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One Non-Profit Should Index the Internet

It would make things faster for everyone

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 25, 2009 3:25 PM CST

(Newser) – The Internet would be faster for everyone if a single, non-profit entity maintained a search index, writes Tom Foremski. Privately owned search engines use enormous resources to build their proprietary indexes, and sites use tons of bandwidth to answer their queries. On Foremski's Silicon Valley Watcher, for example, search robots/spiders accounted for 45% of the bandwidth.

Google, Bing, and the others could still offer unique value because their results reflect the sophistication of their rankings and analysis. Google's founders supported the idea of an indexing non-profit in their Stanford days. Larry Page "was very adamant about search engines not being owned by commercial entities," recalls Andrei Broder, the founder of Altavista. "He said it should all be done by a nonprofit. I guess Larry has changed his mind about that."

This 2008 file photo shows Google co-founders Sergey Brin, left, and Larry Page.
This 2008 file photo shows Google co-founders Sergey Brin, left, and Larry Page.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
Having a single search engine would speed up the Internet.
Having a single search engine would speed up the Internet.   (Shutter Stock)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 9 comments
MrBisme
Nov 27, 2009 1:20 AM CST
This is a bad plan for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that it never drives the controlling entity to improve its indexing. Monopolies are never good for anyone except the controlling interest.
Snowleopard
Nov 25, 2009 11:11 AM CST
why have you got to make everything political DLY? do you really only see the world through that lens?
Snowleopard
Nov 25, 2009 11:10 AM CST
This article is retarded. Indexing the entire internet is one of the most technically challenging things possible. Google is doing a great job, has spent a ton of money on infrastructure/server-farms to do the job, and provides the service for free. There's no way a non-profit would ever get the revenue to come close to the service google provides.

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