I’m still not using Ask regularly, but they do have some nice features. I wish they would let you reorganize their search tools between pages, thoug. There are some I like on the second page and some I’ll never use on the first page. Unless I’m missing it I don’t think you can move tools between the two sets.

Well, the search engines won’t make it harder to search (I hope). What they may, instead, is improve their interface to excite more precise queries (as per this interview with a search query researcher, Amanda Spink).

Then again, there is Ask, who offered another method of searching, which might be helpful. I heard Google tried to implement the same algorithm (answering to questions) too, but I haven’t seen or heard about the results.

So far search engines have relied heavily on searchers learning how to search and find what they want, Which isn’t a bad thing, Though obviously they will want to improve thier search engine and part of this is going to be the ability to second guess a searchers intention.
I just hope this doesn’t mean we will all have to learn how to search again lol.

Generally, the art of selecting the right keywords is built around the customers. Some keyphrases are obvious target ones, while some seem right, while being used by a slightly different audience. Different enough not to use your product or service.