As noted by CNET News. Google has launched yet another Beta in the escalating search wars frenzy, this time taking on search results personalization. In true Google fashion, the interface provides a relatively simple way to specify how much personalization one wants in search results - specify categories within a simple taxonomy that interest you, then when you get search results you may slide a simple control from left to right to specify how much personalization you want included in the results. As you slide the control, new items will appear in the results list, with some friendly-looking "Google balls" indicating that they were added to the results from the personalization controls. In some informal search tests, the results do change, but since we cover a lot of areas at Shore that are both specific and broad, I found myself checking off lots of categories, resulting in personalization that really didn't do much to help the quality of results. The taxonomy-driven approach to setting up a personalization profile seems to be somewhat awkward and contradictory to other Google philosophies. Getting concierge-like results in content services requires responding to actual interests, not potential categories of interest. It's all about customer service, not library science - ask Amazon. Much better to have a little box or such when one completes a search that says something like "include this search in my profile", which would have the added benefit of tying into text ads more effectively. While more effective than far more crude personalization services found at Yahoo! and other portals, this is one Beta that's still in need of some additional thinking.