If there were an alternative to Google...

As a user, I would actually be looking for the features that aren't on it - such as tracking my activities, stopping me mid-query to serve up guesses as to what I was going to search for, "personalizing" my results, etc.

Other than that, my main concern would be the quality of the results. If I can get results as good as or better than what Google produces, but without the headaches, then I'll be your first loyal user.

What are some of the current features that you have with your search engine right now?

I agree with getting better results if it could be done. One pet peeve of mine is when nearly every result on the first page is just a bunch of sites using the exact same article. I'm sure that could be blamed on a flaw in the algorithms but I'd think it would be simple to include a script or rule that decreases the chances of that happening. I'm no expert on coding so I wouldn't know.

Can you provide all features in your search engine. Which google and yahoo is providing and what are the features you are providing right now in your own search engine ?

I would want it to NOT track me across services

I would want relevant results rather than being guided to Google Shopping, Google News, Google Plus, YouTube, etc. (in other words ... real results)

I would want a very easy to use and prominent (easy to find) path to issue DMCAs to get copyrighted content infringement and pirated products removed from results.

I would want a search engine that doesn't want to take over the world or one that really wants to be a social network.

I would want one that has a good algo to keep spam results either out or nowhere to be found.

In other words, what Google used to be a long time ago.

Search engine do or die always comes to this: the relevancy of their search results.

If I were you (in your position building a search engine), this is what I will be looking at:

Things that I will remove:
Obsessive nature of including their products as their top results in search -when there is other website/products that has better relevancy.

Things that I will expand on:
Working on improving the search result, and most prolly it will focus on user experience, popularity, authority and updates of relevant content in the site.

Things that I will minimize:
Ads that that a lot of real estate in the search engine.

Things that I will create:
I will create a search engine that is opened for one certain segment first. For example, educators and students. and then, slowly, build upon it.
Yup, looks like the idea is copied from how FB started theirs- by only focusing on students. But hey, it worked right

Excellent input. I agree with everything stated too.

My thoughts are this:

- Google has totally lost focus and their results stink
- They're trying to be the be all and it's not working
- If you want to find a local business on Google, good luck, you'll find a fraction of the actual businesses out there
- How many forums do we NOT know about because google can't possibly handle all that info with its algo
- How many cool blogs are we not seeing because they don't have enough links to them?
- How many cool sites or new sites do we NEVER see because they're not link popular enough?

I don't like how they track me across all services either.

I don't like how we all see the internet through their eyes. It's not right.

Relevant, highest quality results that CAN be actually good looking are my goal.

Google can't read an image into its algo, so they don't like image heavy sites.

They can't read flash at all, so they won't even list an all flash site.

They are using an old system that I don't think ever was applicable to sorting through the web. Links? What about people that have no clue how to make a website, let alone link to another, does their opinion of what's good and what's not, not matter? It doesn't to google. Links rule in their world because they can then apply their algo to it.

I don't like that approach because the results are getting to be pure crap and too many companies and individuals know how to manipulate the results.

My search engine will be different.

If it works, it works, if not, hey at least I took a shot at it.

There are already millions of alternatives to Google, but most folks consider them to be practically worthless, because they see the 100 visitors that those sites could produce of lesser value than the 0 visitors Google is currently sending, because they feel that the 1000 visitors that Google might send is worth ignoring all other sources.

It is the "lottery strategy".

Most people would rather gamble everything on hitting big, than to invest in more sure-things that produce smaller returns. :rolleyes:

Good point. I agree, it's the opportunity cost of not being in Google.

That mindset needs to change and the only way is to give them another option that works, (ie produces visitors to their site from a source outside of google).

yes agreed.. the way to do it would be to start 'simple' and stable and gradually add in features - definitily keep out the skynet aspect though