8 replies to this topic

[robertclough]

http://www.business2...,51462,00.html#

Snippet:
Meet Nutch, the open-source search engine. With Nutch, the indexing and page-ranking technologies are all open and visible; you can check them yourself if you have a problem with your page's ranking. Just as Linux has taken on Windows, revolutionizing the rules of search-engine development and distribution, Nutch could pose an enormous threat to Google and other search giants.

[Jill]

Nutch could pose an enormous threat to Google and other search giants.

Hmm...a threat because every spammer and their brother could learn more about the algorithms and how to spam them.

Kinda scary how this information will impact things.

Jill

[Matt B]

I would think this would be a nice application for a site search, but I think you clearly identified the potential problem with this approach, Jill.

[paulbedford]

the indexing and page-ranking technologies are all open and visible; you can check them yourself if you have a problem with your page's ranking

IMO this could lead to some serious spamming problems. If I have a problem with my "no-use-to-anyone-spam-website" not ranking very well and I have access to the indexing and page-ranking technologies what is to stop me altering my content to manipulate my ranking. Of course if my site is in a competitive field lots of other people will be trying to do the same thing and searchers could end up with the top ranked sites not being the most relevant but those that manipulated the technology the best.

While I'm not saying that this doesn't already happen; to a certain extent we are all making guesses about Google's algo for example. Sure we can often make quite a good guess about factors that influence SERPs, but they are still guesses and if we get to good at manipulating the results Google can change the weight of the various factors that influence them.

The other thing how are they going to attract their searchers. I couldn't build a search engine if I tried, but I'm fairly sure it is easier to build one that it will be to try and get users, especially if they are not offering anything unique.

[Jill]

I guess eventually, all the major search engines will simply have to start listing sites randomly. It sure seems like for competitive keyword phrases they already do this.



Jill

[brendan]

Hello all,

Looking at Nutch from the point of view of somebody making a search (as opposed to a webmaster wanting to be found), I would not use this search engine for the reasons discussed above.

I use Google because I believe that the results I get are the most relevant and haven't been tainted by spammers and sponsors paying for preferential treatment.

Brendan

[Scottie]

Hey brendan!

Welcome to the forum! You make a very good point.

[kmtell]

As a webmaster you know that spammy websites can be a problem. The average searcher probably doesn't know that websites can spam search engines...which is why people might use this. But, really...what would it offer that Google doesn't?

[ResIpsa]

Isn't there a chance that they'll develop an effective method to fight the spammers?