Google: It's not me, it's you
Ah Google. How I used to love your search functionality. You found so many little ways to complete me in the way that you provided me information. Alas, as with every fiery romance, ours must come to an end. I have found someone else: Kosmix.
I realize that Kosmix may not be as popular as you are but I've always tended to go for the geeky loner. While you provide me multiple links when I search for a topic, and sometimes images, I still have to click to multiple screens (news, images, etc.) to get the job done. And, let's face it -- in these times of rampant social media adoption peer recommendations on content are becoming more prevalent than your static (albeit savvy) search that first delivers the corporate sales page. I need more out of my search relationship, and Kosmix gives me much more.
Proof is in the... searching -->
Prove it? OK. I did a search for "iPod touch" and this is what you gave me:
Ahh, the sea of blue. Thanks for the link to Apple's site, though I could've figured that out myself. And thanks for all of the ads, too.
Now look at what Kosmix gives me:
Ooh, pretty! I get the Wikipedia entry right on top and I can easily see who is tweeting about the topic. If you scroll down further I can see links to recent blog posts, topics associated with the iPod Touch, videos, and all kinds of fun stuff, right on one topic page.
Don't believe me? Well, I did a search for my true first love (no, not you James Spader), hockey. Here's what the further scroll-down on the hockey page looks like:
Yummy.
Google, I think your problem is that you've lost sight of your search priorities. You're so focused on creating all of these other cool applications (some of which I appreciate, sure) that you're letting other companies get the best of you. For all of your innovation and connectivity, shouldn't you be able to do this for me by now?
It's not just me that's seeing change. I asked some others about Kosmix, too.
"Information technology seems to ebb and flow between highly fractured and highly consolidated services. We're flowing to a new age of fractured, specialized and branded information search, and sites such as Kosmix have a great opportunity in this cycle to differentiate and grow," said Chris Shipley, CEO, Guidewire Group, Inc.
See, Google. You let this happen to us. But i still want to be friends.
How can you be my friend when I am leaving you for another, you ask? Well, I still need you sometimes. Kosmix doesn't yet have topic pages for everything (though it's darn close). And, well, wouldn't you keep you on the back burner? You're big and strong. But Kosmix has my heart.