[WEB4LIB] RE: More on Google going commercial

[gary price]

A couple of points.

1) In addition to the section of the Google site Gary W. mentions you might
also find Brin and
Page's  original paper about Google informative.
"The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine"
http://www7.scu.edu.au/programme/fullpapers/1921/com1921.htm


2) While Google does not sell placement/relevancy it's important to remember
that an entire
industry of search optimization "experts" work to place sites at the top of
result rankings for given keywords.
This is the case with Google as well as most other engines.
To learn more take a look at the discussions and the like at
Webmasterworld.Com
http://www.webmasterworld.com
and/or direct to the Google forum:
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/index.htm
Actually, I find some of the knowledge I learn from these forums very
useful.

Is this optimization a bad thing ? No, but it does mean we should be at
least aware that
this industry exists and that many issues come into play with the "hits"
that are returned from any engine.
In my mind it also illustrates  the importance of precise search terms and
making use of the power or advanced search/limiting options many tools
offer.

cheers,
gary





Looking for More News, New Sites, Search Tips?
Visit The Virtual Acquisition Shelf and News Desk
http://resourceshelf.blogspot.com

Gary D. Price, MLIS
Librarian
Gary Price Library Research and Internet Consulting
gprice at gwu.edu
----- Original Message -----
From: <gwasdin at nypl.org>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <web4lib at webjunction.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 3:14 PM
Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: More on Google going commercial


>
> It isn't a thorough explanation, but Google does explain how its ranking
> system works at http://www.google.com/technology/index.html
>
> Google does not allow increased ranking for pay.....they are placed in the
> ads at the top and around the search results.
>
> Gary A. Wasdin
> Training Coordinator
> The New York Public Library
> Humanities and Social Sciences Library
> New York, NY  10018-2788
> 212-930-9284
> gwasdin at nypl.org
>
>
>
>                     "Abbott, Bruce"
>                     <babbot at lsuhsc.edu       To:     Multiple recipients
of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>
>                     >                        cc:
>                     Sent by:                 Subject:     [WEB4LIB] RE:
More on Google going commercial
>                     web4lib at sunsite.be
>                     rkeley.edu
>
>
>                     01/02/2002 03:04
>                     PM
>                     Please respond to
>                     babbot
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Another major problem with commercialization of web search engines is that
> sponsor sites have their listings moved to the top of the retrieval list.
> As it is, the algorithms which determine the relevance of a given search
> are
> not available for examination by the searcher.  With commercial sponsors,
> retrieval can be skewed by factors which have little to do with the
> relevance to a given search.
>
> Bruce Abbott
> Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Library
> 433 Bolivar St.
> New Orleans, LA  70112
>
> 504-568-7718 (fax)
> 504-568-6103 (voice)
> babbot at lsuhsc.edu
>
>
>
>
>
>