Ask Gneeves? 12
eries writes: "On my way home today, I had a brainstorm that I want to share with the /. community. It's an idea for an open-source Web project similar to the Open Directory Project. The idea would be to provide search functionality similar to that offered by "Ask Jeeves" - users input English-language questions and then get back a list of potential resources that they could use to find the answer. I am currently too busy with other projects (although one of them such as enzyme.sourceforge.net, the engine that backs Catalyst Recruiting has a lot of related code) to really spearhead and maintain this project. I have, however, purchased the domain names that will be necessary to make it work: askgneeves.com (this time the N is silent). Anyone out there interested in working on it? Anyone think it's even a good idea? Is someone already doing this? I think that pretty soon we could have an open-source product that would be useful to 90% of the clueless users out there."
"The problems with Ask Jeeves are two-fold:
- They only have a few paid editors who try and compile the list of questions and answers
- They in general only provide a single link to a question that they already know the answer to. Big companies provide big money to make sure that their resource is listed first/exclusively and these big sites are not always the best sources of information. For instance the questions "Where can I buy an Ethernet cable" should take you to a site like Pricewatch and not to CompUSA in order to get the best deal.
The open source community can solve this problem easily. We allow anyone who wants to to submit question-and-answer pairs, and then we allow end-users to vote (or should we call it moderate?) on which answers are best suited to each question. Thus, the system grows as a result of its users activity, and is not really subject to editorial control. Even less editorial control that Slashdot, believe it or not."
Open source this, open source that (Score:2)
It sounds like a project which could work, perhaps even wind up useful, but where does "open source" fit in? With a normal search engine, this would be instant death as anyone could falsely inflate their rank, though that's not the case with your moderation idea (which would take a lot of design work as well... being open source also makes it easy for people so inclined to detect vulnerabilities, such as how to make yourself more likely to have 20 different moderating accounts, etc)
I don't know that you'd attract enough volunteers to make it a truly comprehensive thing. I've never been terribly impressed with Ask Jeeves, and I think that most people interested in doing such a thing would be better off helping the Open Directory.
However, if someone thinks they can make it work and manages to do so, more power to them.
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Re:Open source this, open source that (Score:2)
The phrase itself is ridiculous, but the meanging is not. The meaning is, "Let's make this a community project, in which anyone and everyone is allowed to contribute, according to a set of rules patterned after Open Source software."
darren
Cthulhu for President! [cthulhu.org]
A natural language parser and an API (Score:2)
Rather than an attempt at a comprehensive "Ask Jeeves" replacement, perhaps a generic version of the software would be more appropriate. A natural language parser, and natural language query engine, with conversion utilties to go from this format to a variety of backends (RDBMS, maybe LDAP, perhaps even a front-end to commercial/popular search engines).
I think the Open Directory Project [dmoz.org] does a ot of what you have mentioned; what is missing is the ability to feed it natural language queries and fully structured sentences.
If the idea for a new database/repository were to go forward, a very important aspect would be making it very easy to contribute. Perhaps an API that can be easily embedded in software (something like CDDB does), with a dedicated protocol, and maybe even dedicated server software to collect the information.
darren
PS Why is the "n" silent?
Cthulhu for President! [cthulhu.org]
Opensource searching (Score:1)
Already here (Score:1)
Chris Hagar
MIT AI Infolab/START project (Score:3)
http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/infolab/ [mit.edu]
The system was built in 1993 and seems to be maintained to a minor extent, with features added and updated, but to get it to the scale required for something like this would require a lot more processor power I'd imagine as well as some serious expansion.
clarifications (Score:2)
Thanks for everyone who's contributed feedback. Now, all we need is someone to maintain the project...
Want to work at Transmeta? MicronPC? Hedgefund.net? AT&T?
Beware getting sued (Score:1)
Re:Open source this, open source that (Score:2)
The Open Source iriduim thing really was lame, BTW
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Why don't you just ask Google? (Score:1)
I don't mean to piss anyone off but I think it doesn't have to be open source, just unbiased and free of any corporate agenda. The open should be a method of keeping you honest and a way to enhance your relationship with your visitors.
my 2 cents.
Citrix
Re:Why don't you just ask Google? (Score:1)
Try it... (Score:1)