A Peek at Personalized Google 260
Seoulstriker writes "Sci-tech Today is describing how Google will be offering customized homepages as seen here. Is this one step closer to Google becoming a web portal like Yahoo? Although it is not currently in Beta, it is only available through the Google Labs site. It definitely doesn't look like Yahoo yet, but I don't want my search site to be any more cluttered than it is now."
Google (Score:5, Funny)
I just hope they don't execute Order 66...
Google-Sucks (Score:2, Funny)
I'm still waiting for my blowjob.
Re:Google (Score:5, Funny)
Google [google.com]
Yahoo [yahoo.com]
yahoo still slower due to URL redirections (Score:2, Informative)
Re:yahoo still slower due to URL redirections (Score:2)
Every search result link contains this 'onmousedown="return rwt(this,4)'. (The 4 is which search result this is). When you click on the link, the Javascript function re-writes the URL to point to '/url?sa=U&start=[$search_index]&url=[$url]&ei=[a bunch of garbage]'.
I am assuming the value for 'ei' relates to me having google save my search history, but I have not been able to confirm it.
So yes, google uses the URL redirect too, they j
Re:Google (Score:2)
Personalization =~ Localization (Score:2, Interesting)
The first thing that jumps into my mind when I hear personalization is Localization. Google must work first on making it truly localized.
Re:Personalization =~ Localization (Score:2)
Re:Google (Score:2)
Re:Google (Score:2)
Which begs the question: "what were the other 65 orders?"
Re:Google (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Google (Score:2)
Like the Krusty doll in that Simpson's episode!
You know it's a dupe when... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:2)
The bitching that follows is natures way of telling us other people spend a hell of a lot more time on here, and that maybe there's hope for some of us yet
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:2)
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:1)
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:1)
Slashdot's using HTML 3.2--you don't expect them to be using CSS, do you? :) It's VLINK that they're using.
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:2)
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:5, Insightful)
Next we'll be having /. stories covering the /. stories about the /. stories about the /. stories...
A good point, though, is that since the rise of Google, most of the other search engines have de-cluttered [altavista.com] their [yahoo.com] search [slashdot.org] pages [ask.com], removing almost everything from them.
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:1)
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:3, Funny)
I don't know, maybe my story wasn't really very relevant. You tell me. Google is tracking which search results you click on now. This is new, right? I don't know whether this is necessarily an invasion of privacy or anything, but it seems to be something they should have been more upfront about.
"Don't be evil" is slowly morphing into "It's OK to be just a litt
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:1)
roasted
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:5, Funny)
Welcome to the World Wide Web.
Let me show you around a bit. Over here we have what we call a "Hyperlink". A hyperlink has a number of features.
Hyperlinks are usually underlined, and usually a different colour to the rest of the text (blue by convention, unless the web site design specifies otherwise)
When you click on a hyperlink, you web browser will take you to the page it references.
If you have already been to that page, the hyperlink will be a different colour to one that refers to a page you have not visited (purple by convention or sometimes red, depending on the browser, unless the web site design specifies otherwise).
This is standard behaviour in all graphical web browsers, and has been since HTML was invented, around about 15 years ago. I appreciate that you probably weren't born then, and so therefore may think this is a new feature, or one limited to Firefox.
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:2, Funny)
Welcome to the World Wide Web.
Let me show you around a bit. Over here we have what we call a "Hyperlink". A hyperlink
Welcome indeed. Nice to see he got a simple explanation instead of rude barbs from some condescending pedant. Oh wait...
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:You know it's a dupe when... (Score:2, Funny)
Do other people find jokes in the parent funnier when the Oh wait.. is left out?
Yes!
Oh, wait...
Cluttered search engine? How about crap editors? (Score:5, Funny)
So.... (Score:5, Interesting)
So don't use the personalized webpage, then? Or personalize it so it's simple?
Re:So.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:So.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Complaining earns you karma and it makes you look smart. I know that's why I do it. Heh.
Re:So.... (Score:2, Funny)
Yeh, it gives you the big penis kinda feeling eh?
So....Grease 'em up. (Score:1, Insightful)
Greasemonkey, anyone?
Re:So.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Or create two bookmarks, one customized and one plain google.
Re:So.... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:So.... (Score:2)
Now one feature that DOES annoy me is Google's click-tracking. If I search something using google, check the top three results and figure out that my search terms are wrong.
So I use some other terms and notice that the three results are the same that I got from the last query after clicking them, because the urls are not he same in google because they track clicks.
I've made a
Re:So.... (Score:2)
So I use some other terms and notice that the three results are the same that I got from the last query after clicking them, because the urls are not he same in google because they track clicks.
From what I can see, it's only the sponsored links that are tracked (by mediafarm?). If they are sponsored links, then surely you want to trac
Re:So.... (Score:2)
Clutter... (Score:4, Informative)
Fortunately, you can edit all of the clutter out of the interface, if you want to.
Re:Clutter... (Score:2)
Better still would be clutter-free by default (as it is now) and you can add clutter to the interface, if you want to.
Re:Clutter... (Score:5, Insightful)
Google.com will remain as standard.
Google.com/ig will result in custom versions.
Its very nice, the custom versions simply occupy the otherwise blank google space below and are customisable enough for most users.
Re:Clutter... (Score:5, Informative)
In fact, I never go to google.com. I use the "Quick Search" feature of Firefox to do all my searches (g [google.com] for google l [google.com] for google/linux img [google.com] google images def [google.com] for google define fm [freshmeat.net] for freshmeat man [ctyme.com] for man pages cpan [cpan.org] for perl modules w [wikipedia.org] for wikipedia and so on..)
There's also a handy extension [pitt.edu] that allows me to select text and open a right-click menu with all those searches for that text.
Greasemonkey oportunity (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Greasemonkey oportunity (Score:2)
Depends. Define "web portal" (Score:5, Interesting)
If by web portal you mean your first stop on the way to doing something useful, then it already is.
serparate from the homepage (Score:5, Insightful)
it's when they stop offering the lightweight search page by default is when it starts to suck.
does anyone even use the front page anymore? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:does anyone even use the front page anymore? (Score:1)
(and using the google bar in IE and Firefox's toolbar search, etc)
Though, I may start to use Google's new page as my homepage since gmail inbox, slashdot and bbc headlines all seem to be customizable options.
Re:does anyone even use the front page anymore? (Score:2)
Try CTRL+K, Search term, Enter.
Its so easy.
Dupe! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Dupe! (Score:3, Funny)
Oh yeah, the Slashdot Editors dupe us on all days and twice on Sundays.
Re:Dupe! (Score:3, Funny)
They found that this was a lot easier than actually reading their own site.
Fixing dupes... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Fixing dupes... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Fixing dupes... (Score:4, Insightful)
We've been doing exactly that for over a year and see where it has gotten us so far?
-Charles
Re:Fixing dupes... (Score:2)
Re:Fixing dupes... (Score:2)
They already are one step closer (Score:2, Funny)
How long until... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:How long until... (Score:1)
Slashdot... (Score:3, Funny)
So far, so good (Score:5, Interesting)
The only thing that they really need to do is add a feature to let you add custom news feeds based on RSS you specify or by creating Google News searches. Good News already lets you add your own categories based on search criteria so My Google needs that too.
Am I the only one... (Score:1)
It's all about choice! (Score:5, Insightful)
And, of course, if I decide I don't like it, I can simply revert back to the simple interface. As long as I can do that, I'm happy.
Anyway, who has time to think about Google when there's Star Wars [illuminatingscience.org] to think about?!
Advertisements (Score:4, Interesting)
But perhaps if I select certain personalised info for my home page, they would have enough information to justify attempting to target ads to me? I actually think it pretty unlikely - it would be an unpopular move, and Google really does no evil. But it must be tempting!
Re:Advertisements (Score:3, Insightful)
How I love thee, Google... (Score:1, Funny)
Can it be true? (Score:2, Interesting)
This seems to be their one and only service that isn't beta. But I don't mind their screwy usage of that term, it all is polished enough for me.
Personalized homepage (Score:2)
Google from strength to strength... (Score:5, Interesting)
I like the fact that Google have not lost sight of their original focus: search. Many of the other web portals, like Yahoo or MSN, have all the graphics heavy customisation on the page and then throw their search box in as an afterthought (although this is becoming less obvious).
Google has just a couple of additions to make in order to produce another winning solution: integrated RSS feeds (as someone has already suggested), international weather information (or international versions of the customised page) and the option to put customised search buttons (like the useful Search Linux and Search Uncle Sam) under the search box. That I would like to see.
As noted in the original story: (Score:5, Informative)
6. Why did you mess up the clean, crisp Google homepage?
We didn't. If you want to keep using the original Google homepage, you can. In fact, we expect that many users will. The personalized homepage is for those users who want to see more of the information that matters to them in the same place. You can always switch back and forth between your personalized homepage and the original Google homepage by clicking "Classic Home" or "Personalized Home."
If you don't like it, don't use it. Google isn't going to make this their default page.
Re:As noted in the original story: (Score:3, Insightful)
Never trust a corporation to keep their promises more than a couple of years at most. Management changes, stockholders make demands, etc.
Re:As noted in the original story: (Score:4, Interesting)
Wow (Score:3, Funny)
1. Unwashed Masses
2. Smarter than average
3. I'm a fucking genius
4. I read
Re:Wow (Score:2)
Re:Wow (Score:2)
Re:Wow (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wow (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Wow (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wow (Score:1)
My prayers have been answered! (Score:2)
It was never about 'the search' anyhow, was it?
Google should help Slashdot with a technology (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Google should help Slashdot with a technology (Score:1)
search.yahoo.com (Score:2, Informative)
Good Idea (Score:2, Insightful)
I definitely like the Google personalized homepage, but I can see how many people wouldn't, and I certainly wouldn't want it to become too cluttered like MSN or Yahoo. I like being able to read Slashdot and Google news headlines and preview my gmail. They definitely are on the right track with this one. However, I think that they should keep the default homepage clean and simple as it is now and offer the personalized page only to those that truly want it. I think that one good feature about google products
The comment on evil (Score:4, Funny)
Not the big blundering stupid kind of evil that microsoft is, but the creepy really really bad kind of evil.
Like the kind of evil in that story 'event horizon' where everyone rips their eyes out.
gmail (Score:3, Insightful)
About Clutter (Score:2, Insightful)
It gets a thumbs-up from me, for sure.
Not for me (Score:2)
Certainly given the building blocks currently on offer, I don't really see a need for it.
I have the Gmail Reminder to prompt me to new mail and give me a single click into it. What's the point in having just a few of your emails on a search engine homepage anyway? I don't ever even go to the Google homepage to perform a search as I do it directly from my address bar.
I can sign up for BBC news alerts or read them in RSS format via an aggregator if I want to. In this day and age of information gathering,
Not quite up to Yahoo! (Score:2, Insightful)
I love My Yahoo! I also love my Gmail. I think this customized Google page is a great start but it's simply not there yet. Yes, the interface is nice simple Google, but I think in this day and age with RSS and broadband, it's a little too simple, boring and frankly not enough features for me. I do like how easy it is to customize though.
It really does feel to me like it's a start, and not ready for primetime. This is what a portal was 5 years ago.
I really do have high hopes for this though. It's Google.
try it before you don't like it (Score:4, Insightful)
I set up my personalized Google home page. I like it a lot. I don't know if I'll keep it because generally I like the uncluttered look of the standard Google Home page. But, take a look, your mileage may vary!
Some of the nice features:
Since this isn't even really Beta yet, I'm guessing (am almost sure) there'll be lots of improvements to this -- and probably most of the improvements address many of the "complaints" posted thus far. (I've found Google to be amazing in their willingness to listen to and respond to and take action on feedback from the consumer community.)
So, before you go ranting about the corruption of what was simple and is now crass, take a look... you may find it useful.
Obvious mistakes by google (Score:2)
If you sign into your account and choose slashdot, and leave the default of 3 stories, it will only show 1. Editing your choice by changing it from 3 to another number and back again will display the correct number of stories.
The same problem exists for google news.
Always two stories there are... (Score:2)
Urggh. (Score:2)
But then again I think the Google logo is overdoing it.
I just hope when they roll it out they keep the "classic" page available for those of us who don't want personalisation.
And rest assured one day all the personal information that Google are collecting (search histories, emails) WILL be put to nefarious ends. The only question is how long will it take for the "bad guys" (tm) to take control.
Redundant? (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm sure for the 90% of the population that use I.E., including the 0.001% of /. readers that use I.E., it is a useful addition, but really, for the kinda guy that will take advantage of this feature, they just won't use it
Re:Redundant? (Score:2)
Looking for something specifically english? www.google.co.uk is your friend.
Re:Holy Shit!!! (Score:1)
Straight from Ars.... (Score:2)
Re:This is just like my.yahoo.com (Score:2)