Cuil Maps Results with Maplines
Admit it, you vaguely remember that a new, “better-than-Google” search engine debuted last summer called Cuil (pronounced “cool”). Like me, you probably never tested it. I let the search engine folks look at it and they all said, “meh,” so I never looked at it.
Today, though, I did look at it. Why? Because it has introduced Maplines (Cuil blog intro), a mapping of results that it’s trying (not too successfully) to link to timelines. Cuil already had timelines.
I queried on “cuil” (hey why not?) and in addition to a list of results got a (MapQuest!) map with several pins located in Ireland. The text under the map said, “On this map: Loch Linnhe, Carro wmore, Bay at the Back of the Ocean, Carro wkeel Megal ithic Cemetery, County Sligo, Coolkenno.” Each location in the list was linked and a quick mouse over each had a description of how the place related to a region of Ireland called Cuil. Clicking on the title “Mapline for Cuil” provides a larger pop-up map. A search on “kite boston” did not popup a Mapline. One for kite did, but like “cuil” just noted locations where the term “kite” as in a person’s name or a region’s name appear. The map still centered on Ireland though there were hits all over the map. One nice feature: instead of mapping all results (default) selected a subset tab on the search result page updates the map (for say “kite flying”).
My experience aside, it’s great search engines are realizing the importance of space and time in search and are trying out ways to integrate them in results.
