Yahoo Raises Firefox Y!Q

Users of Firefox were unimpressed when Yahoo implemented Y!Q contextual search in its toolbar for Internet Explorer, but now have the option for their preferred browser.

Yahoo told us in the Y!Q FAQ list that the service uses both the query and the highlighted content of a web page to provide search results relevant to the page content and the search term. That service has been part of the Yahoo Toolbar, but only on Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser.

Now Yahoo has announced the same functionality can be had for the Firefox browser as well.

Firefox users quickly responded, “Great, but what about us?” Well, we heard you – just install the Y!Q Greasemonkey script, and you’ll be able to perform a Y!Q search whenever – and wherever – the spirit moves you.

Yahoo also noted several other implementations of its work on web services. TagCloud.com and the Local Events Browser, with its multiple API implementations including the one for Yahoo Maps, take advantage of the comapny’s ongoing work with term extraction and contextual search.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.