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Applebot, the web crawler for Apple

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Re: Applebot, the web crawler for Apple

#51

Post by kellegous »

joelrunyon wrote: post #4

This is interesting. A while back, I think either Cook or Jobs mentioned that Apples makes PRODUCTS and doesn't sell ADS. If that's true (and stays true) AND this is the beginning of a search engine for them, it's going to be VERY interesting to see what it looks like.

FWIW, an Apple recruiter approached me about working on a new Search-related thing. He used the following enticement in the initial email: "We are building the future of search for the best user experience (unadulterated by advertising for the first time in history)." So as best I can tell, a search experience without advertising is very much on their mind.

Re: Applebot, the web crawler for Apple

#52

Post by Aissen »

frankacter wrote: post #11

>If robots instructions don't mention Applebot but do mention Googlebot, the Apple robot will follow Googlebot instructions. So if I set in my robots.txt to disallow all bots except Googlebot, Applebot will index anyway? I don't think I like that precedent.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: blocking all but certain bots is the best way to block innovation. It's bad for you, it's bad for the ecosystem. Bad for the ecosystem because incumbents that want to respect robots.txt to propose new services will have an unfair disadvantage. It's bad for you because it'll just give more power to Google et al regarding your incoming traffic (and you'll have to follow their rules, like every SEO is doing right now).

Re: Applebot, the web crawler for Apple

#53

Post by cromwellian »

amelius wrote: post #40
RexRollman wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are you basing this statement on?

Google's businessmodel is based on mining and "selling" your data (you are not the customer). Apple's businessmodel is based on selling real products.

Apple still collects data on you. Google knows what sites you browse on the Web and what Web sites you search for. Apple knows what apps you search for in the App Store and what you buy in the store, and probably usage statistics. At some point, if not already, that data will be used to profile you and generate revenue maximizing suggestions of goods and services to buy in the App Store.

Re: Applebot, the web crawler for Apple

#54

Post by codecondo »

Throwaway98123 wrote: post #19
BozeWolf wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My question is: why do we need an alternative really? What is better when even more companies index everything and perhaps screw with your privacy? My intuition agrees with you though. More companies == more competition. At some point privacy might be a selling point for them. On the other hand: it is kind of crazy that when I read about "indexing the web" it starts ringing all kind of privacy bells, while apple's in…

It's nice to have alternatives for something that's so fundamental to how we use the internet. Google works well today, but what about 5 years from now, or 10 years from now? What if you need to be signed into Google+ to Google search? What if your Google+ account needs to be tied to a mobile phone? What if Google has limited search, and you need to own a Chromebook or Android device for the full search experience an…

Why would they abandon free advertising income, there's yet 3 billion+ people to learn how to use the internet, that's a lot of money son.

Re: Applebot, the web crawler for Apple

#55

Post by cromwellian »

epaga wrote: post #27
joelrunyon wrote: post #4

This is interesting. A while back, I think either Cook or Jobs mentioned that Apples makes PRODUCTS and doesn't sell ADS. If that's true (and stays true) AND this is the beginning of a search engine for them, it's going to be VERY interesting to see what it looks like.

I'm assuming you are remembering Cook's open letter on privacy http://www.apple.com/privacy/ "Our business model is very straightforward: We sell great products. We don’t build a profile based on your email content or web browsing habits to sell to advertisers." This obviously is not saying Apple doesn't sell ads. It's saying their core business model is selling products. The users are not the product.

Note does it doesn't say they don't build any profiles at all, or use your behavior for their own purposes, or that they don't collect data. It is in fact, very likely they do use profiles of their users for internal purposes, even if just for improving those services.

Re: Applebot, the web crawler for Apple

#56

Post by simi_ »

onion2k wrote: post #38
phn wrote: post #10

Apple is making a smart move by not wanting to depend on anyone else. Results may suck in the beginning, but well, competing in hard stuff is hard, this is another apple maps. Hopefully they won't get bashed so hard since this is not so user facing.

Apple is making a smart move by not wanting to depend on anyone else. That's one way of looking at it. A different one would be that the wealthiest company in the world could work with practically anyone and get a better product than they could build themselves more quickly with more features. The idea that they have to do everything in-house to get the best is paranoid and stupid. For example, rather than build Appl…

DDG would be a perfect fit for Apple, IMHO, as long as they don't kill the company and leave them some autonomy.

Re: Applebot, the web crawler for Apple

#57

Post by amelius »

cromwellian wrote: post #53
amelius wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google's businessmodel is based on mining and "selling" your data (you are not the customer). Apple's businessmodel is based on selling real products.

Apple still collects data on you. Google knows what sites you browse on the Web and what Web sites you search for. Apple knows what apps you search for in the App Store and what you buy in the store, and probably usage statistics. At some point, if not already, that data will be used to profile you and generate revenue maximizing suggestions of goods and services to buy in the App Store.

Sorry, but I hope you agree that one's web browsing behavior is a gazillion times more interesting than one's app-usage behavior.

Re: Applebot, the web crawler for Apple

#58

Post by hahainternet »

liviu wrote: post #26
hahainternet wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple already sells ads, and in fact restricts some technology to advertising partners. WebGL, full screen ads etc. They also have a patent on unskippable ads. I don't know why people don't treat statements like that with enough cynicism.

WebGL is no more restricted technology in iOS 8+. Btw it was restricted only in Safari.

Sure, but I find it quite unfair to say Apple doesn't sell Ads when they not only own their own exclusive Ad network, they control their entire platform, own many ad related patents and actively restricted access to new technologies to their advertisers in order they could outcompete anything else on iOS.

Re: Applebot, the web crawler for Apple

#59

Post by grouponthink »

amelius wrote: post #57
cromwellian wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple still collects data on you. Google knows what sites you browse on the Web and what Web sites you search for. Apple knows what apps you search for in the App Store and what you buy in the store, and probably usage statistics. At some point, if not already, that data will be used to profile you and generate revenue maximizing suggestions of goods and services to buy in the App Store.

Sorry, but I hope you agree that one's web browsing behavior is a gazillion times more interesting than one's app-usage behavior.

My search queries start with Siri and end in Safari

Apple knows my web browsing behavior because Safari is my default mobile browser app syncing my history, reading list and bookmarks with desktop Safari.

Apple knows where I work, live and my travels via Apple Maps and Passbook

Apple knows a few of my purchases via ApplePay both in the real world transactions and via ApplePay in apps.

I used MobileMe mail before switching to GMail and have considered switching to iCloud mail.

Apple knows a lot more interesting things about me than Google.

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