steveb - 1:50 am on Jan 11, 2003 (gmt 0)

"So, if anybody wants to beat Google, I suggest they get a bigger index first."

Exactly the opposite. Big indexes not only aren't a priority, they are an anti-priority for a search engine that wants to compete with Google. Fast is a good example, lots of results, low relevance. *Relevance* is what sets Google apart. For most (but not all) queries it manages to put up a ssolid set of results. This isn't close to true for any other big index engines. It often is for specialty engines though. Finding an extra million websites is of zero value if you don't know what to do with them.

Search results are like food. Most people like good food, not piles and piles of mediocre or bad food. (And if food is bad, bigger portions aren't the answer.)