Google have recently released a tool that will give online searchers the opportunity to refine and customise their search results. The system is called SearchWiki and fundamentally allows users to move search results around and even delete certain listings for searches that are carried out on a regular basis. For instance, a user who is searching for MP3 players will be able to edit the results and then the next time they perform the search will be presented with their own bespoke list of websites.
Google Product Manager Cedric Dupont stated that the tool was ‘revolutionary’ giving searchers more freedom than ever to personalise their queries. Additionally, Mr Dupont added that the release of the system was further evidence of the shift towards participatory internet use and Google’s attempts to cater for this market. Mr Dupont went on to say that ultimately “SearchWiki is about giving users more control, and increasing their happiness”.
Not all commentators are full of praise for the new system however; the argument is that the majority of users will not be overly worried about the positions of results and SearchWiki will be a tool purely used by an elite of internet users.
As well as the option to alter rankings SearchWiki users will be able to add dialogue boxes to the results which will be viewable by other users of the programme. These boxes will contain information on the website in the hope that it will allow users to screen websites before visiting them. Google were however quick to state that SearchWiki would not change the way rankings are compiled although some industry insiders are viewing the move as a way to bring a human editorial element into the current automated algorithms. Ultimately having a human editor will produce better search results than an algorithm; at least that is how the argument is presented.
Whether SearchWiki is a revolutionary concept or simply a means for a small number heavy internet users and professionals to tinker with their search results remains a matter of conjecture. Time will tell if it marks a watershed in human/automated editorial guidelines and a new form of searching for all.
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