New Search Engine Goes Gunning for Google.
There is another contender in the “we can beat Google” line up. Cuil is the name, and it’s pronounced ‘cool’ or maybe ‘coo-il’ (2 syllables). Claiming to be bigger than Google, and saying that they have some nifty new methods for digging deeper into recovered pages to provide more information, Cuil people have certainly staked out some big territory. The founders are ex-Google employees who left the Mother Church for various reasons, so they have a more than ordinary acquaintance with what goes on inside. I’m all for competition, and I think the newcomers should have their shot. But, judging from some of the comments on library discussion lists, the advantages of Cuil are not obvious and the company has some tweaking to do. Cuil also displays its results in a different fashion, and that novelty may be worth something to somebody. The desert floor is littered with the bones of Google wannabees, so it’s better not to excite oneself needlessly, and just await the outcome.
