In reply to: [[wikilinks]] and #hashtags as a portal to cross site search by Chris Aldrich
[[wikilinks]] and #hashtags could act as snippets for custom searches on various platforms. I’d like to be able to either click on a link or possibly right click and be presented with the ability to search that term (or nearby terms) on a variety of different platforms or trusted websites.
I like this idea a lot and I am still sorting the implications which could be revolutionary if this can be done. This could be huge.
Random thoughts from the top of my head:
- This could be a big boost for non- Big Tech search engines, niche search engines like Marginalia Search, Indieweb Search, and various web directories. Plus, as mentioned, wikis like Indieweb.org. I always have the notion that we are underutilizing both web search and site search on the web.
- It strikes me that having this as a browser extension is on the right track although it might be easier to make this platform specific like plugins for WordPress.
- “downsides and social ills” Right now I can’t think of any but they will exist because this is the Internet and anything that can be exploited will be exploited.
- Searching one specified off-site source with a wikilink may not be too hard but trying to do a meta search of several sources could be very difficult unless each source searched opens in a new tab.
- The UI will be tricky. If you want wide spread adoption then it needs to be simple. Even DDG’s !bangs are a bit too complicated for mass use.
Anyway it sounds like something to be discussed, thought about and experimented with.
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