What is AskJeeves search technology?

[gkl]

Hi,
I am studying how different search engines work and what their underlying technology is?
(like do they use a Rule based Reasoning/ Case Based Reasoning/Stemming/etc). I am a newbie as far as Searching algorithms are concerned too. Can anyone help on this?

Regards
GKL

[caine]

Ask Jeeves, actually has several different types of search capabilities.

1. Direct Hit > Popularity technologies, utilised by MSN, DH, and so.
2. Teoma > Machine denoted clustering (communities).

I think a common fallacy of search technologies, is that their are major differences in the maths: as in algos against heuristics this is not so. Its the application of both and the statistical intrepretation, hence weighting applied to all the factors measured. And most importantly what the Factors are, how many off them.

Obviously from here there is a lot that can be worked out, but these are rule of thumb observations, such as page size, site structure, linking strategies, and so. Somewhat akin to the observance of wildlife, you can observe and workout patterns, that the studied follow, but you don't know precisely why!

Thats the way it is with the technologies behind the big SE's including ask jeeves, its the most closely gaurded secret in this game.

Ask Jeeves and the rest will be using RBR which in thousands will create case's, like using machine code, and a compiler.

This post by Brett, the systems operator, is very illustrative of the teoma technologies and how it evolved out of Rutgers Uni, note advanced reading topics at the bottom, in here is some excellant information to read up on teoma hits the ground running [webmasterworld.com]

what you are actually studying (subject,level) ? may be able to find you some other material from the world of AI.

[gkl]

Hi Caine,
Thanks for the detailed and quick reply. I am preparing for presenting a paper in the company I work. The basic premise is to build knowledge management solutions coupled with a work flow architecture. As part of the exercise, I want to look into Knowledge Management. I am trying to learn how models are built, the algorithms/ technologies/ architectures/solutions used for searching.

Regards
GKL

[Brett_Tabke]

Caine gave a great reply there! That is currently our understanding of how AJ/Teoma/DirectHit glues together.

Sounds like you are interested in more general terms of how aggregated databases of diverse topics and data are built?

[tedster]

There's a significant difference between in-house knowledge management systems (or even those that encompass a complete supply chain comprised of many businesses) and what search engines must do.

In corporate knowledge management, people are not intentionally trying to manipulate the system - at least not commonly. But in search engine architecture, it's one of the major challenges.

[msgraph]

There is a WIPO PCT application filed by Ask Jeeve's co-founder David Warthen that you can read up on. It gives an insight into their ask and answer system.

"GRAMMAR TEMPLATE QUERY SYSTEM"

WO 00/57302
PCT/US00/04831

[ipdl.wipo.int...]

(You will have to either register or sign in as a guest to view it. Just do a PCT database search for "Ask Jeeves")

[peterinwa]

Caine's excellent reply was, unfortunately, way over the top of my little brain. I have a specific question maybe someone can help with.

Back when you could submit URLs free, I submitted two and both were listed for a long time. They are both not-for-profit.

One could be found searching for "calories burned." I have been fortunate with it. Just searching for "calories" it comes up #2 at Google and just now after finally getting into their directory it is coming up #1 at Yahoo.

This site fell out of Ask's listings. I thought perhaps because when I moved it their spider may have found a bad URL for a day or two. I felt bad about this because I thought I could only get it back in if I paid.

Suddenly last night it was back again if you searched for "calories burned." Today I can't find it at all. Why would it come back, and then be gone 6 hours later? Any ideas?

The second site which comes up #1 searching for "fat loss" at Google hasn't made it into the Yahoo directory so doesn't show there. But it has always appeared in Ask, though you had to search for "fat loss tips." It was gone last night and is still gone today.

I wondered if it went away because they put back in the calories site and the fat loss site is a subdirectory of the calories site. (?)

Thanks for any ideas you have,

Peter