The Little Search Engine That Could

Kirk Gillock

Kirk Gillock

Rebel with a cause
In an attempt to provide an alternative to the for-profit Internet we currently depend on (Google, Yahoo, etc.), Isara has announced plans to build the world's first non-profit search engine (codenamed: ACORN*).

Updated: You can visit a "sample" (only 4+ million pages/urls) of the ACORN search engine at: http://www.isara.org

-pk


* Please no "Are you NUTS" comments or anything about "squirrels". :)
 
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Thanks, rcbrown23. :)


I realize it's not "a better search" or "a better world". But you gotta start somewhere, right?
 
Cool! So making your own search engine.

This may be obvious to people who are more familiar with the inter-web, but what exactly is the advantage over just being a window to Google?

I know there is a good answer since you are like a mad charity genius and stuff, but since your main goal is to turn traffic into charity, might it not be advantageous stick with such a staple search engine?

Looking forward o your part Mother Theresa part Machiavellian answer, as I know you have a plan to take over the virtual world to improve the real one :)
 
The Short Answer:
Because Google is evil.

The Long Answer:
For 18 months Isara was a member of Google's AdSense program (with 100% of revenue going to charity projects). A few months ago Google with-held a huge part of one of our payments. The reason given was "Invalid activity". When we contacted them about specifics (proof) as to why they kept our money, they're automated system responded:

I understand that you may want more information about the invalid activity we found on your account. However, in order to maintain the effectiveness of our monitoring systems, we're unable to provide you with any details about your recent account activity. We appreciate your understanding.
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Two more attempts for "proof" resulted in the same reply. So they kept our money and did not have to give any proof as to why. (Imagine if your job did that.) And Isara is not alone. Google has done this to many of its AdSense members. It is VERY dangerous when a company becomes so BIG that they no longer have accountability. If we all don't change our surfing habits then nothing will stop Google from continuing to scan your e-mails (for relevant ads and to create user profiles), filter searches so that the results benefit them (and their advertisers) and not the end user, and every website becomes dependent on them for revenue (AdSense) and/or traffic (Google search).

Whether it's a dependency on oil or Google, it's a bad thing. If you use Google for search, e-mail, and anything else, I highly suggest diversifying so that all your eggs aren't in one basket.

Yes, I know everyone likes Googles features. But history has proven that dictators are typically very charming.
 
Is Google too powerful?
http://www.precursorblog.com/node/339

An article about Nutch, the open source search engine software used by ACORN. Here's some quotes:

Search engines are as critical to Internet use as any other part of the network infrastructure, but they differ from other components in two important ways. First, their internal workings are secret, unlike, say, the workings of the DNS (domain name system). Second, they hold political and cultural power, as users increasingly rely on them to navigate online content.

When so many rely on services whose internals are closely guarded, the possibilities for honest mistakes, let alone abuse, are worrisome. Further, keeping search-engine algorithms secret means that further advances in the area become less likely. Much relevant research is kept behind corporate walls, and useful methods remain largely unknown.
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One type of nonprofit in particular that we hope to see is a PSE (public search engine), a search site that is as usable as any commercial one, but that operates without advertising or commercial engagement. These engines will help make good on Nutch's promise to make search results more transparent to users. Conversely, they will make for-profit engines easier to spot if they adjust rankings for commercial gain.


A PSE might get its funds through donations from users, corporations, or foundations, just as public broadcasting channels do. It's worth noting that PSEs do not need to process a huge percentage of search queries to be successful. Their existence will help ensure that search users always have a good alternative (one that doesn't exist today).
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I really hope another, larger and better funded, non-profit builds an alternative search engine. But until that happens Isara will keep on crawling and indexing.

 
PK Gillock said:
Whether it's a dependency on oil or Google, it's a bad thing.
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Will Isara have an alternative to oil? :huh: :)

Seriously, I wish you success. Before your explaination here, I thought you were muddying the waters with too many endeavors. I wondered how a charity which started by giving helmets to students was suddenly trying to challenge Google. Especially, since Isara had already partnered with Google.

Now, I'm curious if there is a way to circumvent the auto reply from Google's AdSense and talk with a real person.
 
Actually, one of our upcoming projects is to build a solar-powered vehicle. :) Students from the technical college will help build it.

It's not unusual to have partnerships turn into competition. (Yahoo originally partnered with Google before they pulled the plug on their relationship.) But we don't see Google as competition because what we will be offering is something completely different.

Isara has pulled all the AdSense code from its website. FREEDOM!!!! :)

Although the search box remains until we get Acorn up and running. @#$%!!!! :(

It will take time. Yahoo and Google weren't built in a day. :)
 
Just wanted to let all of you know that, as of today, Isara has launched its non-profit Search Engine at http://www.isara.org .

Take it for a test-drive:
http://search.isara.org/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Chocolate+Rain

http://search.isara.org/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Mikko+Wilson
http://search.isara.org/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Smuggler%27s+Ransom

http://search.isara.org/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Isaac+Brody

http://search.isara.org/search.jsp?lang=en&query=OK+Sports

http://search.isara.org/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Jason+Fox

http://search.isara.org/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Jack+Daniel+Stanley

We're adding millions of pages to the index each week, so let me know if your site isn't listed and we'll crawl it soon. Also, if you don't find what you're looking for, simply click the Google link and you'll be taken to Google's results.

A Thailand ISP donated a Static IP for us to use so when you search you'll actually be accessing the servers here at the ILC. We'll be attaching a domain name to it later. But, for now, let me know if it connects ok or if the searches are slow.

Thanks for everyone's support.


Edit: Fixed the links so they are Zonday safe.
 
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haha, no worries, this one is was my favorite find on the chocolate rain search
Chocolate Rain McDonald's Parody

And since the page flipped, here's your late breaking news again:

PK Gillock said:
Just wanted to let all of you know that, as of today, Isara has launched its non-profit Search Engine at http://www.isara.org .

Take it for a test-drive:
http://202.69.141.20/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Chocolate+Rain

http://202.69.141.20/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Mikko+Wilson

http://202.69.141.20/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Smuggler's+Ransom

http://202.69.141.20/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Isaac+Brody

http://202.69.141.20/search.jsp?lang=en&query=OK+Sports

http://202.69.141.20/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Jason+Fox

http://202.69.141.20/search.jsp?lang=en&query=Jack+Daniel+Stanley

We're adding millions of pages to the index each week, so let me know if your site isn't listed and we'll crawl it soon. Also, if you don't find what you're looking for, simply click the Google link and you'll be taken to Google's results.

A Thailand ISP donated a Static IP for us to use so when you search you'll actually be accessing the servers here at the ILC. We'll be attaching a domain name to it later. But, for now, let me know if it connects ok or if the searches are slow.

Thanks for everyone's support.
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Thanks!


And look at how the markets are reacting to the news. lol :)

1187375753.png
 
That's cool PK... Crawl my page :) Google, huh.... you might possibly try a little website called www.gethuman.com if you want to speak to a real person....

It is a website with phone numbers to various departments of various companies that will actually get you to a real person... It works. at quick glance I saw one for google adwords...

Jason
 
I just sent you a PM with a list of my sites. Crawl 'em all. :thumbsup:

You may consider adding a "add my site" link so that visitors can automatically tell your engine to index them.
 
mikko - That chart also failed to mention that the upward trend starts at the exact same time Chocolate Rain was released. Hmmmmm..... Could our entire economy be at the mercy of Zonday?

Jason - Ramjet will be crawled sometime this weekend. Thanks for the GetHuman link too. That's a great site for people to know about. I'm going to crawl it and post it over at the Isara forum.

Twisted - Got'em! They will be crawled this weekend. Thanks for the advice. I've been working on an "Add Your Site" page but having problems getting a captcha script in place so we don't get hit by spambots submitting thousands of porn sites.

Brandon - Thanks, buddy. :)


Edit: In case some members with websites don't see this topic, we're having a crawler extract every member's site URL (as long as it's listed some where on DVXuser - profile, signature, or posts). So far we've fetched about 1,000 member urls and it's still going.
 
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PK Gillock said:
[...] so we don't get [...] thousands of porn sites.
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Wait a minute! What sort of half-assed search engine is this? :badputer:


PK Gillock said:
Edit: In case some members with websites don't see this topic, we're having a crawler extract every member's site URL (as long as it's listed some where on DVXuser - profile, signature, or posts). So far we've fetched about 1,000 member urls and it's still going.
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PK; you ROCK! That is seriously very cool of you. :thumbsup: :beer:



- Mikko ... wonders if PK can see what we search for. :huh:
 
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