A Human Search Engine represents a distinctive kind of online search engine that integrates human insight and intelligence into its functionality. This search engine variety frequently employs computation based on human input, engaging human involvement in processes like problem-solving and data retrieval. Examples of such platforms could include the Human Flesh Search Engine, a popular internet[1] trend in China where users collaboratively engage in problem-solving, and Social Search, a method that extracts information from social networks. Human Search Engines are defined by their amalgamation of human cognitive abilities and collective intelligence, enhancing conventional algorithm-dependent search technologies. They represent a progressive field within the broader context of online search engines, human-facilitated computation, and internet software.
A human search engine was a search engine that used human participation to filter the search results and assist users in clarifying their search request. The goal was to provide users with a limited number of relevant results, as opposed to traditional search engines that often return many results that may or may not be relevant.
Examples of defunct human search engines include ApexKB, ChaCha, Mahalo.com, NowNow (from Amazon.com), DMOZ and Sproose.