July 30th, 2008Let’s All Make Fun of the Cuil Kids
Every other feed in my reader this past week has been about the new search engine Cuil [pronounced like "cool"]. Before the launch on July 28, there were mixed reviews, but it’s been pretty much panned by everyone at this point. I like bandwagons, so here we go.
You can read about all the technical, marketing and other problems all over the internet. I suggest Googling “cuil”; as of the time I am writing this, Cuil doesn’t seem to have indexed itself as a website. Let’s look instead at a couple of things I know rather well: this blog/vlog and me.
Search for “angry puppy” on Cuil. I’m fairly sure that I put these vlogs together, but I don’t remember any of the images that appear alongside our episodes.
On a side note, a Google search for “angry puppy” has us (this blog, I mean, not a link to our vlog on another site) in the top spot. We don’t get any kind of financial remuneration for this project, so I consider that our reward for the many hours we’ve put in to keep this puppy barking. And, of course, that’s thanks to those of you who’ve clicked, linked, watched and read. (Thanks, thanks!)
We did make it onto the second page of the Cuil results, but I didn’t know we were affiliated with I Can Learn Education Systems (TM).
I will resist the urge to insert “i can haz learning?” jokes here.
Now, on to the second subject: me! This is an experiment in ego-dickery, but I suggest you all compare the Google and Cuil results of your own names. You know you do in it private, so let me know in the comments if you notice anything interesting!
A search for “lee waters” on Google shows that I have the top spot (Huzzah!). I didn’t earn that particularly, but it’s quite nice. Cuil has me on page 3, but at least they didn’t put a picture of a shark or a squeegee or something by my entry.
Actually, a shark would have been cool.
July 31st, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Aw, you’re not number one anymore… You’ve been bumped for an ITV correspondant.
I’m the first five if you google my name… I’m always surprised to find anyone else with it, because it’s a fairly unusual combination.
July 31st, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Ha! You have to use quotes around my name for me to be first. This only works because I own my name as a domain, since my name doesn’t even appear on the page.
I got the domain for the e-mail, and I only put anything up on that site a little while back when I noticed that people from AfterElton were clicking through from my profile. It seemed like a good opportunity to funnel people over to a couple of other things I’m working on. :D
I’m actually surprised at the number of Lee Waterseses who want my domain. One guy offered me $1000. (WTF?) I’d like to have the cash, but I’d rather have my name.
As for Angry Puppy, we only took the top spot a very short while ago, and it probably had something to do with our Hot Geek 10. Our hits went up more than tenfold for a few days there.
July 31st, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Yeah, mine are all bebo/facebook/forum pages, as well as school newsletter mentions. There used to be a webpage I designed in 4th year (10th grade) in class… I keep forgetting that the internet never forgets.
August 1st, 2008 at 12:32 am
For many years, a Google search for me revealed a recipe for a vegetarian sandwich (with a typo!) that I submitted to some cooking site in 1996.
This is funny now, because 1) I no longer cook or prepare food in any way 2) I’ve begun eating large quantities of meat in my old age, and 3) I can’t imagine submitting a recipe these days. How very “good housekeeping” I used to be!
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:41 am
Bless.
In the future, when I’m rich and famous, people will be able to discover my mediocre college debating record, because the results are all posted on line.
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 am
meh. at least you two actually come up. I have the same name as a soccer player from england and after clicking trough 8 pages i gave up and had to pick pages from canada to even get a hit! and those are my placements in chess tournements and swim races… not even my own facebook pops up… damn that soccer player!
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I feel the same way about “Lindsay Lee-Waters”, the tennis player. ;)