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The World According to Cuil  (View post)

Martin Porcheron [PersonRank 10]

Wednesday, July 30, 2008
15 years ago9,828 views

The image next to my website is, well, from what I can tell, a man in a suit.

http://www.cuil.com/search?q=martin+porcheron

James Xuan [PersonRank 10]

15 years ago #

Larry Page one is hillarious!

Richard Loerakker [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

At least they got Bill Gates right :D

http://www.cuil.com/search?q=bill+gates

Nice Mugshot.

answerfinder [PersonRank 1]

15 years ago #

You could have a new game created from this.

McDonalds UK site has the Malaysian Airlines logo.
Toyota has designed a dog car, or is it a car for dogs?
Ford own Steeda.ca.
The Chevron headquarters is based in a house and garage.

I've copied them together as when you search again, not all the same images are used. :(
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/5787/cuilhp3.jpg

Pete Prodoehl [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Yup, results for me also show a photo of someone else... at least it was someone I know, but still, I found it rather insulting.

Hanan Cohen [PersonRank 7]

15 years ago #

Searching for my name, you will see a drawing of a turkey.

http://www.cuilimg.com/imgsrv?i=020a0f:1297424664218476

This turkey occasionally appears in http://scripting.com which linked to my English homepage a few times in the past.

I probably should post my photo on my homepage so Cuil will get the right image.

Steven Sanderson [PersonRank 1]

15 years ago #

Cuil definetly has a lot of work left to do, they should have had some sort of beta program out first to test the queries, because they are definitely not matching up correctly. If they want to be a Google Killer they at least have to provide correct results for queries.

Hanan Cohen [PersonRank 7]

15 years ago #

And a followup. Dave Winer, the owner of http://scripting.com gets an image of a parrot.

Wendy Boswell [PersonRank 1]

15 years ago #

Cuil is a nice idea, but yes, I agree they have a LOT of work to do just to be viable – forget about the whole Google killer thing. I'm very surprised that they went live with this many issues – because what I'm reading here is honestly just the tip of the iceberg.

quet [PersonRank 1]

15 years ago #

It is hilarious to see some of these image mismatches. It seems almost conspicuous that the first result shows Ballmer for an Eric Schmidt query...how rude – but funny! hmmm...it is run by ex-Google employees...hmmm

As if that wasn't bad enough, here is what I see as the last result image on the page:

http://i34.tinypic.com/a4pffm.png

Ouch...that has to sting a little!

Roger Browne [PersonRank 10]

15 years ago #

> Cuil definetly has a lot of work left to do...

It's not surprising that a new service will have a lot of work left to do.

What made Cuil different is that they launched by telling everyone (very loudly) just how fabulous they already were. Naturally it backfired on them because people found out very quickly that Cuil delivered mediocre-to-appaling search results mixed with irrelevant "eye candy" graphics.

It didn't help that they sprinkled in a porkie or two (including, it seems, the claim that "Cuil is an old Irish word for knowledge").

Ron Spinner [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Even though the Google Spokesperson said they welcome competition, their algorithm managed to show what Google was probably really thinking. Screen shot is here: http://www.aims.co.il/blog/cuil-vs-google/

Zoli Erdos [PersonRank 1]

15 years ago #

I think The Donald has improved:-) But Paul Graham?

Dave Albie [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Best assessment of Cuil yet: http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20080730/losing-your-cuil/

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

15 years ago #

Barry Schwartz posted a follow-up: http://searchengineland.com/080730-103626.php

David Sanger [PersonRank 7]

15 years ago #

Trademark issues anyone???

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l379/davidsanger/Snapshot2008-07-3009-51-15.jpg

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l379/davidsanger/Snapshot2008-07-3009-54-03.jpg

charles [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

There are some error issues but as you can see most of its search results are good and posting relevant stories and topics. But i think there is a problem in showing the search results because there is no border or something that separates a search result from the other.

[signature removed]

macbeach [PersonRank 6]

15 years ago #

At least hey got missionary right.

Jon [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Try this story about inappropriate pictures: (NSFW) http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/29/cuil_launch/

and
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25919414/

and (in German)
http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/0,1518,568877,00.html

Guillaume [PersonRank 1]

15 years ago #

Those two guys are not me either...

http://www.cuil.com/search?q=guillaume%20belfiore&sl=long

Stu [PersonRank 2]

15 years ago #

What was wrong with the Paul Graham entry?

Graham [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Ahhh ha ha haaaaaa. The missionary one is beautiful.

Aditya [PersonRank 1]

15 years ago #

You did spell 'Gandhi' wrong. :)

Atlanta art lover [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Sometimes the mismatch goes the other way: I searched Cuil for Catherine Fox a local art critic, pretty well-known in this city. Been writing for the paper every week for, oh, 20 years. None of her art reviews showed up. Not one.

In one result, the accompanying image was an outdated logo from her paper (Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Ok, fine. But the text was a link to a British bookstore selling an unrelated book by someone else. How the heck did that happen?

Of course, I only discovered the mismatch by wasting my time and clicking on the link, thinking it was going to take me to the paper...

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

15 years ago #

> You did spell 'Gandhi' wrong. :)

Ah thanks, I'll update the post! Cuil doesn't have a spellchecker, an important feature for a search engine...

Andy Wong [PersonRank 10]

15 years ago #

Cuil was humiliated enough in last few days. The real problem is not it has more works to do, but its direction and strategy, in technical level, it is about management.

Kosso [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

try looking for 'lolcat' ... ermm.... errrr... nsfw

Jason Mitchener [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

As I mention on http://www.forwardhabit.com/2008/new-search-engine-cuil-is-not-cool-at-all/ cuil put a photo of a flesh wound next to my site JasonMitchener.com. I'm a Christian author and my site has nothing to do with flesh wounds.

[second URL unlinked]

Chandan [PersonRank 1]

15 years ago #

A typo: its Mahatma 'Gandhi' and not 'Ghandi' as you have mentioned

Angry of Oman..... [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Cuil are scraping images from our web sites and using them against search results showing sites of other companies – hardly a search engine – more like incompetent theft. I emailed them on the 29th and till today – no reply; perhaps they are snowed under with complaints from companies seeing their copyright images against competitors web sites on search

davep [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Google News had exactly the same issues when it was launched. My how soon we forget.

At least the people inside China get the same results as those outside the mainland.

turts [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Who cares? There are a dozen better search engines.

Hong Xiaowan [PersonRank 10]

15 years ago #

Google better than Yahoo, Yahoo equal to Yuil, Yuil better than Cuil, then at least, for now, Yuil is not the Google Killer.

Cuil still have lot of things to do.

Sofie [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

man, you know the are in BIG TROUBLE when they start p*ssing off MOMMIES.

parentzing.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/so-not-cuil/

They are going to have to go to bed without any supper.

[unlinked, permalinked]

the same one [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

The first result for Larry Page shows a Wikimedia logo. Would Jimbo fancy this ?
http://i35.tinypic.com/25jli6e.jpg
The categories box seems relevant for this one.

Balu [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Whatever it is nothing will beat Google.

See this detailed post electromice.blogspot.com/2008/08/hot-news.html

[unlinked]

Avril [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

Whatever, Cuil dare challenge google.
That's nice~

Jess Carter [PersonRank 0]

15 years ago #

The Queen of England – http://i36.tinypic.com/2vx2lja.jpg

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