As search engines look to expand their role in the web universe; Google with Orkut, Yahoo with HotJobs, SocialGrid.com is looking to make Google into an online dating service using tools already available to the search engine. SocialGrid does this by having users insert searchable metadata tags into their personal web pages.
As first reported by Google Blogoscoped, SocialGrid accomplishes this by having users set up an account and entering personal information. SocialGrid “translates” this information into the form of html metadata tags that are then placed on the users blog, page, and/or profile page. This, in turn, makes the person “searchable” by using doing a keyword search on any major search engine.
Keep in mind that this information becomes a public file. If potential users are worried about privacy, this service is not for them.
Questions about SocialGrid’s service violating the terms of Google’s API have arisen. Philipp from Google Blogoscoped has this to say, “One thing though, above data (which means I’m male, in a relation-ship, look for business partners, and so on) is public data – everyone can hack the code and write up a Google Web API application which starts hunting the Web for these pieces.”
For some rather interesting commentary on this new service, check out BoingBoing’s write up.
Murdok | Breaking eBusiness News
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