Web Searches Get Personal

Written by Pat's Papers | Monday, 13 September 2010 8:07 AM

I’d rather know what my friend thinks of a recipe than someone named cheff282. And how do I know that a bad review on Yelp is the result of a bad meal and not just the work of someone with a grudge? The New York Times says big search engines are narrowing their focus, looking for ways to capitalize on the premium people place on friend-delivered advice. “Yakking across the fence” is all the rage, says the Times, especially in a world where a Google search can put what every conceivable person thinks about every conceivable topic at your fingertips in seconds. As one expert puts it: What your friends think and what people like you think is much more relevant than what everybody thinks.

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