Useful Web Sites
AltaVista
Extremely large search engine with advanced features
like ”Ask AltaVista” (run by powerful “Ask Jeeves” interface) and a
directory feature imported from Looksmart. One important note about
AltaVista is that companies can pay to have their sites ranked higher.
Ask Jeeves
Human-driven directory system that users can access
through plain-language queries such as “Where can I find the blue book value
of my 1998 Ford Escort?” In addition to searching its own database, Ask
Jeeves also does a search of several of the more popular engines for
additional information.
AOL Search
AOL Search is enhanced by the Google search engine. The
search results will be very similar to the results you would get in Google.
Direct Hit (Teoma)
Direct Hit is a search engine that monitors other
search engines to see which site get the most “hits.” It is now a part of
teoma which is the world’s most advanced search technology.
Excite
Despite only having a medium sized database, Excite is
one of the more popular search engines on the web. Excite is one of the few
search engines to incorporate non-Web material such as sports scores, and TV
listings (when appropriate) into its listings. It also has the best news
search server, Excite News Tracker. Excite’s database is used for both AOL
Netfind and Netscape search.
GO
GO is powered by Infoseek search engine. Despite the
different look and feel, search results will usually be identical to the
results you would get from Infoseek. GO is not related to GoTo.
Google
Google is an interesting variation on the “popularity
engine” used by DirectHit and HotBot. However, instead of tracking hits that
a site gets, it counts the number of the other web sites that link to a
particular site. This creates some interesting results because you are
seeing essentially the sites that people who make web sites recommend.
GoTo (Overture)
GoTo is now Overture. Overture is a pay-for placement
search engine. All sites listed on Overture have paid to be there. That
means that Overture is a good place to hunt down commercial and
advertisement sites without through long lists of homepages or search / news
pages.
HotBot
HotBot has a very large database and an easy to use
interface to pinpoint exactly the content you are looking for. HotBot is
powered by Lycos.
Infoseek
Infoseek is now the same as Go.com. When typing in
infoseek.com, you will be taken to Go’s homepage.
LookSmart
Like Yahoo, LookSmart is primarily human-compiled
directory. It often works in tandem with AltaVista, Microsoft’s MSN,
Netscape Netcenter, Inktomi, and Ask Jeeves just to name a few. It provides
pay-for-placement and paid inclusion search listing platforms.
Lycos
Lycos is one of the oldest search engines on the web.
It recently adapted its interface over to a primarily directory driven
system similar to Yahoo. Its search engine works in the old-fashioned
spidering system, so you are sure to get a large quantity of sites to choose
from. This is helpful when you are researching a relatively obscure topic.
MSN (Microsoft)
The MSN search engine is another interface for the
Inktomi system. Microsoft related sites and business partners achieve higher
rankings.
Netscape
Netscape search is powered by the Excite search engine.
Despite its different look and feel, search results will usually be
identical to the results you would get from Excite.
Open Directory (NewHoo)
The Open Directory project began as NewHoo, a rival to
Yahoo. It is a giant directory compiled by volunteer editors. The most
interesting thing about the Open Directory is that any other search software
is allowed to utilize its database free of charge. Netscape, Lycos, amd
HotBot all in some way use the Open Directory database.
Search.com
Search.com is powered by Infoseek and thus usually
provides the same results, although Search.com is more flexible in its
advanced search features and thus gives you the ability to even further
pinpoint your destination.
Snap
Snap.com is now the NBCI search engine with searches
being powered by GoTo. NBCI can be accessed through
http://www.searchbits.com.
WebCrawler
Webcrawler has the smallest database of all of the
search engines listed here. This can be an advantage to those who feel
overwhelmed by other search engines that give hundreds of thousands of
results per subject. Webcrawler is the oldest major search engine still in
use and is powered by InfoSpace Inc.
Yahoo
Yahoo is the largest human compiled service directory
available. Over one million sites have been indexed by Yahoo’s large
editorial staff. Web users love Yahoo because it consistently achieves
quality results. Web developers hate Yahoo because of the lengthy process
involved in getting your sitelisted.
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