I was originally going to ask about Cuil specifically but it's a really more of a broader issue. Even Bing has seemingly failed, although I keep hearing mixed reports that it's growing in market share, or that it can't put a dent in Googles dominance. Honestly I don't expect anyone to beat Google at the SE game, the way it is currently. "Competitors" are pushing a boulder uphill, coming up with almost the same exact User interface/layout and expecting people to switch over. My question is will anyone put serious $$$ into a SE if it's only just a SE? The future of Search is going to evolve and take on more niche aggregation but you will always need the big overall SE's because who wants to search 10 of their favorite niche websites just to find what they are looking for? It is only acceptable for a competitor to come out with almost the same exact layout (or make it worse) and attempt to market it as something different if you are a Search Engine. If someone came out with a clone of amazon and tried to topple them with an inferior algorithm/way of doing business we would all laugh...but yet it seems the Search engine universe is different. Maybe we are like parents on the sideline cheering on the underdog no matter how normal, average, and inferior they really are... I praise sites like Searchme because they are at least trying to fill a niche within Search....a visual representation. Although I would rather have text results I can see how this could lead the way to something great in the near future. WolframAlpha is also doing something unique and special. Outside of the algorithm which really can only rely on a handful of criteria including meta data and links, these search engines are all clones of one another. Google has won this game...you can't beat someone if they are the best at the game..but you can try to do something different within the game to tip the favor in your side. Where are the risk takers? Where is the innovation? Stop playing it safe! All the new SE's are boring as hell.
Innovation is in behind HopHunt but risk takers were blind as of now. So the challenge would be for Bing to beat Google for a while.