• On BNET: 3 worst things about the iPhone 3G S
June 4, 2007 10:22 AM PDT

Sproose does social search, bookmarking

by Josh Lowensohn

Sproose is a relatively young search engine that now allows its users to control search results via voting. Each search result gets its own vote count and the option to click "I like it," which brings the result up to the top of the heap. The obvious comparison here is Digg.

Sproose searches through videos, using Blinkx, although these results cannot be re-ordered or voted on. Users can also opt-in to have their votes recorded on their profiles for others to see and vote on. All results get their own comment area, where users can talk--although I doubt many will want to write about a search result.

One of the more interesting inclusions in Sproose is its tag cloud, where users can browse for sites via tags. This is kind of an interesting form of Web discovery service, although it's lacking a clear way to add tags to sites yourself.

The obvious concern with sites like these is gaming results. Sproose deters some of this by removing votes from unregistered users after a limited time and requiring registration, although savvy spammers can usually find a way to circumvent whatever verification processes exist. Sproose's results are only as good as its users, and if security fails, so does the site.

See also: aftervote

Search results can be voted and commented on by users. The results with the highest vote counts go on top.

(Credit: CNET Networks)
Josh Lowensohn is an associate editor for Webware.com, CNET's blog about cool and otherwise useful Web applications and services. If you've found a site you'd like profiled, shoot him an e-mail. E-mail Josh.
Recent posts from Webware
Firefox 3.5 and the potential of Web typography
Sites that help you lodge complaints
Google App Engine misfires
Microsoft: Bing needs to improve when news breaks
Google finally sued by makers of Finally Fast
Google Toolbar for IE speaks your language
Bing brings out the tweets
Google Search optimized for a mess of phones
advertisement

About Webware

Say No to boxed software! The future of applications is online delivery and access. Software is passé. Webware is the new way to get things done.

Add this feed to your online news reader

Webware topics

Making sense of Windows 7 upgrades

faq The basics and the fine print on Microsoft's options for those eyeing the next operating system from Redmond.
• Full Windows 7 coverage

Road Trip 2009: Big Sky Country

CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman takes his car full of gadgets to the Rockies and the Great Plains in search of tech, science, nature, and more.
• America's Fortress: Cheyenne Mountain

advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right