[Search-l] Crazy idea for how this could work

[John McCormac]

Jordi wrote:
> 
> I guess that most mini-articles will include a link to the wikipedia 
> equivalent.
> But both concepts mix gracefully together, mini-articles are not a 
> replacement.
> 
> About the spamming. You can have the same worries about Wikipedia. It 
> has not become a spamming place as well as wikia won't become one.

So far, the demo index is a spamfest. While I realise that it is only a proof of concept index, my 
opinion is that it was put together by people who really don't understand how to build a good index. 
Wikia is repeating the same mistakes as all those others who stick up a copy of Nutch and use Dmoz 
as the seed to build an index. All too frequently, these wannabe search engines go bang within 
eighteen months or so. Unlike these wannabes, Wikia Search is funded and has access to people with 
some search engine expertise (I think).

The Search Engine business has a history of algorithms being gamed for profit. With Altavista and 
that generation of SEs, it was keyword stuffing in the metadata and white on white text. When Google 
arrived, and people understood the value of links, the linkswamps appeared. Now it is drop catchers 
and domain tasters who recycle dropped domains and websites in the hope that the search engines will 
not notice that the sites have changed hands and will therefore maintain the site's rankings and 
position in the search engine results.

Can Wikia Search be saved? Probably. But it will take a lot of hard work and serious expertise 
beyond what it is using at the moment. High minded ideals and throwing shapes in the air is all very 
good for the click and drool technology journalists. The hard part is getting down in the mud of the 
web and doing the hard work.

Regards...jmcc
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