Michael Zimmer.org

Yahoo! Research Labs released a beta version of a new search tool called Yahoo! Mindset allowing users to filter results on an axis of “shopping” (i.e., commercial) vs “researching” (i.e., non-commercial) sources. From their site:

• Find the results you like.
• Sort the way you need.

A Yahoo! Research Labs demo that applies a new twist on search that uses machine learning technology to give you a choice: View Yahoo! Search results sorted according to whether they are more commercial or more informational (i.e., from academic, non-commercial, or research-oriented sources).

Given how search engines have become the “center of gravity” for information navigation and knowledge acquisition, this appears to be an important step towards giving users more control over their search results.