27 April 2008
basic search engine failure
Why is it that 14 years after search engines took off, and millions of pounds of research later that in 2008 you still can't do something as basic and necessary as typing in your postcode to find out where the nearest chemist is that opens on a Sunday?
Even the NHS don't publish this info online, yet somehow they manage to give it to their contact centre staff. Staff who require to know your name, address and date of birth to answer a query.
How is this data collection justifiable when the information should be freely available online?
You can't search for post offices open on a Sunday either!
Craig
Even the NHS don't publish this info online, yet somehow they manage to give it to their contact centre staff. Staff who require to know your name, address and date of birth to answer a query.
How is this data collection justifiable when the information should be freely available online?
You can't search for post offices open on a Sunday either!
Craig
Labels: Search
12 December 2006
Search for accommodation in London?
When attempting to use the Internet to search for accommodation in London, it seems that despite 10+ years of e-commerce no-one appears to have a usable website to do this basic activity adequately. Perhaps I'm missing something here but I tried the popular sites, I tried various terms on Google, I tried various types of searches but nothing was adequate.
What I was looking for:
1. An en-suite double room in Greater London, ideally within about 5 miles of the City of London.
2. Less than £60 a night, including breakfast. This appears to be too complicated for some sites since some quote you without breakfast and then add it on as a surcharge.
3. Available on the night I want to stay. This is again a problem for some sites that do a cursory search then only check availability when you actually go to book the room only to find there isn't a room available to book. Other sites tell you they will get back to you by email in one business day, which is no use at short notice.
4. Wi-fi access would be a bonus but no-one seems to have invented a way of searching for it yet.
5. A place which has been favourably reviewed would obviously be good as many of the cheaper hotels are reviewed as dirty and substandard. Being able to filter for positively reviewed places rather than getting Fawlty Towers would be great. It would be even better if I could filter out the comments that were in languages I don't speak.
6. Searching by star grading would be a bonus, but isn't essential
7. A check in time of 1pm or earlier is a bonus, but isn't essential
8. Clearly the capability of quoting you an entire price, including any applicable credit card booking fee, is beyond the capability of any website in the year 2006 so I gave up on that one.
9. Being able to look at the matching results and see where they all were on a map is a very big usability bonus.
10. Being able to search for somewhere that has a shower. Saying there are en-suite facilities is not enough as some places are bath only.
Having spent ages wasting my time searching the various sites, the only one that even came remotely close to doing 1-3 and actually had available accommodation within my price range (and it has feature 9 too) was priceline. So there you go. Maybe there is a better search out there that can look for cheap availability but I couldn't find it. If anyone knows of one, please let me know.
I eventually found somewhere that was £40 for a double room including breakfast but some of the reviews are rather mixed so we'll see how it goes. I would have paid a bit more if I could have actually found somewhere suitable.
One positive thing from all of this is it's given me a really great idea for a Web2.0 start-up and no, it isn't an accommodation search.
Craig
What I was looking for:
1. An en-suite double room in Greater London, ideally within about 5 miles of the City of London.
2. Less than £60 a night, including breakfast. This appears to be too complicated for some sites since some quote you without breakfast and then add it on as a surcharge.
3. Available on the night I want to stay. This is again a problem for some sites that do a cursory search then only check availability when you actually go to book the room only to find there isn't a room available to book. Other sites tell you they will get back to you by email in one business day, which is no use at short notice.
4. Wi-fi access would be a bonus but no-one seems to have invented a way of searching for it yet.
5. A place which has been favourably reviewed would obviously be good as many of the cheaper hotels are reviewed as dirty and substandard. Being able to filter for positively reviewed places rather than getting Fawlty Towers would be great. It would be even better if I could filter out the comments that were in languages I don't speak.
6. Searching by star grading would be a bonus, but isn't essential
7. A check in time of 1pm or earlier is a bonus, but isn't essential
8. Clearly the capability of quoting you an entire price, including any applicable credit card booking fee, is beyond the capability of any website in the year 2006 so I gave up on that one.
9. Being able to look at the matching results and see where they all were on a map is a very big usability bonus.
10. Being able to search for somewhere that has a shower. Saying there are en-suite facilities is not enough as some places are bath only.
Having spent ages wasting my time searching the various sites, the only one that even came remotely close to doing 1-3 and actually had available accommodation within my price range (and it has feature 9 too) was priceline. So there you go. Maybe there is a better search out there that can look for cheap availability but I couldn't find it. If anyone knows of one, please let me know.
I eventually found somewhere that was £40 for a double room including breakfast but some of the reviews are rather mixed so we'll see how it goes. I would have paid a bit more if I could have actually found somewhere suitable.
One positive thing from all of this is it's given me a really great idea for a Web2.0 start-up and no, it isn't an accommodation search.
Craig
Labels: Search
28 September 2006
Recommended job search site
As someone currently looking for a job, (anyone hiring for Technical Lead / IT Manager or CTO at the moment?) I have been using a wide variety of job search sites with mixed results. Incase anyone else is in the same situation, the site I have found that consistently returns the most relevant results and has the most flexible search (especially for Scotland) is ScotRecruit, the Scottish branded version of Jobsite who brand themselves as "The original, award-winning UK job search and jobs by email service". I guess my computerised job matching service I thought up in 1989 and got an award for in the Shell Livewire competition and my picture in the local paper doesn't count then? :-)
Seriously folks, there are loads of sites out there. Try this one first.
They have even lead the field and created a very useful page on the age discrimination legislation which is about to come into force in the UK.
Seriously folks, there are loads of sites out there. Try this one first.
They have even lead the field and created a very useful page on the age discrimination legislation which is about to come into force in the UK.
29 April 2006
Scotland Search Engine
The Scotland Search Engine, supplied by Rollyo and compiled by me. This one seems to work quite well, enjoy!
I also tried building a search for UK shopping sites and finding a job with mixed results.
Roll on the semantic web and being able to make more sense of these pages.
I also tried building a search for UK shopping sites and finding a job with mixed results.
Roll on the semantic web and being able to make more sense of these pages.
Labels: Search
08 April 2006
The Anatomy of a Search Engine
The Anatomy of a Search Engine. This is the original paper describing Google, an interesting read for those interested in Internet history. As the article comments "Google is designed to crawl and index the Web efficiently and produce much more satisfying search results than existing systems". I guess they missed out the bit about making its founders fabulously wealthy in the process...
Labels: Search
04 April 2006
Searching for enlightenment
In the beginning there were the pages. Then the next creation came to pass and there were two links and The Creator did link the pages together and saw that the links were not broken and were alone in the net. The links were whole and complete even though they were naked and without style or script to adorn them.
And the web was formless and void, and darkness lay in the minds of the web seekers and the spirit of Godgle was moving over the surface of the net. The sun and the sisko did come together as a mosaic and there was light.
And the trinity of W,W,W said let there be standards, and there were. And thus didst W3 see that the standards were well formed and created a multitude so users may prosper and their work may bear fruit in the garage of eternal riches. In the book of Job, it is written that the apple caused him to be cast out and go to the next place.
The standards separated the webbers from the gophers. And from the mosaic there came the 1st commandment of search, thou shall have indexers. The directories did bring order to the web and the tribe of Yahoers didst flourish. And the gates of the web were opened, people did navigate and explore and the net was excited. It was written by the followers of the ring that there shall be a link for a link.
Then, the sequel begat data and brought the 1st commerce order. There were created places in the valley such as Echo Bay and Amazone where users may practice their trade.
Thus was Web 1.0 created.
And then there came the 2nd commandment of search, thou shall allow robots. The spiders came and swept through the clouds of the net visiting each page and didst make a feast of plenty to the users. From this sorting the users were guided by the AltaVStar which led the way and brought order to the chaos.
Yet there was an exodus of truth and bowing down before the profit of doom and so came a torrent which did cause the curtain of newconomy to crash down, exposing the check of reality so that all could see it. Thus there was weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. And those that the crash and wytookay did passover were blessed for they could see through the hanging windows to the land of reboot.
Then, from the midst of the 2nd search order it was written in the book of numbers that the Godgle came to live amongst the seekers. The Godgle brought order to the chaos that remained. And Godgle said, Let us search our images, desktops and email and let us have dominion over the over all the earth, and over every thing upon the earth that can be searched, and all the things in the heavens that can be searched also. The Godgle didst sent its robots to spread the word, and the weighting of the links would become known as the great ranking. Each site whether ancient or newborn will be routed out and numbered according to its family of links.
And Godgle saw every thing that it had made, and, behold, it was very good. And with Godgle came services and the consumers gained power over content and control over their lot. The users did abbadon the path of propriety and sought the openness of the Deemoz and Wiky for their web and they did adopt the Fox and Bird as their icons. The users praised these and behold, Web 2.0 was created.
And from the Web 2.0 the users did take their produce, mashed it together and went forth to feed the multitude.
Yet the search was still without meaning and the babel of words did confuse the results. In the many languages of the search there was despair. And the power of the Godgle was great and people did praise it yet the openness of the second coming and Web 2.0 had not yet come to pass upon the ways of the search spiders and the open users did question the Godgle and their data that lay within and its mysterious ways that were kept apart from them. Godgle only spoke to the Eagle and the Dragon in these matters.
And so it came to pass that in the search was found the path of open knowledge and the trinity of XML, OWL and RDF headed toward the Ontology that was to be found within and cradled there in a stable environment as it was only a beta.
And behold, in the book of Timothy didst W3 see the creation of the Semantic Web and so the net began to have true meaning. And the methods were open and the users did have power over their content. The users saw that their will could be done by the web.
And after the 2nd search order and web 2.0, thus came the 2nd categorisations. The Esperonto did bring meaning to the web, yet the work was great and the webmasters and their disciples did toil greatly to bring order to the chaos. The holy grail of search 2.0 did remain far from the disciples of open search and seven years of famine before the harvest were foretold.
And so it shall pass that the 2nd robots will come, and this shall be the first great vision of revelation. The users shall be immersed in search 2.0 and converted to the path of openness. The second robots shall heal the broken searches, and every seeker shall praise them. The spirit of openness will be with them and their order and the users shall have power over their form and function. And the users shall not be afraid and they shall have control over their web and its meaning. And thus the power of the users shall cause the Godgle to fork open and within the covenant of open search ontology the Promised Search shall be theirs.
And Godgle so loved the net that it gave its begotten search, that whosoever believeth in it should not be confused, but have everlasting results. And the spirit of the open search said I am in each one of you and ye shall have the power to decide between open search and closed and between a central search with its mysterious ways or the revelation of the truth and to do no evil.
Blessed are those who seek for they shall inherit the net. Thine is the power and the glory.
You don't have to be a prophet to see what's coming. Why not join us? Those who can make order from chaos particularly welcome.
And the web was formless and void, and darkness lay in the minds of the web seekers and the spirit of Godgle was moving over the surface of the net. The sun and the sisko did come together as a mosaic and there was light.
And the trinity of W,W,W said let there be standards, and there were. And thus didst W3 see that the standards were well formed and created a multitude so users may prosper and their work may bear fruit in the garage of eternal riches. In the book of Job, it is written that the apple caused him to be cast out and go to the next place.
The standards separated the webbers from the gophers. And from the mosaic there came the 1st commandment of search, thou shall have indexers. The directories did bring order to the web and the tribe of Yahoers didst flourish. And the gates of the web were opened, people did navigate and explore and the net was excited. It was written by the followers of the ring that there shall be a link for a link.
Then, the sequel begat data and brought the 1st commerce order. There were created places in the valley such as Echo Bay and Amazone where users may practice their trade.
Thus was Web 1.0 created.
And then there came the 2nd commandment of search, thou shall allow robots. The spiders came and swept through the clouds of the net visiting each page and didst make a feast of plenty to the users. From this sorting the users were guided by the AltaVStar which led the way and brought order to the chaos.
Yet there was an exodus of truth and bowing down before the profit of doom and so came a torrent which did cause the curtain of newconomy to crash down, exposing the check of reality so that all could see it. Thus there was weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. And those that the crash and wytookay did passover were blessed for they could see through the hanging windows to the land of reboot.
Then, from the midst of the 2nd search order it was written in the book of numbers that the Godgle came to live amongst the seekers. The Godgle brought order to the chaos that remained. And Godgle said, Let us search our images, desktops and email and let us have dominion over the over all the earth, and over every thing upon the earth that can be searched, and all the things in the heavens that can be searched also. The Godgle didst sent its robots to spread the word, and the weighting of the links would become known as the great ranking. Each site whether ancient or newborn will be routed out and numbered according to its family of links.
And Godgle saw every thing that it had made, and, behold, it was very good. And with Godgle came services and the consumers gained power over content and control over their lot. The users did abbadon the path of propriety and sought the openness of the Deemoz and Wiky for their web and they did adopt the Fox and Bird as their icons. The users praised these and behold, Web 2.0 was created.
And from the Web 2.0 the users did take their produce, mashed it together and went forth to feed the multitude.
Yet the search was still without meaning and the babel of words did confuse the results. In the many languages of the search there was despair. And the power of the Godgle was great and people did praise it yet the openness of the second coming and Web 2.0 had not yet come to pass upon the ways of the search spiders and the open users did question the Godgle and their data that lay within and its mysterious ways that were kept apart from them. Godgle only spoke to the Eagle and the Dragon in these matters.
And so it came to pass that in the search was found the path of open knowledge and the trinity of XML, OWL and RDF headed toward the Ontology that was to be found within and cradled there in a stable environment as it was only a beta.
And behold, in the book of Timothy didst W3 see the creation of the Semantic Web and so the net began to have true meaning. And the methods were open and the users did have power over their content. The users saw that their will could be done by the web.
And after the 2nd search order and web 2.0, thus came the 2nd categorisations. The Esperonto did bring meaning to the web, yet the work was great and the webmasters and their disciples did toil greatly to bring order to the chaos. The holy grail of search 2.0 did remain far from the disciples of open search and seven years of famine before the harvest were foretold.
And so it shall pass that the 2nd robots will come, and this shall be the first great vision of revelation. The users shall be immersed in search 2.0 and converted to the path of openness. The second robots shall heal the broken searches, and every seeker shall praise them. The spirit of openness will be with them and their order and the users shall have power over their form and function. And the users shall not be afraid and they shall have control over their web and its meaning. And thus the power of the users shall cause the Godgle to fork open and within the covenant of open search ontology the Promised Search shall be theirs.
And Godgle so loved the net that it gave its begotten search, that whosoever believeth in it should not be confused, but have everlasting results. And the spirit of the open search said I am in each one of you and ye shall have the power to decide between open search and closed and between a central search with its mysterious ways or the revelation of the truth and to do no evil.
Blessed are those who seek for they shall inherit the net. Thine is the power and the glory.
You don't have to be a prophet to see what's coming. Why not join us? Those who can make order from chaos particularly welcome.
Labels: Search
22 March 2006
A new search for Scottish Accommodation
A new search facility for Scottish Accommodation has now gone live here http://www.visitscotland.com/advanced/
The most comprehensive Scottish accommodation search on the Internet.
The most comprehensive Scottish accommodation search on the Internet.
Labels: Search
12 March 2006
The Definitive Scottish Search
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