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Consumers Struggle to Find Reliable Information As Poor-Quality Instructional Content Floods the Internet

Posted on: Wednesday, 11 June 2008, 00:00 CDT

Today, consumers can find free instructions for accomplishing a variety of everyday tasks, on many community-generated How-To websites. New sites are constantly appearing, resulting in a dizzying overload of often poor-quality content, posing a challenging problem for consumers in search of reliable information.

FindHow(TM), the How-To search engine (www.findhow.com), brings trust back into the equation by focusing on indexing only high-quality How-Tos, typically from well-known, recognized brand names or individuals. Many of these sources (often companies, government entities, or educational institutions) have other motives for providing information besides pure profits, and most have trusted, off-line brand name reputations to protect -- which encourages them to focus on providing trustworthy and high-quality information.

"Our approach is to leverage the collective wisdom -- not of individuals, as sites like Wikipedia do -- but of the marketplace itself. Consumers have already voted with their pocketbooks as to which sources they trust -- sources called brand names -- and brand recognition is a powerful simplifying tool for consumers in an increasingly complex world," said Ted Ives, CEO of FindHow.

"There is a lot to be said for user-generated content, but the reality is, if you give someone a choice between 'How to make chocolate chip cookies' by 'a well-known celebrity chef' versus by 'some unknown person,' the celebrity chef is probably the smart choice. A homeowner who wants to know 'How to replace an electrical outlet' would be wise to get her advice from a large, well-known corporation that has invested time and effort to provide high-quality information, rather than relying on advice slapped together by some fly-by-night internet company trying to take advantage of her."

FindHow, the How-To Search Engine, features thousands of How-Tos from trusted brand names on topics ranging from popular topics such as "How to lose weight,""How to tie a tie,""How to make fried chicken," and "How to write a resume," to less frequent but equally important tasks like "How to become a dental assistant,""How to build a deck," and "How to calculate your Body Mass Index." Backed by significant private investment, FindHow was founded by veteran industry executives with experience at companies including Apple, General Dynamics, Microsoft, and National Semiconductor.

For more information about FindHow, please visit www.findhow.com

 Media: FindHow Incorporated Ted Ives 401-440-9211 Email Contact

SOURCE: FindHow Incorporated

Source: MARKET WIRE

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