Personalized Web Searching - Case Study Example

Personalized (Web) Search Faculty Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Literature Review III. Methodology IV. Conclusion V. References VI. Appendix I. Introduction Personalized web searching is an emerging concept and was first introduced by Eurekster in 2004. At that time, it was biggest surprise that Google, Yahoo and Microsoft (MSN now Windows Live Search) had not introduced this concept initially and a smaller company as compared to Google, Yahoo and Microsoft had introduced this concept of personalized search. In case of personalized search various types of information’s from users are collected and based on that information’s the search content is filtered and displayed to users. Now these days internet (Web) contains lots of information and by searching specific keywords there is possibility that irrelevant information is returned. Now search engines are working in this regards and comes with the solution of personalized search so as give its users search results based on the user demographic information and interests and taste. In addition, these days search history can be also maintained by search engines, which users can see on later days. Aim: The study of personalized web searching will provide an opportunity to learn how different personalized search engines works and make use of user specific information for assisting web-searching process. Objectives: The objectives of the projects are: Study and analyze existing methods for personalized web searching and layout a design for implementation. Study existing technologies for interface and database design. Implement a preliminary web searching system (prototype) based on the design and refine the searching mechanism and the system designed to further improve its effectiveness through comparison with other methods. Project Plan: Phases March April May Problem Identification Information gathering and Analysis Logical and conceptual design Physical design Physical implementation Testing , Review and Changes Implementation Maintenance Figure 1: Project Plan II. Literature Review In this section, initially a definition and benefits from the personalized search will be presented than after history and preliminary analysis of some personalized search engines (Google, Yahoo and MSN) will be presented. After that, various tools and technologies that are going to be used for this project will covered in methodology section. What is personalized search? There are many definitions given by the various scholars and one of them is given below: Personalized search is the fine-tuning of search results and advertising based on an individual’s preferences, demographic information and other factors. Presumably, the better a search engine understands a user’s interests and preferences, the better able it is to target search results, advertising, sponsored links, etc. [Johnson 2005] After definition now question arises, why these days so many big giants (companies) are interested in providing personalized search. The next few paragraphs will give answer to this question. The first benefit is financial. According to Johnson (2005), personalized search drives financial benefits both in short term and long term. In the short term, advertisers increase revenue by targeting ads and promotions at the users who are most likely to click and buy. In addition, consumers want personalization and are more willing to stay with sites and services that ‘know’ them and respond to their specific lifestyles and preferences. Moreover, sites that employ personalized search automatically filter the Web for consumers based on their individual preferences and saves consumers time and frustration, and bonds users to the site. The techniques used in personalizing Web content are used to personalize Web Search. According to Johnson (2005), there are many ways, but they all require ability that is discussed here. The first thing that a search engine requires is the preferences and demographic information of the users. Search engines in such a way that user’s online experience is not interfered can achieve this. The next thing is the determination of the type of content and advertising that are the best predictors of relevance for the customers. Now the content that is to be displayed to users are filtered based on the previous information. In the last step, these results are presented to user in a way that is easy for the consumers to understand. According to Johnson (2005), the end result of applying personalization to search technology is an enhanced search experience with following considerations. The first thing is here noticed that the sponsored links that are displayed to users should be based on their tastes, interests, and recent search histories. This can increase the likelihood of click through to advertisements and other content. In addition, one more important thing is taken care here is of advertising ads based on user preferences as well as terms entered by users. The last thing that can be done here is to show Web search results that can be organized by style, meaning, category, etc. These results can be presented under a “My Results” tab so as not to displace unfiltered results. Preliminary Analysis of Some Personalized Search Engines: Eurekster had launched the concept of personalized search engine in 2004. It was a surprise that neither Google nor Yahoo but instead from Eurekster this service launched, which was opens to the general public on 21 January 2004. Before launching this service Eurekster site had been involved in a beta test involving only a few hundred people for couple of months. Eurekster provides many options and some of them are; Search filtered by friends, SearchMates, Sharing searches, sites, and using any search engines in combination with Eurekster [Sullivan 2004]. These days, three big search providers Google, Yahoo and Microsoft dominate personalized search. Google Personalized Search: On March 29, 2004, Google unveiled a new tool that allows people to make their Web searches more personal. This Google Personalized Search was available for testing at the Google Labs page and allowed people to create a profile of their interests, which then influences the Web site links shown when they conduct a search. (Bazeley 2004) On November 2005, Google personalized search has left Google lab and made available to users on 38 domains in addition to google.com. Googles personalized search records search results based on history of past searches, giving more weight to topics that interest one. It had also provided a feature to maintain history of searches on Google, allowing revisiting pages previously visited just by scanning history of search. For using this service, one has to sign up for a Google account such as Gmail, AdSense, and other Google services [Sherman 2005]. According to Graham (2005), the new personalized Google home page, which began testing on 19th May, 2005 at labs.google.com, ties together search, personalized news, weather, e-mail, stocks, driving directions and movie listings on the main page. (Bazeley 2005) On 2nd February 2007, Google enhanced its personalized search. Now anyone who signs-up for any Google service using a Google Account (such as Gmail, AdSense, Google Analytics among others) will automatically enrol into three additional Google products: Search History, Personalized Search and Personalized Homepage [Sullivan 2007]. Screenshot 1, 2 and 3 (Appendix) shows the personalized search history of Google personalized Search. Yahoo Personalized Search: In May 2004, Yahoo Company began publicly testing a product called Personal Search that allows users to save and share their search results on Yahoos computers. This new Yahoos Personal Search was focusing on allowing people to save bookmarks in a personal online space and append notes to them. Users can also save search results and share them with others via e-mail, RSS feeds or MyYahoo "modules" that can be sent to other Yahoo users [Bazeley 2004]. At presently Yahoo offers MyWeb 2.0 (Beta) Personalized Search, which is shown in Screenshot 4 and 5 (Appendix). MSN (or Windows Live Search) Personalized Search: Microsoft had recently launched Windows Live Search (previously MSN Search). In which various features that can be personalized according to need of the users is added. Some screenshot of this is shown in Screenshot 6, 7 and 8 (Appendix). III. Methodology There are various methods available based on any software can be developed. Some models are The Waterfall Model, The Agile Model, The RAD Model and The Prototype Model. For this project, Prototype model will be used which is described below: The Prototyping Model: A prototype is a working model that is functionally equivalent to a component of the product. In many instances, the users have only general view of what is expected from the software product. In such a scenario, where there is an absence of detailed information regarding the input to the system, the processing needs and the output requirements, the prototyping model may be employed. This model reflects an attempt to increase the flexibility of the development process by allowing the users (clients) to interact and experiment with a working representation of the product. The developmental process only continues once the client is satisfied with the functioning of the prototype. At that stage, the developer determines the specifications of the client’s real needs. (Pressman 2001) There are various advantages of prototype model. This model provides faster development of product with less cost and it is easier for end users to learn/use. Fewer changes needed after implementation and development backlog decreases. In addition, end-user is involved and knows what to expect at implementation. This model has certain disadvantages too. Often clients expect that a few minor changes to the prototype will more than suffice their needs and fail to realize that no consideration was given to the overall quality of the software in the rush to develop the prototype. Sometimes the developers may lose focus on the real purpose of the prototype and compromise the quality of the product. According to Powel (2006), there are various methodologies available for designing database models. Each of these different approaches consists of a number of steps. These separate steps are interchangeable, repeatable, and iterative. The following sequence of steps to database model design seems the most sensible and will be used with the prototype model. Requirements analysis: It is the first phase in which information about the nature of the data, features required, and any specialized needs will be covered. Conceptual design: This part will be done with the help of graphical tools (for example Rational Rose.) for making Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs). Logical design: Create database language commands to generate table definitions. Physical design: Adjust database language commands to alter the database model for the underlying physical attributes of tables. Tuning Phase: Tuning phase includes appropriate indexing, further normalization, or even de-normalization and security features. (Powel 2006, p.20) Technologies: Various technologies, tools and languages that will be used for this project are summarized below: Modelling Tool/Language Unified Modelling Language (UML) Rational Rose Front End Technology: ASP Development Tool/Editor: Macromedia DreamWeaver Server Side Scripting Language: VB Script Client Side Scripting Language: JavaScript Database Management RDBMS: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Server Internet Server: IIS Environment: Windows NT UML: The Unified Modelling Language (UML) is the standard modelling language for software and systems development. The underlying premise of UML is that no one diagram can capture the different elements of a system in its entirety. Hence, UML is made up of nine diagrams that can be used to model a system at different points of time in the software life cycle of a system. These diagrams fall in various categories, mainly static, dynamic and Implementation and are given below. Static: Use Case and Class diagram. Dynamic: Object, State, Activity, Sequence and Collaboration diagram. Implementation: Component and Deployment diagram. (Chitnis, Tiwari, & Ananthamurthy 2006) Rational Rose: Rational Rose1 is a visual modelling tool for UML. It comes in different versions suited to different requirements. Rational Rose also supports the designing of data models within the same environment. An interesting feature of Rational Rose is the ability to publish the UML diagrams as a set of Web pages and images. This enables user to share and distribute their application design where the Rational Rose tool is not installed. (Chitnis, Tiwari, & Ananthamurthy 2006). ASP: ASP stands for Active Server Pages. ASP is a Microsoft technology, which is used for development of dynamic web pages. For running ASP web pages IIS (Internet Information Services) server is required, which comes with Microsoft’s Windows NT environment. ASP file are same as HTML files and contains text, HTML, XML and Java Scripts. The extension for ASP files is “.asp”. Microsoft SQL Server 2005: It is a latest RDBMS from Microsoft and provides a new Management Studio, integration with Visual Studio 2005, and the Microsoft .NET common language runtime that helps to build, debug, and operate applications faster and more efficiently. Dreamweaver: Dreamweaver is a web development tool that enables users to efficiently design, develop and maintain standards-based website and applications. It supports various languages and technologies such as ASP, ASP.NET, PHP, JSP, CSS, HTML, XHTML and XML. It provides option at the time of development in design view, code view and both by splitting window. IV. Conclusion Personalized search drives financial benefits both in short term and long term. These days many companies such as Yahoo, Google and Microsoft are involved in giving its user personalized search option, in which user can check history, bookmarks for various searches made. This project is also intended to provide to make use of user specific information to assist the web searching process. In this paper, various existing personalized search engines are covered and various technology and tools that can be used for development of such a system is discussed. V. References: Pressman, R.S. 2001. Software Engineering: A practitioner’s Approach, McGraw Hill, New York. P. 23-47. Booch, G., Rumbaugh, J. & Jacobson, I. 2001. The Unified Modeling Language User Guide, Addison Wesley, New Delhi. P. 3-33 Hamilton, K. & Miles, R. 2006. Learning UML 2.0, OReilly Media, Inc, USA. p. 14-36 Powel, G. 2006. Beginning Database Design, Wiley Publishing, Inc., United States of America. p20. Weissinger, A.K. 1999. ASP in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference, OReilly & Associates, Inc, USA Mitchell, S. 2000. Designing Active Server pages, OReilly & Associates, Inc, USA Dewson, R. 2006. Beginning SQL Server 2005 for Developers, Apress, USA. Watt, A. 2006. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, Inc., United States of America. Steve Johnson (2005). Personalized Search, January 27, 2005. Retrieved on 28 February 2007 from http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/4977.asp Michael Bazeley (2004). Google to Enable Personalized Searches, San Jose Mercury News (CA); 03/30/2004 Danny Sullivan (2004). Eurekster Launches Personalized Social Search, January 21, 2004. Retrieved on 28 February 2007 from http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=3301481 Chris Sherman (2005). Google Personalized Search Leaves Google Labs, November 10, 2005. Retrieved on 28 February 2007 from http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=3563036 Danny Sullivan (2007). Google Ramps Up Personalized Search, February 2, 2007. Retrieved on 28 February 2007 from http://searchengineland.com/070202-224617.php Jefferson Graham (2005). Google gets personal, USA Today; 05/20/2005, Section: Money, Pg. 06b Michael Bazeley (2005). Google lets users personalize home page, San Jose Mercury News (CA); 05/20/2005 Michael Bazeley (2004). Yahoo delivers personal search technology, San Jose Mercury News (CA); 10/05/2004 Chitnis, M., Tiwari, P. & Ananthamurthy, L. 2006. UML Tools. Retrieved on 28 February2007 from http://www.developer.com/design/article.php/1593811 Chitnis, M., Tiwari, P. & Ananthamurthy, L. 2006. UML Overview. Retrieved on January 1, 2007 from http://www.developer.com/design/article.php/1553851 http://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver/ accessed on 28 February 2007 VI. Appendix: Some Screenshots of Existing Personalized Search Engines Screenshot 1: Creating an Google Account Screenshot 2: Sign-in to Google Account Screenshot 3: Google Search History Page Screenshot 4: Sign-in to Yahoo Search (My Web) Account Screenshot 5: Yahoo Search (My Web) Page Screenshot 6: Windows Live (MSN) Search Page Sign-in Screenshot 7: Windows Live (MSN) Search Page1 Screenshot 8: Windows Live (MSN) Search Page 2 Read More