• Searchviews , Friday, August 8, 2008 2:15 PM

Noah Mallin poses the question of whether Yahoo has been the victim of schadenfraude from the entire marketing industry--that is, we're all taking pleasure in the Web giant's bad fortune. While the company has admittedly faced major challenges in recent months, Mallin outlines areas in which Yahoo is charging forward--particularly with search.

"A close look suggests that Yahoo hasn't given up on search and in fact may have the pieces in place for, if not a comeback, at least a stabilization of their fortunes," he says. "The first bit of evidence is the re-jiggering of their search algorithms this week. There's also been an upgrade rolled out to Yahoo Maps in the last week or so for better usability and functionality."

Mallin also highlights Yahoo's advancements with Search Monkey, allowing third-party developers to impact the users' search experience, as well as the BOSS (Build Your Own Search Service), which lets businesses use parts of Yahoo's search algorithm to develop their own engines. "The reality is that an open source search architecture is a powerful way for Yahoo to spread elements of its infrastructure through the net," he says.

The bottom line is that life and innovation at Yahoo continue despite the revolving door, the media scrutiny and the shareholder troubles. "The important thing is that these changes have potential," he says.

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