Monday, July 12, 2004
The Importance of Search - : "Val Souza, Editor
Here's a thought-provoking prediction: More than two centuries will elapse before we have artificially intelligent search functionality that can match the intuitive capabilities of the average human reference librarian of today. That sobering comment is from Craig Silverstein, technology director of Internet search-engine leader Google Inc, in a recent interview. And if you need further corroboration, here it is: "We think the sun has not set on even the first day of the search opportunity." That's from Yusuf Mehdi, a Microsoft vice president responsible for the company's MSN portal.
As the information explosion continues unabated on the Internet, and personal and corporate repositories of data continue to grow, one needs increasingly sophisticated search tools to enable accurate and speedy retrieval of relevant information to suit an individual user's needs. And when one moves from the Internet to the desktop, the problem is exacerbated by the presence of myriad file formats, differing authorisation and security levels, and a host of other technical issues. All of which make for such a high level of complexity, that no one has thus far succeeded in providing a comprehensive search tool that can seamlessly sift through all the data files on a system.
That search is a killer app is quite evident from the huge success of Google, which is streets ahead of everyone else when it comes to Internet search. The buzz and hype surrounding its imminent initial public offering, while heightened by the theatrics of its founders, has its basis in the company's unquestionably impressive financials. Make no mistake, Google is sizzling hot at the moment..."
Here's a thought-provoking prediction: More than two centuries will elapse before we have artificially intelligent search functionality that can match the intuitive capabilities of the average human reference librarian of today. That sobering comment is from Craig Silverstein, technology director of Internet search-engine leader Google Inc, in a recent interview. And if you need further corroboration, here it is: "We think the sun has not set on even the first day of the search opportunity." That's from Yusuf Mehdi, a Microsoft vice president responsible for the company's MSN portal.
As the information explosion continues unabated on the Internet, and personal and corporate repositories of data continue to grow, one needs increasingly sophisticated search tools to enable accurate and speedy retrieval of relevant information to suit an individual user's needs. And when one moves from the Internet to the desktop, the problem is exacerbated by the presence of myriad file formats, differing authorisation and security levels, and a host of other technical issues. All of which make for such a high level of complexity, that no one has thus far succeeded in providing a comprehensive search tool that can seamlessly sift through all the data files on a system.
That search is a killer app is quite evident from the huge success of Google, which is streets ahead of everyone else when it comes to Internet search. The buzz and hype surrounding its imminent initial public offering, while heightened by the theatrics of its founders, has its basis in the company's unquestionably impressive financials. Make no mistake, Google is sizzling hot at the moment..."
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