Popular Mechanics Declares Search Dead. Also, Research Is Hard Work

It may be time for Popular Mechanics to be declared dead. The 468 individuals who Digged the article should hang it up as well. There are really 468 people out there who think that How Social Networking Could Kill Web Search as We Know It is actually news?

The concept of a semantic web was introduced years ago. References to it can be found as far back as 2000, with a more formal definition appearing in a column on O'Reily by Andy Oram in 2002. In the column, he talked about using people as filters. Now Glenn Derene poses this as a new idea?

The reality of a semantic web isn't here, but I do believe that it's happening. While I dread seeing the FriendFeed email appear in my inbox each night, knowing I'll feel compelled to sift through it looking for items of interest, I jump on the email I have sent to me from Twine. The aggregator links me to people whose interests may intersect with mine at particular points, while Twine links me to interests that may intersect with people at particular points. Which is more valuable to me?

Derene has stated nothing new, but I can assure you that I don't believe Facebook or any other social network as we know it today is going to do it. Judging by the number of people I have to block invites from based on their inability to understand that I have no interest in playing zombie or traveling the Oregon Trail or finding out what Disney Princess I'm most like, I highly doubt I could rely on it to push information out to me that I'd be interested in.

The word semantic doesn't come up even once in the article. There is no reference to any initiative already underway. No reference at all to any of Sir Tim Berners-Lee's discussions of the Semantic Web possibilities. In fact, Derene's article reads as if he's come to the conclusion that there is a more meaningful way to obtain information than is currently in practice all on his own. Add in the It social network of the moment with Facebook and you have a sensational topic.

It's just too bad all that attention was pointed in the wrong direction, instead of where progress is actually being made, and developments actually occurring. Most of us prefer our information zombie-free, and "Faceboogle" wouldn't be able to deliver.