Cuil - Search site aims to rival Google

barryhynd · 28-07-08, 18:18

The story below is all over the web today. Apparently some ex-Google employees have launched a new search engine called Cuil (pronounced Cool) today. Having tried it out myself I'm not a huge fan and think it may be heavily biased for the US.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Search site aims to rival Google

They've also been playing about with how they layout the results pages etc. Not sure if I like it

Cuil

Power Lunch Club · 28-07-08, 21:47

I don't like it...even tried to type in my own company name....and nothing came back...usually appears number 1 on all the others I have tried....

So it's a null point from the PLC judes...(RASPBERRY SOUNDS)...Cuil is not cool....but it does look it.

Gordon
PLC

polr · 28-07-08, 21:49

I had a shot of it this afternoon. Result displaying isn't what we are used to thats for sure but I will probably grow on me. Few of the links weren't working when I went on which I assume is just a teething issue. Have to keep going back to it a few more times I think but must admit that my first impressions aren't great. For example, on searching for Scottish business forums then a result for this site would surely be more helpful than a result on "Scottish farmer takes on Donald Trump [Archive] - ..."

scottish business forums - Cuil

I guess it may just take a while to get indexing!

Idea15 · 28-07-08, 22:25

Lynne, you inspired me to check for my business. On the first page of results there were lots of dodgy listings from near.co.uk, a list farm site with no contact information or opt-out (read: idiots). Their information is fed by Thomson Local - who charge you to include a web URL in a basic listing - so their site has several pages listing web site designers but no links to any of them, rendering those pages completely useless. But those pages rank on the first results page of Cuil. I would hope that sites in my portfolio and my business blog would rank higher in a search for my business name than an autogenerated page which lists me as "Web Design Near Some Town Five Hours Away."

Worse than that, in the one search result which actually lists a page on my web site, there is a little thumbnail graphic next to it which says "Do It Myself Templates" - which not only do I not offer, but the "do it yourself template" way of web design goes against everything I and my business stand for. Where this graphic came from, I don't know, but it misrepresents my business.

So that's two thumbs down (and two fingers up) to Cuil from me.

TomB · 28-07-08, 22:30

I have to say i quite like it, the layout is very web 2.0 and i guess we are spoiled by google aren't we.

I typed in my business and came up on page 2 with a lovely little thumbnail of a clear blue sky, not bad.

Heather I totally agree with your stance on do it yourself templates I feel exactly the same way!

polr · 29-07-08, 08:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Idea15

no contact information or opt-out (read: idiots).

Found this on the site after a little digging:

crawlme@cuil.com to ask to be included and
crawler@cuil.com to ask a question
crawler@cuil.com to block something straight away

Hope that helps. Pretty rubbish about the thumbnail you have beside your result, that's going to help business isn't it

Idea15 · 29-07-08, 08:46

Thanks Lynne - I was referring to the lack of contact info for near.co.uk, not cuil. If Near is indeed a subsidiary of Thomson there is a cat's chance in hell of having a customer service issue fixed (even though I am not technically a customer.)