[zookatron]

I think what we really need is basically exactly what Google has in terms of search technology, except that it needs to be open and explicit, instead of it being Google's secret proprietary data on me that I can never access and that they get to sell to advertisers to my detriment.

I (like many other people on HN) use Google constantly when programming, and it's impossible to overstate the convenience and power of Google's almost creepy ability to guess exactly what the language and context of my search query is. It cuts precious seconds off of each query (when I am routinely make hundreds of queries per day), and more importantly cuts out the interruption of mental flow as you try to re-word your query into a format that the search engine will understand. This can potentially add up to hours of saved time per day, depending on how you calculate the impact of these features.

In order to duplicate this I don't think we can get around the need for "search profiles", which takes into account your location, interests, past searches, personal connections, etc, but it needs to be explicit and it needs to be my data. If I want to delete it or sell it, it really needs to be up to me. If we could figure out a secure way to do this, then we would have the framework necessary to compete with Google with an open platform. Until then, it's just not going to be worth it to switch for the vast majority of people.