4 ms·

I'd like to see a "just search" engine, all it does it search for a specific string, case insensitively, across the entire web. No curation or anything, just so

I'd like to see a "just search" engine, all it does it search for a specific string, case insensitively, across the entire web. No curation or anything, just sorted in lexicological order closest match first maybe falling back to page age if it has more then one exact match. Perhaps give me some regular expressions as well.

jeffbee 5y ago
That would be easily the worst search engine ever deployed. Imagine just returning all docs containing the word “bicycle” in chronological order. Useless.
- willcipriano 5y ago
  For "Bicycle" it would suck but I don't often use search engines that way, for "High Timber ALX 29" you'd probably get something like this: https://www.schwinnbikes.com/products/high-timber-alx-29?variant=41490393628841 https://www.schwinnbikes.com/products/high-timber-alx-29?var... I wouldn't use it for everything but sometimes that is the exact behavior that I want. I'd use duck duck go for more general searches.
  - jeffbee 5y ago
    That is the top hit on google for that search, so what’s your complaint?
    - willcipriano 5y ago
      Take a random part number off your car, or a portion of a error message and try finding that. It's annoying to have to scroll down over a page or two of autogenerated SEO answers to get to something useful. The first result to appear on the internet is less likely to be SEO and more likely to be the manufacturers documentation or the git commit that spawned your error. It isn't always, but that's why you have more then one search engine. Secondarily I think a search engine that is very simple in it's model and operation is useful for more general free speech purposes. If the major search engines decide they don't like a site like the pirate bay a search for '"Pirate Bay" And "Torrents"' on a search engine that does not curate could still get you there. I guess the point is without curation you have to work harder to find what you want, but nobody is actively preventing you from finding anything. It would help keep everybody honest.
prox 5y ago
Maybe a “stability factor” could be calculated. Whereas earlier new content was king, I now value a stable long term source of information. So domain age + page age + content variability + dependency on ads. That might give more honest sources a go.
- willcipriano 5y ago
  That's a good idea, I'd make it a option. Do you want newest first, oldest first or by stability?

jeffbee 5y ago

That would be easily the worst search engine ever deployed. Imagine just returning all docs containing the word “bicycle” in chronological order. Useless.

willcipriano 5y ago
For "Bicycle" it would suck but I don't often use search engines that way, for "High Timber ALX 29" you'd probably get something like this: https://www.schwinnbikes.com/products/high-timber-alx-29?variant=41490393628841 https://www.schwinnbikes.com/products/high-timber-alx-29?var... I wouldn't use it for everything but sometimes that is the exact behavior that I want. I'd use duck duck go for more general searches.
- jeffbee 5y ago
  That is the top hit on google for that search, so what’s your complaint?
  - willcipriano 5y ago
    Take a random part number off your car, or a portion of a error message and try finding that. It's annoying to have to scroll down over a page or two of autogenerated SEO answers to get to something useful. The first result to appear on the internet is less likely to be SEO and more likely to be the manufacturers documentation or the git commit that spawned your error. It isn't always, but that's why you have more then one search engine. Secondarily I think a search engine that is very simple in it's model and operation is useful for more general free speech purposes. If the major search engines decide they don't like a site like the pirate bay a search for '"Pirate Bay" And "Torrents"' on a search engine that does not curate could still get you there. I guess the point is without curation you have to work harder to find what you want, but nobody is actively preventing you from finding anything. It would help keep everybody honest.

prox 5y ago

Maybe a “stability factor” could be calculated. Whereas earlier new content was king, I now value a stable long term source of information. So domain age + page age + content variability + dependency on ads. That might give more honest sources a go.

willcipriano 5y ago
That's a good idea, I'd make it a option. Do you want newest first, oldest first or by stability?