A human search engine is a search engine that utilizes human participation to filter the search results and assist users in clarifying their search request. The goal is to provide users with a limited number of relevant results, as opposed to traditional search engines that often return a large number of results that may or may not be relevant. The incorporation of human intelligence into the search process is quite beneficial, particularly when an ambiguous word is used in the search query. For example, searching for information on "apple" with a traditional search engine produces a wide variety of results, from the fruit to The Beatles' record label. In a human search engine, a search for information on "apple" would prompt a human to clarify what type of apple information the user is seeking. Human search engines can help to enhance the results of the search robot en help evaluating internet sources. Examples of human search engines include ChaCha Search and Mahalo.com.
References
- "Human-Powered" Search Engine ChaCha Gets $10 Million. www.dmwmedia.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- Alt Search Engines » Blog Archive » "Search Amigo" wants to be your Search Amigo!. altsearchengines.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- Wikipedia to launch human search engine - Editors Weblog. www.editorsweblog.org. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- MediaPost Publications - New Search Engine FindingDulcinea Relies on Human Judgment - 11/20/2007. publications.mediapost.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
