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show you sponsored links on the top, or to the side. But their basic function is to present the user a list of Web pages to navigate serially.
Our goal is to deliver concise, relevant information in one click. If you're looking for Web pages, use a search engine. If you're looking for rapid, concise explanations and definitions, then try Answers.com. It's a different value proposition. It gives me useful information in fewer clicks. It gives me the information straight. We're not the best place to compare prices of MP3 players, or to look yourself up if you're not in our database, but if you're looking for one of the tens of thousands of famous people, companies, or topics in science and technology, you can get that information from us more quickly.
The Web, for better and for worse, is largely unedited, unfiltered, cluttered, and, if you don't mind my saying so, has some offensive or inappropriate material. That's the nature of the Web and part of its democracy, and that's a good thing. But the average user is just overloaded. Most users are not looking through all the links. They're just hoping that the first few are relevant.
We provide a more edited environment because we've licensed material from known and credited sources. So the user might get a little less overload than from the search engines and will develop a sense of trust in what's presented. This is a big deal for families, students, teachers, and kids, but also anyone who writes.
When you say the goal is to get people information more quickly, Google could say the same thing.
Rosenschein: They couldn't say the same thing. It's a fantastic product which is excellent in locating long lists of relevant Web pages for you to navigate serially. But I'm doing it in one less click. I mean them no disrespect because it's a great product, and they do what they do very well. But their whole approach is to present you a list, and sometimes you don't want that. You want to know who is that, what is that? You just want the information.
What about Microsoft? Their research library in Office 2003 even has your Alt-click system. And now MSN Search is linked with Encarta.
Rosenschein: Again, Encarta is a great product; we're big fans of theirs. But you're accessing these reference sources one at a time. We've taken a hundred dictionaries, encyclopedias and almanacs and put them together on one concise page. Try looking up Steve Jobs or Bill Clinton. We've integrated all the forms of their names. So you
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GuruNet Corp., Answers.com, search engine, Google Inc.
