The spawning of a new era in search engine technology can be found far upstream of the teeming reservoirs of Google, Yahoo!, Inktomi or Ask.com, just a few miles south of the path being spidered by the new MSNBot along the Northwest’s Burke-Gilman trail. As readers of Google’s recent SEC prospectus took note, “significant competition to Google will come from a long list of search engines.” The next ripple of innovation will emanate from places where you’d least expect it. Places like “a little working class home in Burien,” according to investor news bureau CNBC. It is in this Northwest community where Nathan Enns has developed FyberSearch, a search engine he runs from a bedroom in his mother’s house.
Already at 19, you’ve been described as the next Google in the making. How does that make you feel?
Enns: I do think that FyberSearch has some uniqueness and also the potential to grow into a business that can eventually pass Google.
Is FyberSearch based on algorithms that you developed?
Yes, I did develop the algorithms and all of the different ranking mechanisms of Fyber Search myself. Logical type thinking is required for this type of web site.
When did you first start working on FyberSearch and what was your inspiration?
I first started working on it in November of 2003. I was frustrated with the slow inclusion process of many of the major search engines. I began working on a program that would allow people to instantly catalogue any web site that they wanted. It would instantly catalogue it and display it in the results.
What are the other key features of FyberSearch in addition to instant inclusion?
The main quality of FyberSearch is that it gives users more control over their search results. They can define what they consider to be most relevant. At the top of the search results page, there are many advanced features that are not found on most search engines. You have to go to an advanced search page and fill out a form and then click search. On FyberSearch, you can modify your settings directly on the results, which allows for a lot easier modification and control.
Can you give us an example of one of the advanced features that you feel provides greater control?
Yes, there’s a feature that I call keyword density. This allows the user to specify the number of times the keyword will appear on the web page. For example, if the search is for web site design, and you don’t specify the keyword density setting, you will get results based upon the other advanced settings and/or the default FyberSearch ranking system. When you specify the keyword density setting, one through six, FyberSearch will try find your search query in multiple sections of the web site at the same time. For example, if you specify a keyword density of two, you will see results that have your search query in the title and the topic.
How about a glimpse at another feature?
Another unique feature lets you select six topic words from a web page. So you can take a web page and narrow it down to general topics. It then allows you to search through those as well.
It looks as if you already have an advertising-based business model with keyword-based advertising for sale?
I am selling advertising where you can actually select the level of relevancy. You can choose to have your ad under one or any number of key words or phrases people search for. You can also select to have your ad appear per click, per month, or per view.
We’ll be searching for more news from you, Nathan. [24×7]
FyberSearch can be sampled at http://www.FyberSearch.com
Putting plenty of Fyber in his search engine diet, 19-yr. old Nathan Enns has invented FyberSearch to give the next generation of search users greater control over the relevancy of their search results.
