collection of user-submitted links, and a search using that engine will only pull back results from the sites listed. For example, the Topicle search engine Mortgage Advice only searches www.realtor.org, www.fdic.gov, www.homeloanlearningcenter.com and a few other URLs. So when you select the Mortgage Advice engine and enter in a search term, you will only get results from the listed URLs.

Mortgage Advice Search Engine

Each engine is rated by Topicle users from one to five stars. The popularity of the engine comes from both the ratings of users and how many people use that particular Topicle engine. The most popular search engines are listed on the homepage, as are the newest engines and your recent engines. Some currently popular engines now include iPhone Unlock, Movie Trailers, Best Recipe Sites, and San Francisco.

Users can contribute additional URLs to improve upon existing engines or create brand-new engines from scratch by submitting a list of URLs.

Although the site is powered by Google Custom Search Engine Technology, the site is more of an anti-Google. Says Steffen, "Topicle generates more precise and useful search results with sources recommended by humans, as opposed to sources picked solely by a computer algorithm."

No mention was made of how the site will deal with link quality or manage spam submissions.

The site joins the human-powered search space, an area where Mahalo's human-powered search already dominates. However, Topicle's twist of basically putting a pretty front-end onto Google's custom search property may allow it to carve out the niche it needs in order to succeed in such a narrow space.

Comment from nemetral on 2008-03-10

2008-03-10T19:40:43Z

How can Topicle be anti-Google when it only relies on Google Custom Search? There's nothing for members to link real questions with real webpages.. but only the possibility to select a few websites where Google is gonna search.

Comment from Malan D on 2008-03-10

2008-03-10T19:55:09Z

Ok let's see how long this service will interest anyone...

1...
2...
th...

ah forget it, back to Google.

pointless.

Comment from Matt on 2008-03-10

2008-03-10T22:01:54Z

I don't understand the objective or USP of Topicle? It appears to be just a re-packaged Google Custom search with a nice front end. I tried creating a couple of engines with various URLs but some of them wouldn't go in (accepted by Topicle - but it wouldnt search them). Teething troubles i'm sure - but i would like to understand more about the big idea.

I would be far more impressed if Topicle used a combination of Ask, Yahoo and Google search technology. Using only Google makes me ask the question..."Why don't i just use Google?". By using the brand name "Topicle" it seems very 'techie' orientated - but i'd imagine most would already be comfortable with using Google's advanced search functions.

Steffen are you planning a project blog?

Comment from J U Hasan on 2008-03-10

2008-03-11T03:24:54Z

Pointless invention ... reinventing the wheel!

Don't understand why so many search engines are coming up everyday where nothing left after market shared by big fishes. Again nothing is new ... same old concept, just branding with Web 2.0, confused business model!

When I can search something on Google fast and simple why should i go for the long method - waste of time! Create my own search engine selecting some websites will definitely restrict my search result.

Comment from Foliovision on 2008-03-11

2008-03-11T12:14:35Z

Honestly, this sounds like a great idea.

Make up a list of 20 comprehensive trusted sources and work out from there. Find another worthwhile source, add it to the list.

This way those custom engines are prebuilt. I don't have to build my own. I can choose one of yours.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

Comment from Technicle on 2008-03-11

2008-03-11T13:56:46Z

Interesting service..

Comment from Swedsnus on 2008-03-11

2008-03-11T14:22:39Z

It's a great idea to have more actors on Internet Search Engines. It will help many new small business owners to market their sites on Internet easily as Google and Yahoo are becoming more expensive...

Comment from Julian Harris on 2008-03-11

2008-03-11T17:58:15Z

I'm struggling too to see the value -- Google's Custom Search Engines do this just fine thanks very much. It even has a community aspect, with a check box under the control panel:

"[ ] Anyone may volunteer to contribute to this search engine."

Comment from azkidseatfree on 2008-03-11

2008-03-11T18:00:56Z

This is great! I just submitted my sites and my client's sites.

Comment from Rick Perkin on 2008-03-11

2008-03-11T18:32:28Z

I tried adding URL's but the top 1/2 of the popup frame fits into window and there's no way to get to it.

They certainly better fix that glitch in a hurry.

Comment from Brad Borst on 2008-03-11

2008-03-11T19:46:38Z

Sounds good! I hope it works.

Comment from Jennifer on 2008-03-11

2008-03-11T21:50:45Z

I often find that the information that you get via Google search - no matter what search tricks you use - can quickly make researching a particular subject difficult and overwhelming. Especially when a lot of the material is poor or irrelevant to what you as a human need.

Providing users with the tools to sift and refine their searches by topic is no less than brilliant. It may not suit everyone, sure - 95% of people are probably just going to do a general search for something and are likely to find what you are looking for with Google. Researchers, Journalists and others who rely on timely and relevant material and good links that fit under one topic, this is a Godsend.

The internet is ripe for people-powered search content. Questions of spam and Link quality aside, this is definately a promising method of enhancing your results and saving time and often sanity sifting through Google's neverending void of information.

Comment from Starting a Small Business on 2008-03-11

2008-03-12T05:22:36Z

Thanks for posting. This is very exciting and is the perfect evolution for web 2.0. It will be nice to see a new relevancy to searches--a definite improvement.

Comment from Scott on 2008-03-12

2008-03-12T20:48:25Z

I like the idea!

Comment from Cleaner on 2008-03-13

2008-03-13T13:06:16Z

It seems that there is some work involved in order to create your own search engine.

Comment from Kulsum on 2008-03-15

2008-03-15T19:47:38Z

Very nice site and here we can learn more.

Comment from Hakan M. on 2008-03-15

2008-03-15T19:49:02Z

Here we can find a very nice site and also informativ.

Comment from Tori on 2008-03-20

2008-03-20T15:03:45Z

Shocked that Swicki was not mentioned.

This topicle thing sounds like a lot like a swicki (sans a few functions)