Facebook Updates Search Capability: 2 Trillion Posts, 1.5 Billion Searches Per Day

[engine]

Facebook says it has updated its search to now include better search suggestions as you type, search with public posts, and find public conversations.

FB wants to keep you on the site as much as possible, and this updated search is going to help, to an extent, if it works as it is meant.

I tried a few heavy duty searches on there and did find some new things that didn't appear previously, so there's likely to be some new discovery of old pages and messages, but it's got a long way to go before it is a real search service. It wouldn't surprise me if FB made a move into the search space, but whether it will, who knows.

Today’s updates are rolling out now in US English on iPhone, Android and desktop. We’re excited to take another step toward helping you find what matters. Facebook Updates Capability: 2 Trillion Posts, 1.5 Billion Searches Per Day [newsroom.fb.com]

[Robert Charlton]

I've tried Facebook search on and off for perhaps several years now, and it's been immensely disappointing.

It would be good, at least, to be able to find, say, a Friend's discussion that you want to get back to. It strikes me, though, that aspects of the system have been designed for content to evaporate quickly.

I can see, also, that questions of privacy would be constantly interfering with their onsite search. And how would they handle considerations like when you friended somebody and therefore had "permission" to see certain content?