Meh, this is a lot of words to say nothing really, a sponsored article for A16Z. The core “problems” of the internet business are still up in the air: ads vs payments. The author mentions she prefers her own curated “search engine” company over Google (I wonder why!) but any paid service won’t be able to compete with someone making a free version with ads. One of the biggest lessons of the past 20 years on the internet. I know the author has a vested interest in this not being the case but unfortunately it very much is. This is Google’s whole strategy: make a free thing with ads and they will come. CF Eternal September; why HN is much more pleasant than mainstream social media sites; etc.
Also seriously stretching the definition of a “search engine.” I certainly wouldn’t consider LinkedIn a search engine. It’s a social media site with search, and recruiters can filter their queries on people but it’s a closed system. Only LinkedIn accounts are there, unlike the web which is open and needs a true “search engine” to organize it. If the web is open, then to me LinkedIn already is curated, and then what the author is proposing is further curated still but certainly not a “search engine.”
Snark aside: The random, bold “Nascent token-based business models show early signs of promise.” from an author who has no understanding or experience with them and is tacked on at the end just makes me picture someone at corporate writing this in in sharpie.
Also seriously stretching the definition of a “search engine.” I certainly wouldn’t consider LinkedIn a search engine. It’s a social media site with search, and recruiters can filter their queries on people but it’s a closed system. Only LinkedIn accounts are there, unlike the web which is open and needs a true “search engine” to organize it. If the web is open, then to me LinkedIn already is curated, and then what the author is proposing is further curated still but certainly not a “search engine.”
Snark aside: The random, bold “Nascent token-based business models show early signs of promise.” from an author who has no understanding or experience with them and is tacked on at the end just makes me picture someone at corporate writing this in in sharpie.