Microsoft / MSN Search Hires Top Yahoo Search Guy
CNet: Microsoft plucks top Yahoo Search exec Gary Flake
More on Gary Flake on this thread at Search Engine Watch:
Dr. Gary Flake is Principal Scientist & Head of Yahoo! Research Labs. In part one of this wide-ranging interview, he talked about the daily work of researchers at Yahoo Labs, and what they’re doing to make search better. In part two, he talked about the challenges of indexing various types of information, and Yahoo’s efforts at realizing a current hot trend — personalized search. In this final installment, he touches on a wide range of other search related topics.
Do you see a time when Yahoo will be able to deliver an answer on a results page. For example, instead of just giving links to sites about the Prime Minister of France, you get an answer with key facts, directory info, and links to articles? You’ve started something close to this with Yahoo shortcuts but they usually involve a second or third click? Will Yahoo eventually become an answer engine?
Yahoo! shortcuts have been growing and improving at a healthy pace. I think if you try some today, you’ll see that we give many answers right on the results page (e.g., weather, flight and tracking information, word definitions, etc.). Shortcuts work best when there is an unambiguously correct answer to a query. Many queries have no clearly perfect result, or may be ambiguously formed. As we improve the technology, we’ll get better at answering more things with fewer clicks or query refinements.
(via webmaster world)
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