jeremy_goodrich - 2:11 am on Mar 29, 2003 (gmt 0)

Having never once subscribed to any theory about the algorithm that drives Alltheweb, I am convinced, at this point, they never had a cohesive algorithm, unlike say, Google or Teoma, whose algorithmic roots lie in academic papers.

Long have I waited to see somebody post a link to some research or some such...and I've waited without success. Without the fortune of somebody else finding the info.

For all the research, spreadsheets laying around, and what not, I've yet to find one piece of evidence that says otherwise.

Perhaps I'm missing the point?

With all the features being rolled out, it's oh so easy these days to ignore that they don't have an algorithmic, academic base from which they are working.

Or am I wrong? Where's the research, where's the paper, what is the hyperlink for the secret to the beliefs of ordering web pages by user query for the Alltheweb, powered by FAST, search engine?

I've seen blatant spam rise and fall, I've seen incredible pages rise to the top - and there has been no cohesion, no strategy, no long term orientation.

Since the Overture buy out, they have been changing. It now appears a destination site, out fitted with bells and whistles to attract those interested in spam reporting. Or URL info. Great. Doesn't make me want to use it, though.

It's easy to see that, in Teoma for example, there is a method to their madness - it started out as research, and grew from there. It started as an idea out web structure -> and then became an engine.

Google much the same, and Inktomi even now has changed, even though they still stuff in those money links of PFI / PPC / XML pages that are blantant, non labeled ads, the core product has risen above all that to become something truly useful.

In the end, I must say: until Alltheweb / now Oversure gets a clue and reorder the results based upon a rock solid algorithmic base, they will get no further than they are now.

Or, am I missing something?