Comments on: Google Dice “Queryless Search” Answer to StumbleUpon Popularity

By: SeanIM

SeanIM — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 23:56:00 +0000

Ebay once again displays it’s understanding that buying a currently feverish fan-base is a great way to acquire large sections of ’space’ effectively rather than building from it’s current brand. Example – paypal versus google checkout

By: Rhea Drysdale

Rhea Drysdale — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:51:23 +0000

Nice video cast, lol… I wonder where that technology came from.

As for Google Dice, I think it is almost as crappy as Andrew Dice Clay.

Stumble Upon works because users care about the sites they submit (usually) and write reviews or give thumbs up accordingly. This is one area where I really don’t think a formula can replace the users. Until SU falls prey to SEOs and marketers posting endless crap I’m sticking with it. As for Google, I’m sure they’ll be more mainstream because there are significantly more people with its toolbar, but I doubt it will have a dedicated following like SU. I would argue that the average user might play with it once or twice, but it will then float into the oblivion of failed Google projects. People that want this kind of feature have already embraced SU and will stick with it because we can build profiles, interact with the sites and each other.

Just my .02.

By: Loren Baker, Editor

Loren Baker, Editor — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:54:27 +0000

Everett, exactly. Google search serves and tracks personalized information by default, so if you use Google, they know what you like.

If anything, the Google Dice are a glimpse into what Google knows about its users.

According to my experiences, they know where I live and what I do for a living. Although the amount of linkfarm sites they suggest is a bit disturbing.

StumbleUpon however is better at identifying user hobbies based upon its network and the categorization of sites submitted to it.

That’s the old user generated data vs. robots and tracked data approach.

If Google can suggest more relevant sites than StumbleUpon based upon its tracking technology (search behavior and sites visited), goes to show that the computer may know more about us than we do… especially since this info has been compiled starting with the first times we use Google :)

By: Everett

Everett — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:43:02 +0000

I checked out adding the suggestions tab to the customized search history page and so far it hasn’t populated with any data. I’ll check again later today after running some searches. But really, I always sign myself out lest I get excited for a moment about a personalized result without realizing I’m signed in.

The toolbar thing will probably work for them just because they’re Google. I agree with Ken that SU has a loyal following, but then again… how many people around the world have that damn Google toolbar installed?

By: Durk Price

Durk Price — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:15:32 +0000

Great post, had not heard this one. Thanks Loren

By: Ken Savage

Ken Savage — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:52:34 +0000

I’ll still give it to SU as their community is rock solid forlike 3 years now. Google just threw theirs up on their existing toolbar.

The casual user isn’t going to know about this unless they read SEJ daily, right?