outland88 - 4:28 am on Feb 23, 2004 (gmt 0)

>Does anybody know the history and relationship between FAST/Inktomi as companies? It seems they have very similar indexes, but with slightly different algo. Did they start together and then diverge, or use the same spiders or draw from the same common index? Are they really just the same company trying to double-dip PFI?

Fast powered Lycos and a few others for years. Fast mainly sold the technology that powered search engines and probably still does. Then All the Web surfaced about 4 years ago as powered by Fast. The Lycos reps at that time would deny they were the same but both had the Fast Logo and similar results. They both were using DMOZ for their directory results, at one time. All the Web still seems to give some priority to DMOZ listings.

I thought All the Web had been bought by AV within the last 6 months but some forum post stated Yahoo purchased them. AV and All the Web both use a similar type submission.

I used to keep track of quite a few. Now if I see a new paid inclusion program I know somebody has bought somebody else. Which in layman’s terms means somebody’s going to be coming around with their hands out.