Local search engine iBegin.com has been switched on, the product of GTA-based developer Ahmed Farooq, who is determined to create the Craigslist-style answer to a phone book, starting with his hometown. The idea is based on trusting users to build a better infotrap than any existing outlet – for example, a review of other public transit searches reveals how a quest for info on Toronto “subway stations” in existing search services turns up no instant gratification. Following a couple months of closed beta testing, Farooq frowns on any hyperbolic ambitions, preferring to cast his efforts to the wind with hopes that submitted listings, reviews, photos and tags will bulk up the results, along with the ability to tweak what others have submitted. But it’s not like the scramble to find profitability in the local search field is over – a feature in The Globe and Mail outlined how Yellow Pages is scrambling to compete, their stock placed in brand name recognition and a sales force. Then again, the collective Wikipedia volunteer squad just marked their millionth English-language entry in just over five years, a milestone commemorated with a story in the Sunday Star. Considering how Craigslist keeps being cited as a factor in reduced profits in the newspaper industry, it’d appear the only path to success in the new new media game remains never really setting out to make a cent.
iBegin.com [local search engine]
1 response so far ↓
AhmedF // March 6, 2006 at 1:56 pm
Thanks for the plug
I wanted to add, that counter to a lot of sites, and one of the reasons I cite Craigslists, is that we do intend on making money, but that isn’t our end goal. Our company itself is profitable, and I have a comfortable living. To me, iBegin is more about actually getting the city connected and serving a real purpose.
Only time will tell if it works
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