Metrobot? I don't get it.

SearchEngineWatch calls it most useful, but why?

[Perstamit]

In today's search day, searchenginewatch calls Metrobot (www.metrobot.com) "...the most useful specialized search services I've seen in a long while." I don't get it. Why would I want to know who's next door? If I'm looking for a mexican restaurant, what's it matter if there's a payless shoe store across the street? I agree it's neat technology and a fresh way of looking at things, but to say it's the "most useful" seems a stretch. Someone help me out. Do you think this is a better way to search?

[windharp]

I could think of a lot of times I would have found that usefull.

Imagine going on vacation (or for a training, a visit to a far away friend, ...) - You could find things to do near your hotel / the friends house / the company you are staying at.

Or from the business point of view: If you are in real estate, that could be helpfull, too. Showing off with all the superb companies that are near the place you want to sell. (*cough*, *cough*)

I agree, that most of normal queries are better satisfied with other mothods, but since there was nothing like this before and the number of new search technologies has a bit decreased since Google...

[werty]

I thought it was kind of cool how you can travel down the streets like you are walking.

I "walked" from my house to work in about 40 clicks.

Also we are moving offices so it was nice to check out what restaurants were around the new location.

The nicest thing is that you can just enter a location and it will show you ALL of the business around there, if i was using the yellow pages I would have to choose what I was looking for, do a search then go back for each type of business I am seeking.

[flicker]

I may just be directionally challenged, but if I'm trying to get to a location, I have a much easier time finding it if I know it's across the street from the Dairy Queen than if I just know its street address. (-:

[Perstamit]

OK, I'll buy the theory that if you don't know what it is you're looking for, ie. what's around my hotel, that this is a useful tool. I also agree with the usefulness of having a landmark to look for when you're trying to find a place of business. But, when comparing this to say the Yellow Pages or a local search product like labs.google.com/location, the product falls short when I'm looking for a plumber, florist, attorney, or pediatrician.

[choster]

[oops]

[edited by: choster at 2:32 pm (utc) on Jan. 16, 2004]

[choster]

Your mileage may vary(tm).

[bakedjake]

Uh, this is slick as hell.

I love this thing. Imagine going to a hotel in a foriegn city (or country!), and looking for local restaurants and businesses around the hotel.

This is awesome. I love it. Can't wait until they expand the base. It's the coolest thing I've seen in search in a couple of years.

[jimbeetle]

Ain't bad. Good concept. Database does need beefing up and the folks there will have to decide the break between too much and too little, what the target users' are going to expect to find.

But I do think this is a case where a side scroll is not only perfectly acceptable, but necessary so people like me don't get too disoriented. If I'm traveling north on Broadway and hang a right on Fulton Street I'd much rather have it displayed horizontally (west > east, left > right).

Looks like a good start.

[bakedjake]

I'd much rather have it displayed horizontally

100% agree (as I play with this and walk the streets of Chicago)

[werty]

But I do think this is a case where a side scroll is not only perfectly acceptable, but necessary so people like me don't get too disoriented. If I'm traveling north on Broadway and hang a right on Fulton Street I'd much rather have it displayed horizontally (west > east, left > right).

I completely agree, In Chicago it is not that bad because we are based on a pretty simple number grid, in a foreign city it would be really confusing.

One other nice little feature would be to show a map of the city as your location changes...just so you can get an idea of where you are going.

[bakedjake]

I think to initially understand the cool idea behind this engine, you have to have:

a) A purpose (I want to find a drugstore in New York next to my hotel, and I have an exact address)
-or-
b) A familiarity with one of the cities on the list, so you can "walk" the city just to play around

The "locate a user" function is awesome, and lends itself to incredible personalization options. This thing is wicked cool.