I was reading through Bloglines a short while ago, and came upon this interesting post on the Google blog, titled searching without a query. They describe a new feature of the Google Toolbar (I don’t use it, sorry):

“…a recommendations button on the Google Toolbar that looks like a pair of dice. Click on the dice, and we’ll take you to a site that may be interesting to you based on your past searches. If you want another, just click the dice again and we’ll show you a new one.”

My first reaction: Is that like StumbleUpon, or what?

Turns out I’m not alone:

Greg Sterling: What StumbleUpon Says about Search

Chris Sherman: Google Offers "Queryless Search" & Personalized Recommendations

Chris rightly points out that the Google version is easier to use because all you have to do is keep searching with Google and it learns what you like. But there’s a flip side that needs to be said, too: StumbleUpon has the benefit of “community” with its Friends, Network, and Groups features. Community is a concept that hasn’t really invaded Google yet, and I think a recommendation engine ultimately works best in the context of community. To me, Google’s recommendation tool comes up short right out of the box.

[tags]google, stumbleupon, social media[/tags]

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