Admittedly, if there wasn't a contest about the PRESEARCH platform, I would likely have been ignorant to its existence for a long while. I have been a long time user of DuckDuckGo ever since I found out that it existed (since about 2014), needless to say I try to avoid giving Google anymore information than they already have on me (which is basically my life, as an Android user - womp, womp).
It was easy for me to get into trying it out because I am always up for engaging with new, privacy-centric and focused projects out there, and the fact that there is incentivized with a token it was a no brainer - had to check it out. My immediate impressions of Presearch were pretty high, I liked that there was an ability to customize the kinds of search results that you get returned. I did not have the same kinds of feedback as some other users as far as some issues with relevant results being returned, but I was pleased with the interface, speed, and all around experience, I had to dig in a little further.
The big picture for the project is quite remarkable as it provides a robust solution to a seemingly herculean task. In no small way (pun intended), Presearch is David to Google's Goliath. The approach and imagery that a decentralized search engine evokes is far more resonant with how average folks would imagine the internet actually functions. The eco-system that is supported by the PRE token is quite brilliant, and this project takes the best aspects of blockchain and rewards healthy participation in information sharing in a time when it is becoming more and more difficult to do so. What I'll be focusing on are my favorite aspects of this project, the Nodes and Keyword Staking.
Nodes:
Anyone can spin up node and rewards are paid out with at least 1000 PRE staked. While Presearch does the work of anonymizing your search as soon as you hit enter to send your query before it even hits a node, your search is further anonymized by having nodes do the work of sending your search across the entirety of the internet to bring you relevant, censorship-resistant results. When a user sends a query it is received by a Node Gateway Server that does the work of stripping the query of any identifying information and then selects a node to forward the query to based on speed and reliability. The node will then collect results, return it to the Gateway Server, receive its PRE and then the results are packaged by the Presearch engine and displayed for the user, who also earns a reward for searching. It is important to note that while searches are completely anonymous, if you are thinking about operating a Node, there are some considerations to take in terms of planning your node deployment as your IP Address will be associated with some of the searches and will be facing Google. If you are interested, I would encourage you to read up on running a node on the site. They also make note that they are not currently an open-source project, and they have aims to be at some point in the future.
Based on what I can surmise of the project is that they are really trying to put their best effort forth to bring a functional future to the web. What do I mean by that? They are currently working to make strategic partnerships to be included in privacy browsers that will either include Presearch as a default search engine choice, or a promoted one. The work with PUBLISH0X is also testament to that, and their current marketing initiative. Colin Pape, the project's founder, does weekly updates on YouTube and shares company statistics, and the sky is truly the limit here. They are boasting some pretty impressive statistics, and it is no wonder - it's simply genius. Right now there are over 2 million registered users, and they are seeing upwards of 40% in unrewarded traffic. The PRE token is also up in value at around .10 USD. Colin had also just announced they are wrapping up an iOS app in the last weekly update, which is a new effort as there are only eight updates now. They stream on Fridays. In the works they are also deciding what blockchain to adhere to as a solution to outrageous gas fees on the Ethereum network so withdrawing your PRE becomes easier and more cost-effective.
That is all to say, do your due diligence of course when you decide to run a node. It uses Docker, and is not resource intensive.
Keyword Staking:
This is without a doubt my favorite piece of this whole project. Keyword staking takes some of the best elements of the blockchain and applies it to a real-world problem that comes with dealing with the behemoth that is Google Ads and Analytics. The platform is a monster, in that it is gargantuan. Sweeping. Massive. You get the point, it is so big, and you can get so granular, that you really need to be a specialized expert in that platform to truly get the most out of it. There is also the issue of click-fraud and just bad behavior around pay-per-click advertising, not to mention that the whole process is a convoluted mess. Both Presearch and DuckDuckGo take the stance that you obviously don't need to spy on people in order to provide the service of search results.
What is great about keyword staking is that you can stake your PRE on any URL at all. Colin had shared some great details about the extensive capabilities that this advertising platform really has with just a stupid simple interface and way to accomplish what you need to accomplish. I truly think that they heard the call of what the internet should have been and answered it. As explained in this webinar, you can stake your PRE on a URL to study traffic to that site based on the keywords assigned.
While that is fantastic for people who do business on the internet, which is everyone with an internet connection, I cannot understate the importance of what that means from a community's perspective. To the degree that when this project reaches mass adoption it will test our mettle in the face of what we allow to prevail in the public consciousness as we battle disinformation, anti-intellectualism, the constant devaluation and debasing of critical thinking, but moreover this will be challenging our greater empathy - truly. If that sounds a little too far out for just a search engine, that's fine, but the implications are grand and I would be remiss if I did not speak to them even slightly. Colin had pointed out that this means great things to showcase opposing viewpoints, so perspectives from all sides can come out - which is imperative to breaking out of the echo chambers that Big Tech™? have so thoughtfully constructed for us.
Philosophy aside, what is really great is how this democratizes information again. Even a little closer to home, if you are sent off a query, and then later found what was a really useful site and information wasn't at the top of the results, you can stake some PRE and bump that URL. If you are launching your own project, getting your friends, family, and folks in your network to pitch in and stake PRE tokens to bump your site up can have massive implications for the early successes of your project.
Final Thoughts:
If you could not infer, I have genuine excitement about the future with this project. I was thinking about how I could leverage the platform and contribute to its community. They have a telegram groups and are becoming more active with Discord, but the link in the latest update video (26 March 2021) was expired when I tested it out.
This project is bound to be a titan, provided that they saddle up with the right bridge or side chain. At face value from what is being communicated, they are being deliberate about this choice for obvious reasons. They have staying power and have momentum on their side. They launched in 2016, and within the year they have 1 million users. Get in now while you can, start earning your PRE - when there is wider adoption, PRE will gain more value with its max supply of 500.000.000. I would also be interested in seeing how it plays with the next wave of Web3 addresses and supporting IPFS, if it can deliver on bringing Web3 results, and already ahead of the pack with an easy user consideration like Dark Mode - there is really nothing out of reach.
