If Google hadnt taken off

What do you think we'd be using?

[Essex_boy]

Just a thought, how about Google just being an all so ran? You know like Sergey and Brin really didnt like each other when they met, or funding hadnt been granted.

Who would now be the top dog in search engines?

[vincevincevince]

It's hard to tell - the big players from when google started have all changed, and are no longer in a dominant search position. Search has become a service not a site for most.

However, many of the newer search engines are modelled and have benefitted extensively from Google. This means that you can't say we'd be using them - as they probably wouldn't exist.

I think we'd be using something very similar to Google, personally. One big player had to grow, and it had to be something a bit different.

[grandpa]

We would probably be living with a world of portal sites where search is secondary anyway.

Oh wait...

[mcavic]

My guess would be Yahoo, given that they bought Inktomi. But I'd like to see them redesign their engine to be much bigger and better.

[larryhatch]

There are just too many variables, but I'll hazard a guess.
My guess is Yahoo and Altavista would be battling it out with others trailing.

[Debbie_King]

I always use Ask Jeeves (www.ask.co.uk)

[cmatcme]

Anyone of them could have taken off. Ask or maybe A9. A9 may've found another engine to rely on like Ask.
Maybe another engine would've taken off that would've now but didn't because it was put off by Google's international success.

I'd be using ask.com

[sem4u]

Probably would have stayed with Yahoo or Altavista.

[supermanjnk]

I used to use lycos, and yahoo, sometimes MSN. I didn't start using google until after it had been around for about 2 years... I was using msn at the time.

[Essex_boy]

I started using Google around 3 years ago after starting with metacrawler which I liked, until they went PPC only in the results.

Not sure even if they are still around.

[Eterion]

I actually prefered Snap.com, its a long defunct search engine that used to be the speediest SE before Google. I like Snap.com, I won a Palm V from their first sweepstakes. =p.

[tbear]

Too many variables, is right.....
Have the 'average' surfers modified their search habits because of Google?
If so, would they have changed them anyway, if Google hadn't taken off?

Yahoo has always struck me as an organisation that will be around forever. So, I guess they would be 'up there' anyway, but I'm not so sure about Alta Vista.....

[bears5122]

No one mentioning MSN. I think they may have filled that void by default.

[Essex_boy]

Maybe but I have ever really had that many visitors from them and they have only just come into the game with their new search engine.

[sem4u]

I liked using go2net/metacrawler as well.

[MoneyMan]

I believe if G had never existed someone else would have come up with a version of link popularity. This is really what set them apart in the beginning. If there is one thing history has proven is that the collective knowledge of a society continues to grow despite the individual contribution or lack there of.

With that long, wordy, diatribe my vote is that Yahoo would be king.

[Essex_boy]

Metacrawler is still around which surprised me

[saoi_jp]

I always used Hotbot.

[Essex_boy]

Hotbot! Hadnt heard of that on ein a while.