The weakness of A9 -and Google

Well Amazon has released it's search engine. It's called A9 and is, basically, Google with soothing colors.

I don't mean to put it down completely, but you have to ask the question: "What's the point?"

Take a look at it and judge for yourself. Try any search in Google. Try the same search in A9. What are the results? Exactly the same. A9 even has a toolbar available that blocks pop-ups, provides a history, and --wait a minute, just think Google toolbar and you'll have the idea.

While we're comparing apples to apples, try this: search on "blogging tips" and see what gem both engines put as #1. It's a lame BlogSpot blog with one entry that was posted last August. The blog site is called "blogging tips" --duh.

It says nothing. It provides nothing. Google gives it a ranking of 6.

I'll go further. It's a flat-out plagiarism of the same "blogging tips" that appears everywhere. Yet Google (and A9) think this single blog that contains no content whatsoever is "very important"?

Oh brother. I don't know why I ever pay any attention whatsoever to what Google thinks about anything. The A9 "me-too" just makes it more evident that Google needs to spend some time re-thinking whether it is a search engine or an ad platform.

Have some more fun with Blogging Tips. Take the first couple of lines from Tip #1 ("Choose an updating tool that is easy to use. Try out several services.") from this number 1 rated site and Google it. What comes up number 1? This does: Blogger Forum