TinyURL is the place to go if you have a long URL that you want to cut down for friends, but if you’re looking for a way to easily send Google search results to them without picking a specific page, Look.fo lets you send them an exact link to your query in a simple style: look.fo/your search query.
I had the opportunity to try out Look.fo and it works as advertised. The page’s design is simple and contains a search box that lets you input your query. Once you do, a vanity URL is created so you can copy it and send it along. You can also search on the Look.fo site by inputting your query, which then brings you Google search results.
I tried Look.fo out with something easy like “TechCrunch” and the site performed well. It quickly formed the URL (http://look.fo/techcrunch) and the Google search results it returned were what you’d expect—accurate enough for me to justify sending that to someone who wants to know more about TechCrunch.
To test it out a bit further, I tried a more advanced query to see how the URL was formed. At this point, I tried “introducing a puppy to a dog in your home.” Once again, the URL (http://look.fo/introducing-a-puppy-to-a-dog-in-your-home) was formed on-the-fly and the search results exactly matched what you can find on Google.com. (Again, as you’d expect, since Look.fo is powered by Google custom search).
Look.fo says it’s a solution designed specifically for those that want to send others search queries and could be an ideal research tool for Universities. I tend to agree on both counts. It may be simple and you can theoretically do this already with other services like TinyURL, but Look.fo makes takes out a step. It is perfect for Twitters, SMS messages, or mobile email, where brevity is essential.
.. is this really worth covering?
not impressed,.. ;-\
Pointless…
I simply send the complete search for my coworkers to replay
http://wiki.ima...ocial_Scripting
This works with other things I do in the browser as well, for example showing them a bug in our website
seriously, is are we hitting a dryspell or something to where tc is covering some guys url rewriter for a google search..
ugh
Doesn’t serves the purpose of Country Specific Search – http://www.goog...earch&meta= ! It shows you the result from Google.com so it would be pointless for people who are googling in their own tld’s!
Cheers!
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! Oh my god! I almost just fell off my chair…
http://www.goog...mp;aq=f&oq=
typing q=techcrunch REALLY IS a huge pain in the ass.
Don was showing you an example with “techcrunch” as the key term.. I really wonder if you read the entire post out there? Try http://look.fo/...og-in-your-home this? Long tail query are is a huge pain in ass to type!
http://www.goog...rch?q=pointless
My point exactly.
http://tinyurl.com/5n86pe
OMG TOTALLY AMAZING!
Seriously, how it this newsworthy? With TC50 having just ended, one would think you would have a lot of QUALITY material to cover, no?
Similar idea on google app engine: reorder and add comments to the search results for your name. http://hitbio.com
TinyURL is a nice portal simple solution.
Yes i think the same
I like. This has the edge over TinyURL in that you can do it without having to navigate outside the chat box to send a link. Not bad.
Violates Google Custom Search terms of service: “You may not in any way frame, cache or modify the Results produced by Google…”
http://look.fo/...op-cse-examples
look.fo/google-coop-cse-examples
Don,
Seriously, you have to reply to the comments here in this thread. How is this ANY better than using q=?
-It’s not shorter
-It’s not easier
-It doesn’t take out a step, it adds one.
I’d even argue it’s much worse to send folks to look.fo rather than just provide a well-regarded google link.
Maybe you didn’t know you could do this with google? I’d say fess up or explain why we commenters just don’t get it.
Hey Doug,
Thanks for the notes. I’m not sure what you refer to in the “q=?” syntax; http://google.com/q=something doesn’t seem to work. http://look.fo/something does. I guess you could type http://www.goog...rch?q=something, but this is a bit lengthier.
I could (and have been) using look.fo in IM conversations when telling friends to http://look.fo/...i-proxy-servers, for example, when asked a question about proxy servers, to avoid having to go find a link myself. I don’t imagine I would have written http://www.goog...i+proxy+servers; this is somewhat more tedious; at that point, I’d be better of telling someone to google the term or just googling it and sending someone the link.
I’m also not sure what you mean by ‘adds a step’ – look.fo is generated ‘on the fly’ – that is, you don’t need to go to the site to create a link on look.fo/your-search-term – just write it into IM/Twitter and it links directly.
Also, please elaborate on well-regarded with reference to the google link. look.fo uses Google Co-op CSE to generate search results.
My feeling is look.fo is best suited for people who use IM/twitter and send links often enough such that the time saved by creating on-the-fly look.fo links is worthwhile.
The difference between tinyurl and this is that, with this I guess you can just type in the query you want.
If you used tinyurl, you’ll actually have to go to their site as it assigns you a random string and you have no way to know
Why is this on here? Wow…! not even worth to look. dead pool soon!
this sounds confusing
This is actually a brilliant idea (if enough people use it). This site makes money off the google ads shown next to the search results. If this tool becomes even half as popular as tinyurl, they’re gonna be millionaires.
$3 and growing baby… any day now
Doesn’t seem to play nice with boolean operators.
yeah, first thing I tried Jason… or google specific search helpers like intitle: etc
Are you sure? look.fo uses co-op CSE; should support whatever syntax CSE supports. Having just tried now, http://look.fo/...efine:something works, at least.