Google killer! Google killer! Not?
A few ex-Google employees have set up their own search engine named “Cuil” (pronounced, “Cool”). They claim, as of this posting, to have indexed 121 billion web pages. About 3 years ago, Google had claimed only 8 billion.
Google’s own indexing algorithm has been very popular with the masses over the last several years, it ranks pages based on their interconnectedness and adjacency, or at least that is what I’ve come to believe. Cuil apparently uses a method that delves more deeply into the actual content of the page. In other words, nobody really knows the inner workings of the search algorithms, besides the creators themselves.
Cuil is also one of the first search services I have used that spices up the results page. Instead of a vertical link stack, it makes use of horizontal space and relevant images. This makes sense, as monitors become more and more widescreen. It also looks pretty slick.
Also, unlike Google and most of the other search engines (besides maybe Ask.com), Cuil states they will not ever record user searches. For those people very serious about privacy, this could give Cuil an edge. Honestly, I could care less, I don’t mind that Google gives me a few ads targeted at my interests. I’d much rather see good deals on computer processors than hear about a Victoria Secret blowout sale. Or would I?
Go ahead and try it out at www.cuil.com. Come back and tell me what you think.