4 ms·

How can you call it unproven? When I google for Python I get stuff related to programming because of my search history, when a zoologist looks for Pythons he'll

by marcus 18y ago

How can you call it unproven? When I google for Python I get stuff related to programming because of my search history, when a zoologist looks for Pythons he'll see stuff related to snakes.

gaius 18y ago
Because I don't know what algorithms Cuil are using, I can't say at this stage if they are able to deliver better search results than Google without personalization. Perhaps they're better at contextualization for example, and don't need to know what you did last time. I'm a Python programmer too and the first link I get from Google for 'python' is a Wikipedia article on the Delphic Oracle... Admittedly I have often searched for content relating to Oracle databases!
- marcus 18y ago
  Context is always helpful and obviously should be used in addition to personal history and even override it, but if the query has little context, the only context you can get is from the users historical data. Personalization doesn't guarantee better results but it obviously improves results.
  - gaius 18y ago
    I'm not saying that's not true, just that Cuil must believe that they don't need it, and it's too soon to see if they're right. I do most of my searches on www.msdewey.com anyway :-)
  - mattjung 18y ago
    Historical data may as well be misleading because the profile of a user is not "static", simply because there's a human being behind it (and sometimes even more than one, but that's another story). His personal and professional environment, his wishes and necessities, the context of his life may change from one day to the other. The assumption that the past queries of a user will improve the results of his current queries is at least questionable (especially for former programmers that start selling reptiles...)
- ashleyw 18y ago
  Weird, I've searched python once or twice (never really used it) in the past, and don't get a Wikipedia article first, I get http://www.python.org http://www.python.org, then the whole page is filled with python (programming) results. I've never really thought about this, but I'm kinda glad Google logs my results, it helps me out tons by giving me results I want. Plus thier motto is "Don't be Evil"...
deleted 18y ago
[deleted]
nailer 18y ago
I search for python pretty regularly on Google. My recent, logged-in, searches for 'python gecko' resulted in a bunch of reptile sellers.
- jrockway 18y ago
  I search for programming-related things, and all but two results (both videos) for "python gecko" are about Mozilla bindings for Python. Basically, I am not upset that Google profiles me. I would get upset when my profile is admissible as evidence against me in court, but that's not up to Google. Let's not make searching the web difficult because our legal system is fucked up. Let's fix the legal system.
  - nailer 18y ago
    I think we're probably getting the same page - I get: * YouTube - Leopard gecko and royal python eat mice!! * FS: 2 captive-born Mali Uromastyx - via auction (gargoyle python gecko boa) Reptiles. ... before I get: * Re: [pyxpcom] Python web crawler using Gecko :: ASPN Mail Archive ... I'd have thought, given my history, the reptile versions would come later.
- 13ren 18y ago
  BTW: your comment comes up 6th on my google search for 'python gecko'. When logged out, the search results are slightly differently ordered.

by marcus 18y ago

How can you call it unproven? When I google for Python I get stuff related to programming because of my search history, when a zoologist looks for Pythons he'll see stuff related to snakes.

gaius 18y ago

Because I don't know what algorithms Cuil are using, I can't say at this stage if they are able to deliver better search results than Google without personalization. Perhaps they're better at contextualization for example, and don't need to know what you did last time. I'm a Python programmer too and the first link I get from Google for 'python' is a Wikipedia article on the Delphic Oracle... Admittedly I have often searched for content relating to Oracle databases!

marcus 18y ago
Context is always helpful and obviously should be used in addition to personal history and even override it, but if the query has little context, the only context you can get is from the users historical data. Personalization doesn't guarantee better results but it obviously improves results.
- gaius 18y ago
  I'm not saying that's not true, just that Cuil must believe that they don't need it, and it's too soon to see if they're right. I do most of my searches on www.msdewey.com anyway :-)
- mattjung 18y ago
  Historical data may as well be misleading because the profile of a user is not "static", simply because there's a human being behind it (and sometimes even more than one, but that's another story). His personal and professional environment, his wishes and necessities, the context of his life may change from one day to the other. The assumption that the past queries of a user will improve the results of his current queries is at least questionable (especially for former programmers that start selling reptiles...)
ashleyw 18y ago
Weird, I've searched python once or twice (never really used it) in the past, and don't get a Wikipedia article first, I get http://www.python.org http://www.python.org, then the whole page is filled with python (programming) results. I've never really thought about this, but I'm kinda glad Google logs my results, it helps me out tons by giving me results I want. Plus thier motto is "Don't be Evil"...

deleted 18y ago

[deleted]

nailer 18y ago

I search for python pretty regularly on Google. My recent, logged-in, searches for 'python gecko' resulted in a bunch of reptile sellers.

jrockway 18y ago
I search for programming-related things, and all but two results (both videos) for "python gecko" are about Mozilla bindings for Python. Basically, I am not upset that Google profiles me. I would get upset when my profile is admissible as evidence against me in court, but that's not up to Google. Let's not make searching the web difficult because our legal system is fucked up. Let's fix the legal system.
- nailer 18y ago
  I think we're probably getting the same page - I get: * YouTube - Leopard gecko and royal python eat mice!! * FS: 2 captive-born Mali Uromastyx - via auction (gargoyle python gecko boa) Reptiles. ... before I get: * Re: [pyxpcom] Python web crawler using Gecko :: ASPN Mail Archive ... I'd have thought, given my history, the reptile versions would come later.
13ren 18y ago
BTW: your comment comes up 6th on my google search for 'python gecko'. When logged out, the search results are slightly differently ordered.