Swarm

Search engines are fantastic tools for finding information that has already been categorized as relevant to what you’re interested in, but this decision process is carried out by machines, not humans. Sure, the algorithms that they use to determine this are very advanced, but they’re not always perfect. It must be noted that some search engines do allow real humans to submit results, and there are services that give the power to the users in terms of defining what they think is cool, but in order for this process to work, people actually have to submit content. With Swarm, you’ll see what people are browsing through at that very second.

You’ll basically be privy to a graphical map that is updated in real time to show you where people are going and coming from. The center of the map displays the most popular sites, and the others extend outward from this nucleus. Everything is interconnected, and it’s very interesting to watch this population of data take place. If the graphical version of Swarm is too much for you, then feel free to make use of the text version, although it can be hard to keep up with, too. All of this data is sent to the service in an anonymous way through a Firefox extension that willing users have installed in their browsers. If you don’t mind broadcasting your browsing journey to the world (anonymously, of course), then consider installing the extension. By doing so, you’ll help the tool to grow. Are you ready? If so, then hold on for the ride.

[tags]firefox,algorithms,search engines,swarm,humans,browsing[/tags]