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Interesting Article About New Search Program - Wolfram Alpha

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J-Mac:
I found this interesting: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/an-invention-that-could-change-the-internet-for-ever-1678109.html

I remember reading about this late last year but I guess I thought it was a lot longer away in time. Wonder how long before Darwin adds this to his "Search" collection?!  ;D

Jim

tide:
WolframAlpha should be available within a couple of weeks. From the demos I have seen, I am very impressed by it. No doubt it will take some time to iron out the wrinkles but I am very much looking forward to it.

There's been a lot of hype about wolframalpha displacing google but I think that's a misrepresentation. Google is a great search engine that is designed to find sites for you that MAY have the information you're looking for. Its success depends on how well you phrase your search and the extent to which the site loads keywords, i.e. it is a hit and miss prospect.

Wolframalpha, on the other hand, is intended to provide you directly with the information you seek. It's a completely different paradigm. The early design appears to be geared toward quantitative information (How tall is the Eiffel Tower? What is the longest river in the world?) which is a natural endeavor for the creator of Mathematica.

We'll have to wait and see how it evolves and whether it can cut it as a general information search engine. In any case, I can't wait to try it out!

J-Mac:
Thanks for the info, tide!

IMO Google has become very difficult to find anything specific. Yes, I do know that there are several specialized methods for searching Google, and that creative use of syntax can make or break your search. However the folks out there who spend a lot of time and money to provide SEO have made it possible for the idiots to force their sites into your search results whether you are interested or not, unfortunately.

I agree that Wolfman Alpha looks very interesting for serious topical searches!

Jim

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