Enter The Dragon (I Mean Worm) - Grub Worm that is...

Any Truth to the Rumor Looksmart is Dropping Inktomi?

[martinibuster]

I saw a rumor on a search engine site that LS is dropping it's deal with Ink for providing backfill, and will be backfilling it's results with Wisenut, which in turn gets its some of its data from the grub client.

I couldn't however corroborate this with any press release. Anybody else hear anything?

If this is true, then the grub client would look mighty interesting in terms of a backdoor into MSN results...

[Fischerlaender]

I just did a search on Looksmart and they _are_ using Wisenut data.

Is this new? Cause LS and Wisenut isn't important here in europe at all I did not follow their actions.

[claus]

I asked a related question around june 19 it seems (in the SE ID forum): [webmasterworld.com...]

Zyborg, Grub, and Zealbot all crawling simultaneously.

Now it seems that Wisenut IS using Grub data and LS IS using Wisenut data, so the chain is completed one might think. Still, all three bots are active (my ban on grub was removed shortly after, as i decided to observe it in stead). And regarding MSN, their new bot's there too.

I don't know about the rumors, but they do seem rather confused as to their choice of spiders.

/claus

[sidyadav]

What a chain! It looks like both LS and Wisenut will be using Grub's data. Though first when Grub came out, I thought this is going to be a pretty good search engine , but who can beat Google?

[Fischerlaender]

To drop Ink is a logical step for Looksmart, especially since Yahoo bought Inktomi. LS doesn't want to pay to their direct competitor in the portal business.

[martinibuster]

To drop Ink is a logical step for Looksmart...

The sticking point is that Ink and LS signed a multi-year agreement this past June to continue backfilling each other. The big unknown is an "escape clause" exists that will enable the separation.

At the recent SES it was announced that Wisenut was currently doing a big crawl with an eye for an October refresh. (The last time they attempted this was in March, when presumably they were in negotiations with Ink)

If LS is going to backfill with Wisenut, then presumably now may be the time to take a second look at Grub?...