FriendFeed Joins The Real-Time Search Race

Add FriendFeed to the long and growing list of players who are trying to win the race for comprehensive and quick real-time search. FriendFeed has always had a real-time element — the ability to track social activities almost as they happen. But the company has announced the addition of real-time search today. If you’ve used […]

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Add FriendFeed to the long and growing list of players who are trying to win the race for comprehensive and quick real-time search. FriendFeed has always had a real-time element — the ability to track social activities almost as they happen. But the company has announced the addition of real-time search today.

friendfeed-1

If you’ve used search.twitter.com, you’ll be familiar with FriendFeed’s real-time search — the interface is almost exactly the same. One difference that FriendFeed is quick to point out is that its results update automatically and scroll down the page, without the need to click or refresh. The other, bigger difference, of course, is that FriendFeed’s search pulls in data from a wide variety of sources (including Twitter).

The FriendFeed search includes options to save your searches or view them in a smaller, pop-out window. You can also post your search on other social sites, or grab some code to embed the search elsewhere.

But one thing that doesn’t seem right is the randomness of search results.

friendfeed-2

That’s a close-up of the image I used above showing four results that are in nothing close to chronological order. All the searches I tested today had the same problem.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Matt McGee
Contributor
Matt McGee joined Third Door Media as a writer/reporter/editor in September 2008. He served as Editor-In-Chief from January 2013 until his departure in July 2017. He can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee.

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