Searchles : The Multimedia Community Search Engine

Searchles ( pronounced “Circles”) is a complete Social Search engine founded by John Hopkins University graduate Chris Seline. The site is focussed on creation of a social network + search site where the user has control on how much the community can affect the search results.

The engine focuses on letting users leverage other people’s point of view in performing searches. This implies accessing search results from your know contacts or contacts from your contacts.

Collective wisdom has its limits. Tapping into the masses has value – and we allow that – but we also enable users to filter out the static and focus on searching and interacting using content and/or people they trust. New features we’re working on will further advance this concept.

Searchles leverages back end technology from dumbfind.com. The engine leverages social network analysis and also other relevancy analysis algorithms to zero in on search results.

Recently the engine added a feature that lets users mash up videos from sites such as MySpace, YouTube, Google Video, Blip tv or Grouper and create their own channels. Called Searchles TV, the new feature adds a great twist to the concept of social engines.

The site also features highlighting of groups and users that are most active and follows a voting system akin to that of digg and Sphinn.

Searchles does leverage a lot of social features and makes the experience of searching greatly interactive. It is a must try for those seeking to benefit from the advantages of social personalized search.

Do you feel this is what it takes to make social search compete against the likes of Google?