Being online in the 1990s looked quite different for some generations—or, more precisely, a segment of a particular generation than it does today. For starters, searching was a completely different industry; Google wasn’t the only company in town, and search results varied considerably based on which search engine users used. You can also use a search engine aggregator (the much-missed Metacrawler) to get a breakdown of results from many providers.
What is Stract?
A programmer from the Technical University of Denmark named Mikkel Denker developed the new open-source search engine Stract.
Stract seeks to provide a more flexible and open online surfing environment than Google’s search ecosystem.
The growth and adaptability of Stract
With input from its Discord community, Stract—which is now running out of a server in Denker’s office basement—is always changing.
The foundation for Stract was established by Denker’s master’s thesis, which concentrated on finding private files and papers. He intends to focus entirely on the search engine once he completes his degree.
Stract provides a highly customizable experience in response to worries about search results being dominated by ad-heavy websites, AI-generated results, and SEO-driven content. The search engine processes 1,000 searches every hour, which is impressive given that it runs on a server in Denker’s office.
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The requirement for an open online surfing experience
Denker emphasized the restricted possibilities for open web browsing, with most searches conducted through large firms such as Google, Bing, and Yandex.
DuckDuckGo search engine relies on Bing for results.
Stract intends to give consumers a more open and transparent method to explore the internet, free of the limits imposed by large search engine businesses.
Stract has the potential to change the way customers interact with online content and search for information.
Features of Stract
Stract has a distinctive feature called “Optics,” that lets users tailor search engine instructions to help them locate certain content types or restrict them to searches on particular websites. Stract is open-source. As a result, anyone may create their own optic or change their current one.
Stract users may also like, dislike, and ban specific websites, as well as de-rank those that include a lot of advertisements or third-party tracking.
This open-source web search engine enables users to customize their search results using multiple “optics,” such as prioritizing academic sources or independent sites and blogs. It harkens back to an earlier period of the internet when things were more free-flowing and online communities were more organic. Denker informed Koebler that he intends to devote more time to Stract shortly, which is good news for anyone looking for additional search engine alternatives.
Can you earn money with Stract?
Currently, you can earn money from Stract, but plans to add contextual ads based on search terms, similar to DuckDuckGo’s system. Paid subscribers may also have access to ad-free searches.
Conclusion
Nowadays, the search area is significantly different from what it formerly was, and the subject of how AI could modify it is important. However, there is also a desire for a search engine that provides a more streamlined and focused experience, one that does not attempt to anticipate your requirements or prioritize sponsored results. Stract, an open-source search engine, might potentially fill the needs of many people.
