CEO Of New Search Engine Blekko: 'I Don't Want To Kill Google'

According to CEO Rich Skrenta, Blekko, a new search engine that harnesses the human touch in its search results, isn't out to be number 1 in search and doesn't aim to be a Google killer.

Still, Skrenta says the first question he gets is "How will you kill Google?"

"I don't want to kill Google," Skrenta explains. "I love Google. I use lots of their products. But we want to make a site that offers better searches, better, different results for searches."

Blekko hopes to apply a Wikipedia model to search: everyone and anyone is invited to create and edit "slashtags" around different categories (i.e. gossip, health, technology, news), which users can then use to limit the results of their search to the set of pre-defined, curated websites included within that slashtag. (Learn more here) Search for "iPad/Technology" on Blekko, for example, will offer you only results from the 50-or-so set of tech sites contained within the Technology slashtag.

Yet that isn't necessarily the definitive list of tech sites. A slashtag is "a rough draft," says Skrenta. "We want people to come and say, 'You should put in our site.' [...] The tag gets better as more people add sites. We want people to come and add to our tags."

Skrenta believes Blekko offers a human touch that is missing from Google and that his search engine provides a far more transparent way of delivering information online.

"Google hides behind their algorithm," Skrenta argues. "They claim there's no editorial element to it, but that's totally bogus."

He adds, "Search engines are by definition an editorial take on the web. We say, let's just be open about this and acknowledge it and say, 'Yes, we have an ediorial opinion about search."

Categorizing sites and creating slashtags is not controversy-free. For example, Skrenta is transparent about the fact that the "Health" slashtag has omitted alternative medicine sites. "I want material authored by doctors," Skrenta says of the slashtag. "Alternative medicine sites do not belong in Health. If you want to do alternative medicine, great, we'll make an 'Alternative Medicine' tag."

The Huffington Post asked Skrenta whether he believes he'll be able to convince users to contribute to Blekko, a for-profit company, as so many have to Wikipedia, which is a non-profit foundation.

"I think that sometimes having a profitable entity running something actually gives it more editorial independence," Skrenta explains. "If you have a clear editorial objective, having funding to power it is a very healthy thing."

We also asked Skrenta to give us a 140-character pitch for Blekko: "The new search engine," he said. "Lets you slash in what you want, slash out what you don't. As of public launch, better results for seven categories."

Read more about Blekko . What do you think are its greatest strengths? And flaws?

Comments

[Jessie Reynolds]

02:52 PM on 11/19/2010

Blekko is definitely a cool new search engine. The slash tag feature is unique and gives it an edge that people will be interested in. However, I do not think it will ever reach the popularity of Google due to it’s complicated nature. I think Google’s greatest strengths is it’s simplicity; it’s so easy anyone can use it to it’s full potential. Blekko is not like that.

Coming from someone who doesn’t have a lot of time on her hands, having to learn how to use a search engine does not appeal to me when I have Google available. Of course I took the time to learn about Blekko, but I’m in the industry. I don’t think the average person will want to do that.

I’ve done some research and I think the best new search engine is Bweezy. Similar name, but very different from Blekko. Bweezy offers Google results, which I love. It also lets you open search results in the same window as the search, which eliminates the need to open a ton of tabs! I’d check it out if you’re into new search engines.

[rotorhead1871]

11:43 PM on 11/04/2010

for the same logic as MS has no interest in seeing Apple go down or vice versa.......they feed the same market. there is still plenty of room for growth...for all.

[WurrdUp]

10:54 PM on 11/03/2010

Finally. A product that's not claiming it's a (blank) killer, rather an improvement upon an existing good product. Now only if iPhone copycat Droid device manufacturers could do the same.

[MyTake]

08:01 PM on 11/03/2010

Well, I would like Blekko to take market share away from Google.

They state their privacy policy up front and it a light year improvement over the hideous and creepy policy of Herr Eric Schmidt who feeds all of their internet query activity straight through to NSA data farms.

And Google, as did Exxon and General Electric, used international income tax shifting to avoid federal taxation in the United States. How do you like them now, dear fast food eating Americans?

[BonzaSheila]

03:37 PM on 11/03/2010

I seriously don't think this will take 1% of Google's market share. It seems made for scammers to sign up and create tags promoting their own sites.

As for ---"I want material authored by doctors," Skrenta says of the slashtag. "Alternative medicine sites do not belong in Health. If you want to do alternative medicine, great, we'll make an 'Alternative Medicine' tag."--- what about material authored by well-respected doctors who practice alternative medicine?

I might check out Blekko occasionally and see if it seems any better than it does now, but I don't foresee myself switching from Google in any significant way.