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Comment by astrofinch | Hacker News Reader

I don't see how this could be very useful. If I'm looking for something within my personal data, I'm probably going to know whether it's on Facebook, in my GChat logs, or on my filesystem and use the domain-specific search feature for that.

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It depends on the execution. But the idea is simple and I had a use for it just a few days ago - I was going to attend a gathering. I have not noted down the address and can't remember if the invite came through from Facebook, any one of my email addresses, IM or text. If I can go to a single textbox, type the name of the host and popup the invite/address, it would have been great.

I thought this for a few seconds as well. Then it hit me... that's because I'm not a 21 year old who already has 7-8 years worth of history stored on multiple social networking platforms... where I will continue to build and accumulate "stuff" for the rest of my life.

This idea is brilliant, and this kid understood it because it makes so much sense from his perspective. Even with my more limited context, once I "got it", I couldn't wait to try it out and it rocks.

You select your platforms, type what you are looking for into a search box and Greplin finds it instantly... no scrolling or searching. Check it out.

I guess sometimes I have trouble remembering whether a conversation occurred on my old gmail account or my new one.

I am also 19, for what it's worth.

I think you can actually have more than one of the same type of account! I think I remember reading that one of Greplin's inventors decided to fund him bc every time they made a suggestion, he'd implement it right away and that was one of their suggestions! Guess I should stop saying "kid" here. Definitely no offense intended - I'm learning a ton on HN and never know how old anyone is. I just think it's awesome that his perspective led to this idea that I wouldn't have seen without help from mine!

well, nobody said only you will be able to search in your personal data...

That's what it does - it's a search engine that lets you search within your own stuff all in one place... that may be too simple but that's how I remember it.

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