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by Jonathan Crossland.
Original Post: The search is on
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I have been learning alot of general perceptions with regards to searches. The people I have spoken to, the general assumptions people make.
As an example, I have been told the search wont work. Its just a directory, there are many of those.
We can use google, why yours?
Well, over the last month, I have had a lot of hits, a lot of interest and a lot of good feedback.
The search is located at www.iowsearch.co.uk and I am the first to admit, that technically it may not be a contender for anything.
However, it seems to have started making a place for itself.(Its really too soon to really tell, but feedback is getting better and better).
I have made a few observations.
The
Isle of Wight is unique in that a site such as www.iowsearch.co.uk actually works well.
On our small island the larger websites succeed on search engines like google, but the medium to small sites are so insignificant to the international or country picture.
The fact that I have received good emails and loads of community interest thus far, proves that an extremely small selection of sites and their content can be valuable, if local.
Google, I imagine will be expanding their local search soon enough to cover US and other major countries and/or cities. I am not sure about google, but the trend for search engines have to go local.
Its inevitable that localization takes place, after all what good is getting results in German, if you get english sites.
Also, the fact that the Isle of Wight websites have domains like .co.uk, .com, .org.uk, .org, .ltd.uk, .eu.com etc, means that it is not entirely possible to categorize merely by domain.
Example, if you search for my site on google.com and then on google.co.uk, you will notice, I do not even appear in the uk, even though, I am in the UK, based in UK, and almost entirely concerned with the UK.
Why should I have a .co.uk just to appear in the UK search? because its a categorization that makes sense perhaps to data storage and categorization, but not to common sense and real life.
The IOWSearch aims to at least provide the IOW residents the opportunity to add their site to a search dedicated to their area.
Another direction taken by search engines have been, vertical (approaching an industry or category).
However, once again, without localization, one can neglect to find the small company across the street, but find the large one in another country.
On the IOW (and in most regions), it is just as imperative for business to find and work together locally, as it is with foreign trade.
The island is one of those spots, where it is often neglected for most of the year, until it gets its week or two in the spotlight.
The rest of the year, it has to fend for itself.
Another insight into doing this, has been the lack of understanding amongst many, between a directory and the search.
When confusing the two, it may not make sense, as there are many directories all over (and per region).
The main fundamental difference to me, is the information value.
On a directory, you often have a name, description, categorization. In others, website address, telephone numbers etc
You can't search for a person, or an activity, or a report, pieces of information, ie you cant do research.
Why do people use directories? - to find the details of a company or person.
Why do people use searches? - to do research on companies, people, products etc.
And as the past and current situation suggests they both have their place.
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