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jonny.milano
September 17th, 2009, 06:49 PM
Hi there,

I am relatively new to ubuntu and open source software, I have been using Ubuntu for over a year now and I must say I am so happy with it. There is one question that I would like to pose to the open source community:

Does a non-paid, open source, well used search engine exist out there? The other day, I realized that through Google AdWords one could buy clicks (rankings) to their website. Is there an alternative out there the is truly a search engine that doesn't allow the purchase of clicks? One that effectively lists popular results without corporate involvement?

Thanks for your time,
JonnyMilano

Barrucadu
September 17th, 2009, 06:55 PM
Doesn't Google AdWords only affect Google AdSense? I've heard nothing of it affecting the SERPs.

ZarathustraDK
September 17th, 2009, 07:06 PM
Dangerous stuff there...

Google practically pays the internet nowadays through ads. It's pretty much the corner-stone of web 2.0 mentality at this point (people linking to each other because they get paid ad-revenue, no money, no linkage).

An open source search engine would be nice, but that should be for some time when WiFi is so advanced that it can substitute hardlines and become a distributed net dependent on every person owning a wifi-transmitter/receiver, instead of choke-points/cable owned by the ISP's.

That'd be so awesome...or carcinogenic depending on the tech...

jonny.milano
September 17th, 2009, 07:39 PM
This looks promising! Has anyone used this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmoz

Viva
September 17th, 2009, 07:42 PM
Any search engine is a service and not a distributable software, so it doesn't matter to me what they use on their servers as long the results are accurate.

jonny.milano
September 17th, 2009, 07:46 PM
Any search engine is a service and not a distributable software, so it doesn't matter to me what they use on their servers as long the results are accurate.

But wouldn't the results be inaccurate if someone had paid their way to the top of the results page?

Viva
September 17th, 2009, 07:49 PM
But wouldn't the results be inaccurate if someone had paid their way to the top of the results page?

Adwords' entries only appear in the sponsored results and on websites that use adsense. They don't effect the regular results.

jonny.milano
September 17th, 2009, 09:19 PM
Adwords' entries only appear in the sponsored results and on websites that use adsense. They don't effect the regular results.

Small confession: I use AdWords and feel guilty for it. I can tell you my ranking went to the top of the results overnight.