Webupon

Let’s face it; Google is still king of search. Millard Brown, founder of Gateway Systems, said it is one of the most powerful brands in the world.

The Google search engine famously features clean and stark, simple layouts. It is backed by algorithmic formulas that monitor human activity. In this way, it mimics the human learning process.

With every search entered by the user, the the upper right hand corner of the screen displays a series of specs. “Results 1-10 of about 33,200 for Stumpedia. (0.10 seconds)”, for example. It’s the search engine’s way of saying, “Hey, look how productive and fast I am!”

Like most avid Google users, I want a productive and fast search engine. The efficiency of Google promises, “More work done in less time.” That sounds pretty good to me.

But here’s the catch:

Google provides plenty of output, for the little input you provide in its search box. Much of it, however, is useless junk. If I’m a student researching “carbon dioxide emissions,” for example, then an article on “space tourism” is going to seem irrelevant. In other words, the promise “more work, less time” does not necessarily hold true.

Now I’m not denouncing Google, by any stretch of the imagination. It’s among the greatest phenomena to grace the early 21st century. Despite its fancy algorithms and clean formatting, however, other search engines out there simply do a better job. They yield more relevant results to users’ searches.

“Why haven’t I heard of them?” you ask. Well, that’s simple. Google covers more services and does impressively well in all of them. That doesn’t mean it’s the best in any single one.

For anyone who has bought a musical instrument, the same principle can be applied. You can choose, for example, between Walmart or a specialty shop. True, Walmart sells everything. Besides purchasing a guitar there, you can even get your grocery and clothes shopping done in one fell swoop. So really the issue is convenience and price vs. quality. Do you really want an instrument from Walmart? After all, other places sell higher quality axes. Moreover, they provide a more customer-friendly, personalized experience.

In terms of search engines, most are free services. So, price really isn’t the issue here. The question is:

Is it worth the effort to switch loyalties from Google to a search engine that is potentially more powerful and efficient?

In the rest of this article, we will discuss and try to discover the answer.

Craving something new, I’d been pouring through the contents of Google in search of better search engines. Ironic, I thought to myself. This was getting me nowhere. Yahoo, Ask, Dogpile, and Snap.com—all old news to me. They were essentially Google search engine knockoffs. However, they failed in their tacky html and php formatting. At least Google looked good while being emotionally detached from me, the user.

Suddenly, I come across an article on digg.com. It says, “Stumpedia: The Way Search Should Be.” This looks promising. I click on the hyperlink.

Stumpedia.com is the “human powered search engine.” It’s a throwback to the good old days—before Google and Walmart became titans of their respective industries. Stumpedia’s homepage looks clean and simple too, but doesn’t reek of the same industrial prowess and detachment.

It relies on human interaction, and this interests me. Stumpedia looks like a cool fusion between your average search engine and Facebook. Simple and genius. New search engines crop up all the time. The unique, social aspect of Stumpedia might give it the edge to succeed. I definitely hope so, because I’ve had it up to here with Google. It’s overused and overrated, in my opinion. Plus, who doesn’t like rooting for the underdog?

Stumpedia needs your help too, because it’s a great idea just getting on its feet. Feel free to use it, suggest links and join the online growing community. Give a thumbs up, or even a thumbs down. Your opinions are valued, and contribute to enhanced experience of current and future users. Stumpedia is, above all, a social experiment in the way we search for information in the Age of Information. Seriously, the possibilities are endless.