Link Love: 'Salaaam' the Super-Ethical Search Engine
My Review
According to the About page, "Salaaam... includes results from google, yahoo, bing, YouTube, twitter (except YouTube, these search buttons are available next to the search bar) but at the same time filters out the worst of the web... explicit and indecent content..." This is excellent sensitivity from a website that is connected to so many networks, Allah knows it's easy to 'accidentally' peek at something degrading and therefore Salaam blocks everything that could be fitna-material. "It's also the first search engine of its kind that allows users to flag inappropriate content (no it isn't, Taqwa.me also does this) thus making it compatible with the ... values of billions of Internet users and people of faith..." Billions is perhaps an overstatement, but the intention to be user-friendlier is there.
In a standard self-centred approach I search my own name first 'Zau-fi-shan'. At least I'm on it, although I can't tell how many results are listed as there's no total number anywhere...
Features: Salaam includes the traditional Google/Yahoo tools - a search menu for videos, news, blogs, local news and real-time: all of the most recent web-related content. The home page, which looks identical to Google and even has those annoying adverts, includes an extensive link collection in the footer ranging from Islamic YouTube videos to news (Mashable, Al-Jazeera news) and Muslim sponsors (Hijab Trendz, Muslimah Source). There is however, only one alternative language option - Arabic. Plus there's not much originality to Salaam in terms of optimising what you're looking for or organising the results' categories.
Typing in my name again and clicking on 'real-time' from the top I see the most recent links associated with me. Since I'm not making headlines, I type in something more relevant: 'Indonesia tsunami' and now I can see the articles coming in as they are published. Real-Time.
To test Salaam's truer ethics I type in a dirty word. No, not that dirty, something like 'nude', that's a PG word and will surely bring up something scandalous. But oh? look at this -
Ok, it passes that test. How about something dirtier? I type in a collection of curses and repelling words (including a*se) and nothing offensive appears. Wohoo! Aha, one didn't make the censor = Boob? Aha! again. Well, it may not be x-rated but we can assert that Salaam is eliminating filth and allowing room for balanced humour ...ah, boob... *wipes tear*
Salaam excels in providing more 'spiritual' searches (it sounds older), so for instance typing in 'women' renders a 'women of faith' option and cleaner, child-friendly women-related content, cool. But I feel it's narrowing the search options for wider audiences. And there's no image search option. At all.
My Rating
For having more pros than cons, behaving like a second cousin to Google and having the stealth to gather information from several sources, even if it seems like a cloned-old-man, I rate Salaam a 7★. If they would add the images and maps feature, I'd reconsider.
More:
Google search engine meets Qur'an
What's the highest rating?
ReplyDelete