Isaac created this substitute for manifold search :
https://outsidetheasylum.blog/manifold-search/
which I and several other people found useful to use, and I even found it more helpful than the manifold's native search itself.
Also, it's faster.
And you can search titles as well as descriptions.
The question:
Will Manifold end up acquiring/integrating/replacing their search with this tool?
Even if it is rolled out to a small subset of users officially, it will count. If manifold pays Isaac (mana also accepted) to acquire the code for his search tool, that will also resolve this to YES.
If Isaac is hired by manifold and writes code for their search, that will also count.
Related questions
@firstuserhere However, if Manifold hires him and he ends up writing code for their search, I'm also going to count that.
@firstuserhere This is pretty under-specified. Almost any feasible YES resolution here is going to require a Ship of Theseus type judgement call. Isaac's tool has its own backend, a different front-end, it can't be used verbatim unless literally just linked to or transferred in-place, which seems quite unlikely except as an April Fools or something. Unless you are asking about that specific possibility of using it verbatim, it would be good to come up with some rules of thumb for what would count. e.g. do they have to use his backend? His frontend? How much modification is permitted (it is almost certain that at least some will be required)?
Unless this is an obvious NO because they didn't incorporate any ideas, code, or inspiration at all, or an obvious YES because they literally just linked to or rehosted his tool as it is, there isn't a good Schelling point for what would count, and nobody will agree.
do they have to use his backend? His frontend? How much modification is permitted (it is almost certain that at least some will be required)?
Okay yeah the question is pretty underspecified. I wanna phrase something different where I was asking more about his ideas like @Tyler31 mentioned but couldn't write it clearly. Ig I will N/A this and either someone else writes a clearer market or I do so tomorrow. The spirit was towards whether manifold will implement something similar to what he's implemented, using his help, either via paying him for service or for his code or something similar.
@firstuserhere Fair enough.
The spirit was towards whether manifold will implement something similar to what he's implemented
This alone would be pretty weak because what Isaac has done is basically just "don't make all the dumb mistakes naive search interfaces make", so if they fix their bugs it would end up being a lot like Isaac's but it would plausibly be convergent evolution rather than actually being inspired.
using his help, either via paying him for service or for his code or something similar.
That's pretty good. Isaac receiving mana or cash compensation for improving search (by providing code or labour) is nice and objective.
I would not be all that surprised if Manifold went "wow, lots of people are saying Isaac's search is better than ours, we should improve ours". I would be very surprised if they asked me to help with that, or asked to use my code. Mine is quite simple; took under 2 hours to create. Doesn't really seem like an innovation worth paying for.