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Search Engines for the World Wide Web
From: INNOVATIVE TEACHING
presented by Walter McKenzie - Creative Classroom Consulting
http://www.interserf.net/mcken/consult.htm
Innovative staff development: Technology Applications, Multiple
Intelligences, Curriculum Integration and Creative Education.
In an information rich environment like the Web, search tools
can be instrumental in harnessing what you need. The
proliferation of these sites has made it difficult to choose,
but there is certainly a search engine out there for everyone.
In
fact, finding the search tool which matches your own thinking
processes can be the key to having success. One site is not
necessarily better than another, they're just different.
Of course there is the distinction of the index versus the
directory. Whereas the index covers a larger volume of sites
and
brings back very literal hits whether they match your intention
or not, the directory is a conceptual tool which returns
listings from a smaller database that are closer to your intended
search. To each his/her own!
This edition not only touts a number of search engines for
your consideration, it also recommends sites which can assist
you in choosing and using your search engine of choice. Look
especially for those search instruments designed with
educators in mind. Hey, it's a cyber-jungle out there.....somebody
has to look out for us teachers!
ALTA VISTA - http://www.altavista.com/
Perhaps the premier index online; includes a language translator,
photo finder, and a family filter to block out
objectionable material, as well as one of the best advanced searches
anywhere - and Alta Vista Discovery makes searching
for information more coordinated than ever
ASK JEEVES - http://www.askjeeves.com/
All directories are conceptual, AJ handles semantics and syntax
by accepting queries as complete questions taking
conceptual searches to a whole new level; if you are more verbal
than logical, AJ may be what you're looking for
BEAUCOUP - http://www.beaucoup.com/
Lists available search engines by categories - very helpful if
you're looking for something new and different aside from
the mainstream searches we are all accustomed to
BIGFOOT - http://www.bigfoot.com/
Searches for websites and Yellow Pages listings, but this site
is most noted for its people searches - you have an email
address, they can help you find them; check out their Neoplanet
service as a way to integrate all your web needs into one
location
BRITANNICA - http://www.ebig.com/
The editors of the renowned encyclopedia harness the riches of
the Internet, categorize them for your use, rates and
reviews them, and offer them through a searchable database here;
can include Alta Vista searches
DEJA NEWS - http://www.dejanews.com/
The easiest way to get into newsgroups; look for messages in
the traditional search query box or customize DN so that
you can access favorite topics and groups instantly to keep up
with postings on a regular basis - it can't get much easier
than this
DOGPILE - http://www.dogpile.com/
The meta-search engine with the offbeat image, Dogpile takes
your query and processes it through Yahoo!, Thunderstone,
Lycos' A2Z, GoTo.com, Mining Co., Excite Guide, PlanetSearch,
What U Seek, Magellan, Lycos, WebCrawler,
InfoSeek, Excite and AltaVista all at once, adjusting to the
peculiarities of each for you - you can also look for
newsgroups, stock quotes, yellow pages, FTP sites, weather and
maps
EUROSEEK
- http://www.euroseek.net/page?ifl=uk
A search tool designed specifically for finding information and
resources throughout Europe; this URL is the English
link, but you can search in any major European language
EXCITE - http://www.excite.com/
A personalized directory engine that uses Intelligent Concept
Extraction to increase conceptually appropriate hits for your
searches; also offers news, chat, bulletin boards, domains and
a variety of services from airline tickets to movies and
personals - the kind of site which tries to be a home base as
much as a pit stop
EXPRESS - http://express.infoseek.com/
Infoseek's dazzling new search tool which is fabulous for finding
graphics - download the free software and have its
capabilities at your fingertips whenever you need it; easy to
individualize to make it useful for your specific needs
FINDING DATA ON THE
INTERNET - http://nilesonline.com/data/
Robert Niles' site offering ideas on how to successfully find
what you're looking for on the largest single information
source known to mankind - the Web
FINDING
INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET - http://lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html
A tutorial from UC Berkeley which provides strategies and information
to help you focus your searches on the WWW, in
newsgroups and listservs
GOOGLE - http://google.com/
A new contender in the search engine sweepstakes claiming to
use a sophisticated mathematical formula to help you find
the highest quality, most accurate searches possible from "more
than a billion hyperlinks"; also allows you to view cached
versions of web pages so you're not out of luck if the actual
site is down when you need it
HOTBOT - http://www.hotbot.com/
If this were a popularity contest, this index may well win hands
down; Wired Digital offers a fast, efficient tool which is
not as conceptually oriented as I would like, but is certainly
exhaustive in bringing back every possible hit you could be
looking for - definitely geared for a younger clientele, some
of the nomenclature for their related services are bordering
on being distasteful.....to each his own
INFOSEEK - http://infoseek.go.com/
One directory I seem to have particular success on; it may not
be as big as some of its competitors in the volume of sites it
covers, but it tends to connect me to resources i can truly make
use of - if you've never tried it I would highly recommend
it (click on tips to learn of all its features before you give
it a whirl)
KIDS CLICK
- http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/KidsClick!/
If you are comfortable with the thought of a librarian directing
you towards the best resources (and who isn't?), this is a
great site for locating kid's resources; this directory is built
by librarians and narrows down the content to that which is
truly kid-appropriate - created and maintained by the Ramapo
Catskill Library System
LYCOS - http://www.lycos.com/
In a lot of ways Lycos is just as conceptually accurate as Infoseek,
but it offers some intriguing free software such as
Stock Alert and Planet Oasis, as well as a customized version
of IE Explorer and other navigation tools; of course there's
the all-too-familiar chat services, shopping links and other
frills to lure you into making this your home page
MAMMA - http://www.mamma.com/
Access with an attitude - "the mother of all search engines";
aside from fluff like personals and horoscopes, Mamma can
give you powerful search results without having to surf from
engine to engine - especially interesting is "Mamma
Remote", a small second window you can take with you as
you surf around the web to search at any time, any place
without having to return to the main Mamma page.....now that's
helpful!
NETGUIDE - http://www.netguide.com/
Emphasizes its staying current with the ever changing Web landscape;
editors of various categories serve as experts in
their disciplines to help you find satisfaction in your Net pursuits
NORTHERN LIGHT -
http://www.northernlight.com/
Web resources from over 120 million sites, plus articles and
reviews from more than 5,400 periodicals dating back to
1995; while purchasing actual materials from special content
areas is not free, it is nominal
ONE SEEK - http://www.oneseek.com/
A meta-search tool which specializes in not only web sites but
web rings and a variety of specialized subjects; the frames
get really annoying when you want to see the actual page, but
you can get around that easy enough
OPEN DIRECTORY - http://dmoz.org/
Formerly "New Hoo", this 'self-regulating republic'
asks netizens to volunteer as editors to recommend the corners
of the
Web they know best, making for a non-commercial, populist directory
where democracy runs amuck! If you want to see
the input of the common man rather than polished experts, this
site will definitely give you a new perspective
PINAKES
- http://www.hw.ac.uk/libWWW/irn/pinakes/pinakes.html
Named after the catalogue of the library in ancient Alexandria,
Egypt, this site links major subjects to help make searching
more productive and successful; the newsletter for educators
may also be of interest for Higher Ed people
PLANET CLICK!
- http://www.planetclick.com/Education/
Another attempt at populism, this directory offers sites based
on the ratings of people who visit.....participatory
democracy with a twist - the hits can be fresh and off the beaten
path
PROTEUS -
http://www.thrall.org/proteus.html
Incredibly sophisticated site allowing you to make use of dozens
of search engines and tailor them to an interface you are
most comfortable with; it's a little overwhelming to see all
the choices it offers you, but if you have the time and the
patience the rewards are there
SEARCH ENGINE WATCH
- http://searchenginewatch.com/
Search engine guides, status reports, facts, resources and a
mailing list to keep you up to date on what's new, what
works and why
SEARCH ENGINES AND SYNTAX
EXAMPLES - http://www.findspot.com/
Tips on using the most popular indexes and directories so that
you can have the most success with the time you put into it
- great summaries
SEARCHING THE WEB
- http://numa.niti.org/enc/
The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse's nicely organized tutorial
on making the most of Web searches, from beginner to
advanced
SPIDER'S APPRENTICE
- http://www.monash.com/spidap.html
Helps make searching a more efficient, rewarding process, with
up-to-date news on search engine improvements and a
ticker to show you what are the most popular search queries at
any given time
STUDENTS' GUIDE TO
THE WWW - http://www.gis.net/~peacewp/
Made by William Peace from Cape Cod, select search engines by
subject area to facilitate successful information gathering
online
SURFIN'
- http://members.aol.com/search/index.html
Reviews for search engines, meta searchers, people and business
finders, usenet and other specialized types of searches
TKMs EDUCATION WEB
SEARCH - http://www.tkm.mb.ca/education/
Out of Manitoba, TKMs search covers all levels of education and
seeks sites of interest to educators exclusively; it's not
as flashy as Planet K-12 but it does offer a unique service
WEBIVORE - http://207.121.190.134/
Touting itself as "a comprehensive research system",
Webivore is designed by educators for educators with software
for
5th grade through college - but hurry and check it out, it goes
subscription based in March!
YAHOO - http://www.yahoo.com/
The original fun directory with enough common sense to keep it
useful and enough extras to keep you checking back - I
find myself coming here when I get frustrated with other searches.....it
just makes sense to me
YAHOOLIGANS - http://www.yahooligans.com/
Of all the kid-centered search tools, this one consistently gives
me offerings I can use, usually with a few surprises I
wasn't aware of; I get tired of out of date links here, but the
good outweighs the bad and I recommend it to you highly
ZAPME! - http://www.zapme.com/net/
A grade 6-12 directory bringing you some 10,000 educational sites
on such areas as the classroom, library research , the
teacher's toolbox, news and current events and the future for
students - worth a look
Visit The Innovative Teaching Website:
http://www.interserf.net/mcken/teacher.htm
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-©1999 Walter McKenzie
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