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Karnizero

New Internet Search Engine: Cuil

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Cuil is a new internet search engine, developed and maintained by various authors.
This was released some time ago, so some people already know this, but since CUIL is not a well known engine (as Google is), and i have time for write this, i will tell you all some features i have been experimenting with.

If you never heard about CUIL, you can enter this, by going this URL: http://www.cuil.com

As you enter there, you see a simple webpage, with a field and a button in the middle of the screen.
That's all, simple, but you got there all you need to start your searchs.

If you have used Google, then you need to get used to Cuil, because this search engine offers some more totally new features, that other search engines does not offer.

Now, we will make our first Cuil search, so we can see some Cuil features i have discovered by myself.
Lets start:

First, on the text field you see on the Cuil main page, write "doomworld" (this is same as Google, you should not have problems here ;-) ). Then press "ENTER" key or click "Seacrh" button.

You search will start, and after a bit time, you will get your results for "Doomworld" search.
Your screen should be similar to this image:

(Click to enlarge)


If you have been using Google for a lot of time, you will feel this is a bit different from the classical Google list of pages you search.

Cuil keeps an order on the resulting webpages you search, so you can see more contents on screen. This is done on this way, because many times, you probly will look not for "doomworld.com" itself, and you are looking for a webpage containing the "doomworld" word, or references to "doomworld.com". As you can see a some more contents of each webpage, you can see what webpage match your needs.

That is the most basics for Cuil.

But this is not all that Cuil has to offer you.
Lets make a second search.
Return to Cuil main page (cuil.com) and type at the text field, the word "doom", and press "ENTER" key.

Now, you will get a screen similar to the last one.
But now, note the "list" at the right side of your browser:

(Click to enlarge)


That is the "category exploration" list.
That is a very important item when you are looking for something concrete. At that list, you can select many categories for your search. You probably are searching for "doom game related webpages", but not all people is looking for that when search the word "doom".
So, you can make the search to look only for "doom metal" (kind of music), so all pages not matching that pattern will be "erased" from the search, so you will get easy to found what you really want.

You probly will miss something at that "Category exploration list": the doom game related category. Am i wrong? You cant see "doom games" or "doom mods" or even "doom 2" category at that list.

This is not really correct. Did you noticed the bar at the top side, just below the search field?

(Click to enlarge)


I call this the "common category" bar. Here you got some samples containing and matching the most "famous" searches for the word "doom". So, if you are looking for doom 3 related games, mods, etc..., and you search only using the word "doom", then you shouls click on the correcponding category at the "common category bar".
But, how Cuil acts on this way? Very simple. Cuil searchs not only for webpage correspondences, also for number of visits, and most famouse searches, so, if the word doom is used 75% for "doom, doom 2, doom3 games, etc..." then, the main search screen will show you that category. And why "doom metal music" search is not as famous as "doom game" search, then you can access that music search by the "Category exploration list".

But that is not all.
Cuil offers us a filter letting us to avoid unwanted webpages, such as pornography, violence, or objectionable contents.

Take a look at the top right corner, where a "Safe Search on" text, followed by a greed dot is.
Clicking on that, you will be redirected to "Preferences" page.
Here, you can turn on and off this filter, and disable the word suggestion when typing:

(Click to enlarge)


So, if you are a pervert and need pornography and spyware on your computer, you should turn off this filter.

Ok, that is all i have experimented until now.
I think Cuil offers some more features, as i have read somewhere.

[[Note for Opera browser users:]]
If you use the Opera shortcuts for your search (f.ex: "g doomworld"), you can use also Cuil un this way.
To configure this, go to "Tools>Options>Search".
Click on "Add" button, and fill the fields you see:
On name, write "Cuil" (or any other name you want)
On "Shortcut" field, write "c" (or any other letter you want the shortcut)
On the "Direction" field, you need to enter this: "http://www.cuil.com/search?q=%s" (without quotes)
Press ok, and close preferences dialog.
Now, test it by writing at the URL field the following text: "c doomworld", and your search will be performed using Cuil.


I leave here some usefull links:

1.- Main Cuil webpage: http://www.cuil.com
2.- Cuil Misc info and credits: http://www.cuil.com/info
3.- Cuil Staff: http://www.cuil.com/info/management

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You mean it won't, like, make the internet its bitch or something along these lines? Damn. Back to the classics for me.

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Maes said:

You mean it won't, like, make the internet its bitch or something along these lines? Damn. Back to the classics for me.

Searching for "shit" gives "Quasi albums", "Metallica albums", "Metallica members", "Marilyn Manson songs" and "German rappers" on the category list. Most relevant, yes.

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