We do our very best to make ResourceShelf offer coverage of the entire search, info retrieval, and library space. I think a look at the archives will show we spend lots of time and space on lots of tools both big names and start-ups. That said, every now and then I think it’s ok for an extended post on an Ask.com feature. If you don’t want to read it, no worries, we understand. So, we’ve made this an extended post so you will need to click again to read the entire item. In other words, it’s not all on the main page allowing you to move to the next item more quickly.

Ask Blog/Feed Search is available via two interfaces. One on the Ask site, the other from Bloglines. Same database, two interfaces, different features. Find the one that works best for you. We posted about them when the service first launched a few months ago.

One feature that often goes unnoticed (including by me) is the “by” and “about” sections of a blog/feed results page found on both interfaces.

It basically takes a few advanced search features (unfortunately the ones very few people use) and builds the advanced search for the user without them having the user do anything. No syntax needed. Build an advanced query, get more precise results without having to do anything. It would be great if all searchers took advantage of advanced features and built queries to get them what they needed, but this is not the case. Period. Sad. Yes. Of course, it gives plenty for librarians to talk about.

Room for improvement? Sure, of course. One issue with this Ask/Bloglines feature is authority control. Something familiar to librarians. There are many people with the same name and keeping the names organized is a challenge for ANY web engine. This of course extends to some of the other issues with blogs and unstructured data. For example, if a blog doesn’t list an author, this service can have problems.

Nevertheless, this new Ask/Bloglines feature is a neat way to make more info easily available that can potentially save users time and aggravation. If it reminds you of Ask.com’s “Zoom Feature” you’re on target. It’s found in the right margin of the page.

Examples:
+ + href=”http://www.bloglines.com/search?q=john+battelle&ql=en&s=f&pop=h&+ news=m”>John Battelle (via Bloglines, Date Sort)
Notice the posts on right side labeled Posts Authored by john battelle and Posts About john battelle.

+ + href=”http://www.ask.com/blogsearch?q=john+battelle&t=a&qsrc=2102&o=33
+ 3&l=dir”>John Battelle (via Ask.com Blog Search, Most Recent Sort)

+ + href=”http://www.ask.com/blogsearch?q=steven+bell&t=a&qsrc=2102&o=333&
+ l=dir”>Steven Bell (via Ask.com Interface)
Again notice the by and about section.

+ + href=”http://www.ask.com/blogsearch?q=Jonathan+Schwartz&t=a&qsrc=2102&
+ o=333&l=dir”>Johnathan Schwartz (CEO of Sun Microsystems and active
+ Blogger)

Of course, other popular names have issues. For example, two personal friends and colleagues, both with common names, aren’t found using this service. Again, authority control since many others have these names and also blog.

+ + href=”http://www.ask.com/blogsearch?q=barry+schwartz&t=a&search=Search+ &qsrc=2101″>Barry Schwartz (of SEW Blog and Search Engine Roundtable)
Of the six links listed only one is from the search guru.

+ + href=”http://www.ask.com/blogsearch?q=steven+cohen&t=a&qsrc=2102&o=333+ &l=dir”>Steven Cohen (of Library Stuff fame and a ResourceShelf + contributor)
Again, only one for the Steven Cohen we all know (and love) in the library world.

Again, making the most from unstructured data is an issue for all web engines and then when you toss in names and the many issues with blogs and feeds you get even more challenges. It will be interesting to see how this feature develops. I would love to see some knowledge discovery elements/data mining. Show users what’s hidden in the data.

Another issue that has been mentioned to us several time over the past few weeks is blog/rss overload. So many feeds, so little time. Perhaps auto summarization could help. That’s yet another challenge.

Bottom Line: Making this type of searching easier and less aggravating for all users (even the power user) is something that needs to be done by all engines.

Of course, another issue for all engines (not only Ask but Google, Yahoo, and MSN too) is to let the public (not the geek) realize they are available in the first place.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 15th, 2006 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.