Google product search
The name Google Product search is a recent title given to the service which was initially referred to as Froogle when it was introduced for the first time in 2002. The primary nomenclature was drawn as a jibe on the meaning of the word ‘frugal’ which meant prudent and economical. However, five years later in 2007, the name was altered to Google Product Search, by which it is known now.
From the very name Product Search, it is quite easy to determine what it means. To put it simply, Google Product Search is an automated search engine introduced by Google to allow users to find out various products and their prices and compare them amidst themselves to decide the appropriate choice. This search engine was designed and conceived of by Craig Nevill-Manning. The boundaries of the Google Product Search page allows the users to scribble the name of the product, upon entering which the search engine will provide a comprehensive list of the product, its manufacturing details and prices, thus presenting a comparison of costs enabling the client to make the perfect choice.
Using Google Product Search is profitable for most users as they do not charge any fees for subscribing to it unlike other price comparison search engines. While this Product Search is currently available only in selected countries of the world, its service is impeccable. Product Searches may be according to the best option matching the query entered or according to the varying degree of prices. No doubt, the presence of this Product Search has greatly benefited individuals. One can extensively study the pros and cons of the product and its prices before taking the final plunge of buying it. Now, Google Product Search is also available in Wireless Markup Language or WML and also in mobile phones.
What is Google Answers?
From the very name it can be drawn that this service provided by Google named Google Answers was a means devised by Google to respond to people’s queries on a particular issue by providing necessary, comprehensive and satisfactory answers. This service was launched in 2002. In fact this can be called a re-launch as it was a modified version of the Google Questions and Answers which was launched in 2001 and remained an unsuccessful venture.
Google Answers was not a free endeavor but a paid service whereby customers had to pay an initial enlisting fee which was non-refundable. Then they were to ask questions and on being answered they were to pay the required price for the answer. These questions were answered by researchers who were popularly referred to as Google Answers Researchers or GARs. It allowed the researchers to respond to the client’s queries and a satisfied client could also rate the researchers. These ratings were vital in judging the performance of the researchers as those with lower ratings were at the risk of losing their jobs. Researchers answered questions by logging in to a special page meant for researchers and ‘locking’ the question they were to answer. The answers magnitude varied with the amount paid for the question and the time period required for answering also depended upon those factors. A researcher was allowed to choose only one question at a time.
However, with the passage of time Google Answers was plagued by various shortcomings and criticisms galore. While various researchers complained that Google Answers was confiscating the duties of public librarians, there were also several attacks against it as it was alleged that Google Answers supports plagiarism as well. Such constant discouragement and condemnation of its services affected its prospects and finally on December2006, Google agreed to end the services offered by Google Answers finally.
Google Book Search
The Google Book Search is an instrument which allows searching of books in full textual format which have been scanned and stored by Google in its digital database. This concept was first introduced in the Frankfurt Book Fair of 2004 and was initially known by the name Google Print. The functioning of the Google Book Search service is very useful and extremely simple too. Upon typing in the key words, the user will be able to gain access to three results from the listings available in the Google Book Search. The users are able to view not only the pages of the book but also details about the publisher, year of publishing as well as other publications by the same publisher etc. however such viewing is within the limits conforming to copyright laws thus preventing full viewing of all the pages of the book and also putting a stop to unauthorized copying or printing. While it is true that Google Book Search allows certain works which are free of these copyright laws to be downloaded directly from the internet within the United States of America, outside the US Google has to be assured of providing this facility only if it is sure that those books are free of copyrighting in terms of the local laws.
However, upon its inception, certain controversies have gripped Google Book Search because of several authors and publishers suing Google for violating copyright laws by offering sections of the works available on the internet. But, despite these charges, Google Book Search still continues to function. The rising popularity and importance of Google Book Search is evident from the innumerable universities of the world like Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Michigan, Stanford University, University of Virginia, New York Public Library, University of California etc. which have pledged their participation in this scheme thereby contributing millions of volumes of books.
