The up-and-coming search engine Blekko is pushing for a smarter kind of search. The site, which is making Google at least a little nervous, is attempting to train users to use "slash tags" to refine their queries.
But now Blekko is doing some slashing of its own. Blekko has blocked at least 20 content farmy sites, according to TechCrunch, including Demand Media's eHow and Answerbag. If Blekko is right about the future of search (especially #5 and #9) it suggests Demand Media's recent I.P.O. maybe wasn't such a great idea. For a thorough primer on how to use Blekko, check out Marshall Kirkpatrick's guide at ReadWriteWeb.