Facebook appoints former Google engineer to improve its search function
Summary
Facebook has formed a new engineering team, led by former Google engineer Lars Rasmussen, to significantly enhance its internal search functionality. This team of over 20 engineers will focus on improving the sorting and discoverability of user-generated content within the platform. The strategic goal is to evolve Facebook into a more powerful internal search engine, aiming to increase user engagement and enable new keyword-based advertising revenue streams, similar to Google's model. While not directly competing with traditional web search, Facebook plans to leverage its extensive user data, particularly "Likes," to build a distinct search business. Rasmussen, known for his work on Google Maps and Google Wave, joined Facebook in 2010 to spearhead this initiative.
The team consists of more than 20 engineers which is led by Rasmussen. The main efforts are to achieve easier sorting for contents which are created by users on Facebook . This will help Facebook be a more powerful search engine, which not only allows the user to stay longer on Facebook, but also helps Facebook make more profits by selling keyword ads like what Google does by putting ads next to search results .
Facebook is unlikely to compete with Google on traditional search beyond its current business scope, but they can rely on websites which are liked by users using Like button to start a good business. Google currently has a market share of 67% in US market.
Rasmussen had co-founded a map software company with others before, the company was sold to Google in 2004. Later he was involved in the development of Google Maps and less successful communication and collaboration tools, Google Wave. Google finally closed the Wave service.
Rasmussen joined Facebook in 2010 under the invitation of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg . Facebook had already started IPO (initial public offering), ready to financing $ 5 billion to $ 100 billion valuation.
This article is translated from http://tech.sina.com.cn . The original article address is: http://tech.sina.com.cn/i/2012-03-30/09096894302.shtml
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