It's difficult, if not impossible to run a few or more searches and say a search database (especially a general purpose one is the best) in all situations. Not only does each search engine have its own algorithm but there are numerous variables that can come into play like experience of the searcher, number of search terms used, advanced sytax, etc.
Last night we ran several web searches (we were trying to find an article) and received better results from Bing than we did from Google. However, more searching will undoubtedly take place and it's very possible that Google will provide better results than Bing. This is why it's not a bad idea to use more than one search engine making sure each one has a unique database. In other words, while AltaVista and AllTheWeb are still on the web they utilize the same database that Yahoo uses. This is also why learning about and using specialty search tools is worth some of you're already busy time. Knowing that they exist before running a search on a general engine (to find them) can save you lots of time and add plenty of value. In other words, building your own virtual reference shelf.
When reading the conclusion of an otherwise positive Bing overview, Leslie Meredith, the author of the review, says to use Google for "research" and Bing for, "images, videos, shopping, travel and gossip." Overall, that's good stuff for Bing. However, it's the use Google for "research" that gets to us. How about if you're looking for images, videos, etc. Isn't that research too? In your opinion, what's wrong with Bing, we will call it "research search."
OK, enough of that. Here's quick look at what the review has to say about Bing.
+ Positive about the new image found each day on the home page and placing your cursor at different places on the image provides background.
+ Image searching: Positive comments about the continuous scroll and the tools to focus your search.
+ Video Search: Also positive mentions how you can place your cursor on a static video image and immediately a 30 second sample is played (with audio) without having to depart the search results page.
+ Finally positive comments about shopping search (cashback program) and travel search (fare predictor).
Unfortunately, there is no mention of Bing Maps and of it's useful imagery. The the "Bird's Eye" view will let someone giving a speech receive and ooh and ahh from the audience. (-: We mentioned it and shared a few examples in this post from yesterday.
A family of resources to help information workers be more effective, raise the value of information in their organisations and contribute to success. Read more »
Recently I have found myself cooing over visualisation maps (and heat maps) of health and well being resources. The content rich data is overlayed with mapping technologies, and some interesting themes and patterns are emerging.
A lot of the talk around social media in the last year has been around information overload. Social media has provided us with new and exciting ways to create content. But it has also meant learning new ways to manage and engage with social media tools. Are we teetering on the edge of an information overload precipice?
Information overload is a figment of your imagination. Or a failure of your filter. Or a symptom of your technological submissiveness. Depends on who you ask.
What if you had to sort through 3.5 million articles and social media posts a day and try to pull out the most relevant items for your organisation? What if you then had to cobble it all together into something readable for your top groups and executives in your organisation?
Alacra Compliance saves time by aggregating information from both free and fee-based sources and enabling users to conduct an accurate federated search across these sources (coined “simultaneous search” by Alacra).
FreePint Family
Quilting big data threads
The fallacy of information overload
Information overload: fact, fantasy or filter failure? 
