MSN sliders Options

[peter_d]

SEOs might be interested in those sliders under "Results Ranking". How is "popularity" determined, one wonders.

[Nick_W]

Would they really be so dumb as to provide tools for reverse engineering?

The words "smoke screen" may be appropriate

[peter_d]

Or it could be a smokescreen to make you think it's a smokescreen, but really it's the real deal

[Nick_W]

heheh!

Just cos im paranoid doesnt mean they're not out to get me

[sanity]

Perhaps you could provide a link to it Peter. Those of us that are paranoid may feel you left it out intentionally. :shock:

[peter_d]

Doesn't anyone read my blog? <laughs>

http://beta.search.msn.com/

Click Search Builder
Click Results Ranking

[projectphp]

LOL. I mean to, I swear

http://beta.search.msn.com/docs/help.aspx?...iders&FORM=HERE

Has some info for the curious of mind.

To add emphasis to sites by the number of other sites that link to them, move the middle slider up.

Interesting stuff. Roll your own SERPs.

[sanity]

Interesting concept although I really have to wonder how easy the average user is gonna find it.

[polarmate]

How many average users use the 'Advanced Search' options in Google?

The average user will probably never use it, Sophie. That's why it's tucked away in the 'Search Builder.'

[bwelford]

I don't know about the average user, but I had a problem finding the 'Sliders' even when I knew they were somewhere around. I think the Usability of this whole thing is pathetic.

[sanity]

Agreed Barry. That's what I was getting at Polarmate. At least Advanced Search is kinda obvious. I had to email Peter initially to find where the sliders even were. Sure as soon as I hit send I discovered them and felt silly. :oops: But really...

[polarmate]

Oh! Ok! I get it. I didn't read your post as how easily the user would find (spot/see) the darned sliders. I read it as ease of use/understanding what it is about. I must admit that when I read the thread over at WMW, I wondered 'sliders? where?', too.

Personally, I think it's ok to semi-hide things that are advanced or will be 'over-the-top' for majority of the users. By making them just slightly more difficult to find, you have the tools available only to those who might need them. Also, if these tools push your resources a lot more, then once again, you are limiting their use only to those who know how to find them. The amount of support you have to do for these features is also then reduced signficantly. Most users will not need those sliders.

[SEbasic]

Does anyone have any idea what the referrals will to to stats software when the sliders have been used in a search?

[Black_Knight]

Same as any other form of personalization does, SEbasic - make it almost worthless. This is just one of the side-reasons that personalized search is so appealing to search engines: It makes backwards engineering almost impossible, because the SERPs you get (and deconstruct) are not going to be the same as the SERPs that other people get.

[amabaie]

I don't know about the average user, but I had a problem finding the 'Sliders' even when I knew they were somewhere around.

That is because you were looking for sliders. However, the average user won't be looking for them. The average user will most likely:
a) ignore all the options
look into them for curiosity or if they are not getting a good search
c) stumple along the sliders if they want to ccontrol the rankings (not if they want to look for sliders).

I predict this will either stay totally ignored or, if Microsoft is smart, will market this the way Google marketed PageRank...only with more success. :twisted:

Stay tuned.