Google recently puchased a technology service called Aadvark which allows members post a question using an instant message or e-mail. Then Aadvark searches through the members facebook friends and friends-of-friends looking for volunteers to perhaps answer the question.
In my opinion this a great way for Google to expand and re-enter the question answering services currently expanding on the web, especially when a social newtworking titan such as Facebook can be utilized. The most important aspect is the networking with facebook and creating competition against sites such as Ask.com and Yahoo answers. A key aspect, like stated in the article, is that Aadvark also searches your friends-of-friends, exponentially increasing the number of people who see your question. As Facebook continues to gain popularity, the options for running into someone who will one know the answer to your question and two be willing to answer it.
Aadvark has the oppurtunity and innovation to vastly improve Google's search engine. They are already a internet giant and this gives them the opputunity to move into the answering service. For example, now a person who would google an aspect of the question, such as top rated restaurants in baltimore, can now simply post the question on Aardvark, owned by Google, by instant message or e-mail and have a real life response from a human being. It cuts out the need to search first. A member can simply receive a direct post. The other key aspect also, once again, is the fact that so many people now own facebook accounts. It increases the possible answers into the tens of thousands for every member. In addition to already having the capability to Google the same type of question if there is no response posted.
The key is the fact that Google now directly owns one of, if not the largest search engine in the world in addition to this new question answering system. If Google can advertise and successfuly market Aadvark, they will have the oppurtunity to compete with Ask.com and Yahoo Answers. This has the possibility to be a great investment for the future. Google will officially expand into the answer service and this new IT innovation can help expand the company. If Aadvark proves successful, it could pave the way for other information systems in the future to improve questions asked over the web. In addition, it will allow Google to spur new technologic advances in other internet oriented fields.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/google-agrees-to-buy-social-search-service/?ref=technology
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Google has proven to be the largest and so far most successfull search engince. Expanding into this answering service with Aardvark will only increase its market share. It is important for Google to continue innovating and expanding itself. They currently are in high competition with the Bing serach engine. Bing has devoted itself to filtering the search results to better respond to the search topic. It is important for Google to remain competitive and Aardvark is a great opportunity to do this.
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