Snap.com

Idealab

[TomWaits]

[eweek.com...]

[amznVibe]

Snap is getting alot of attention now but be careful about their linking policy - it's one of those evil "don't link to us" deals:

Unless a User has a written agreement in effect with us which states otherwise, User may only provide a hyperlink to the Site on another Web site, if you comply with all of the following: (a) the link must be a text-only link clearly marked "snap.com" or "www.snap.com"; (b) the link must "point" to the URL "http://www.snap.com" and not to other pages within the Site; (c) the link, when activated by a User, must display the Site full-screen and not within a "frame" on the linking Web site; and (d) the appearance, position and other aspects of the link must not be such as to damage or dilute the goodwill associated with our name and trademarks or create the false appearance we are associated with or sponsor the linking Web site. Perfect Market reserves the right to revoke its consent to any link at any time in its sole discretion.

[EliteWeb]

Looks interesting and seems from their advertising model that they will have different options.

Site seems to be written in php.

Free URL Submit -
[snap.com...]

Wait did that link violate their policy? Seems their linking policy was in dispute and hopefully changes or already has changed. ;)

[edit_g]

I don't get the 'web popularity', 'satisfaction' etc tabs. Is a high number better, or a low one? It's a bit like having the engine of a car on the passenger seat when it should be under the hood IMO.

I don't think that there's any point whatsoever making search MORE complicated.

[pete_m]

Looks like they've seen sense and changed the linking policy:
[snap.com ]

[xcandyman]

edit_g: Higher is better according to their tour

[edit_g]

Higher is better according to their tour

Cheers xcandyman, but I think the point still stands - I never took a tour to learn how to use Google or Yahoo...

[christopher]

I know that name. The name is SNAP, James Snap.

That's a blast from the....... Are they the snap of old? or is this something else?

I forget who bought them now. Still, it looks nice.

[PatrickDeese]

The problem we see in search is that it takes too long to find what you are looking for

I tried 3 different searches, and all i could see was a "Loading..." screen.

Aren't you supposed to have your site working when you send out press releases?

I have XP SP2, but I tried with Mozilla as well. Just not working for me.

[skibum]

Old Snap turned into NBCi or was it the other way around? Jeez, that was a loooooooong time ago.

[Robert Charlton]

Just not working for me.

It's just kinda slow, Patrick. ;) Go cook dinner or something and it'll load.

My problem is that once it loaded, I couldn't figure out what it was all about. Not exactly an intuitive interface. It's very pretty, though.

[robjones]

I think it looks very busy and unintuitive for a search engine, but the main attraction from all I've read is the way users post-search info is folded into how they rank the sites (web satisfaction).
I suppose it's one logical step up from the way Google does it (only recording info on the search site) but as a user it's a bit disconcerting to know that this info is being used by a search engine.

[sem4u]

It looks kind of useful, but I need more time to test it out properly.

I don't really like the way the results are displayed in a frame like that.

<I think Snap.com folded into NBCI. I once got a site listed in the NBCI directy. That was a long time ago!>

[christopher]

Urrrgggggg yucky yucky and yikes!

There are several flaws in this engine:

I couldn't use my wheel in me mousey to go up or down the actual web page? Oops. This can be done, but you have to click on the narrow white bit at the side. Yuck.

Also it went mad at me. After typing in a search, it takes years to sort out the results, and it sticks on the search results mode thing. So it keeps 'sorting' through the results - it's like it is never ending. The page don't settle down..

Nasty nasty and nasty.

[PatrickDeese]

> It's just kinda slow, Patrick. ;) Go cook dinner or something and it'll load.

Hmm. I typed "my" travel destination SERP in at 10:00 am. I made myself a double espresso mocha latte, drank a large fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and ate a pain au choclat.

After I finished breakfast I was closing extraneous browser windows, and came back to my Snap search window, which frankly I had forgotten about.

10:36 and the results are still loading.

According to Dictionary.com the 7th most common usage is:

To move swiftly and smartly: snap to attention

Unfortunately, definition 3 B seems more applicable at the moment:

To suffer a physical or mental breakdown, especially while under stress

[christopher]

>>>>>>Idealab has a network of technology businesses in various stages of development. Several of our companies that have gone public are currently traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange<<<<<<<

Idealabs are behind Snap! For a company that boasts several other successful businesses, you would think they have enough cash to hire decent designers?

Here's a recent press release:

>>In a Weblog on the site, Snap.com founder Bill Gross said the search engine is designed to save users time. "We think we can cut the time it takes to find what you're really looking for in half," he wrote.<<

Save users time? They are joking right! It's very sad when a company has all this money, yet can't get the basics of a search engine right. I need to lie down, feeling ill over the competition lol.

[robjones]

Any further opinions on Snap? I have to say it's grown on me as I've used it.
The load times are a problem, but I think it's impressive the way they've ported reorder-as-you-type to the Web along with the other refining aspects.

[The_Expert]

I guess if you can stand the loading times it's okay.

But, every time a new engine comes along people always say "Yeah this is great" and then it dies down again.

It's all very well flashing off with their various technology, but if it's slow, then it's just bad. I can't understand what the problem is, I mean they have all this money right? So why don't they fix whatever problems they have.