[Sigia-l] "Web Searches: The Fix Is In"

[Andrea Mercado]

>If you think paid inclusion fixes accuracy and relevance, think again
what categories, taxonomies, and hierarchies are doing. A
paying-criteria or a librarian-criteria, what's the difference? You're
still in bondage and subservient.<

i think the greater problem is that derek is *right*, paid inclusion doesn't mean what we'd like it to mean.  instead, it means anyone, quality or not, with the right amount of money using the right keywords, can be included in an engine database, and in results.  this does dilute accuracy and relevance of search engine results.  it also gives the searcher the impression that the result was included because of the way they searched, so it can be confusing and deceptive to users who don't get the difference.

i think, at this point, it's really a difference of intention and quality.  librarians want patrons to access authoritative links, and if the library can pay for sites that cost money to offer those services to patrons, then they just might.  paying criteria is currently mostly focused on getting the hits, the click-thrus and the money, not really about helping the searcher.

anyway, i'd rather be in bondage to a thinking librarian than a greedy search engine :D.  ah, the fun of capitalism on on the internet...

andrea mercado
lissa president
simmons gslis