Oakland, CA, April 1, 2006 - Ask.com announced today the introduction
of RhymeRank, an innovative search technology capable of producing
related search results that rhyme with a searcher's original query.
The new product is located on the right-hand side of the Ask search
results page, under the heading, "Rhyme Your Search."
"This will go down as the day the momentum in the search wars shifted
to Ask.com," said Jim Lanzone, General Manager of Ask U.S. "When
combined with our site's already-powerful "Narrow Your Search" and
"Expand Your Search" capabilities, "Rhyme Your Search" sets Ask.com
apart with the unprecedented ability to suggest phat new ideas for
your search."
RhymeRank was developed at a top-secret laboratory near Ask's
headquarters in Oakland, California. It is based upon the educational
theory that people commit information to memory more effectively when
it is phonetically consistent. Understanding this, Ask hired dozens of
experts to develop algorithms capable of producing the best and most
irrelevant rhymes. For example, for the query, "Weight Watchers®
Rewards", Ask.com's RhymeRank will suggest the following alternative
searches:
Rhyme Your Search
Mongolian hordes
the history of fords
pictures of fjords
maternity wards
create free message boards
names of drug lords
toward or towards
chart of guitar cords
bill cosby awards
roman legions swords
"Web 3.0 is clearly upon us," noted John Battelle, author of The
Search, and one of the world's leading experts on the search industry.
"RhymeRank smartly builds upon the recent relaunch of Ask.com. This is
a BIG DEAL and is the kind of innovation that demands Ask's rivals
stand up and take notice. Or to sit on the sidelines in the position
of the lotus."
"Aspiring rappers and poets are a huge, untapped market," said lead
engineer Keith Hogan. "Someone will win a Grammy one day using this
product. Or, at the very least, an Open Mic Night."
Ask.com is a trademark of IAC Search & Media, Inc. All other marks are
the trademarks of their respective owner.
