Google desktop search or ... "Where are my subjects?"


I installed Google desktop search (beta) last week. I have mixed feelings about it.

I really like concept of desktop and Internet search integration. What I do not like is that I cannot organize search results around subjects and subject categories. So now in addition to all those links on Internet I also have thousands links from my hard drive and web pages cache.

I can just repeat my comments and recommendations from
Apple's Spotlight, What do we search for and ... Topic Maps and Smart search, blinkx and ... Topic Maps

with probably one addition.

In short term it can help if Google desktop search can allow users to define virtual folders/categories. When users define virtual folder/category they can specify which URI patterns should go to this folder. Folder rules also can use metadata. So, for example, if I trust Wikipedia as a source of my "subject - centric " pages, I can specify that pages from Wikipedia under specific category should go to specific virtual folder in my desktop search. Same is true for "local subjects". I can run desktop Wiki (and/or topic map engine) and use it to manage my own subjects and produce local subject centric pages. Now, if I have virtual folders/categories defined and I type keywords in a search text field, I should get search results organized by virtual folders.

Posted: Tue - October 19, 2004 at 07:33 PM      

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