One
of the problems is that Web developers have quickly learnt
the best ways to ensure a high position on search engines.
This means results often reflect these people's skills and
knowledge rather than the power of the engine itself. On
top of that, the sheer number of Web sites out their means
that some of these tools are already becoming unwieldy.
With
that in mind, a new generation of search engines and Net
tools has started to arrive. These attempt to bring a certain
amount of intelligence to the process of Internet searching.
Although few boast databases the size of the likes of Alta
Vista, or the speed of some of their contemporaries, used
correctly some of these new tools can become valuable companions.
Targeted search engines that only look at a section of the
Web, and engines which allow you to configure their results
into a more readable format are popping up all over the
place.
There
are already plenty of localised search engines appearing.
Most of the big names have UK versions, although these often
only include local guides and advertising white the main
engine stays unchanged.
These types of engines are now appearing the world over.
To take one example, Australian and New Zealand users can
peruse the fast and powerful Answers service at www.anzwers.com.au,
which uses lnktomi technology to deliver localised results.
Vertical
market search engines are also starting to appear. Exes
at www.exes.com is a travel-oriented engine. A new service
with a relatively small database, the software searches
relevant travel sites such as traffic reports, live CAMs,
immigration news, and visa information. Expect to see more
of these types of engines appearing in the coming months.
Northern
Light concentrates on presenting search results in an easily
digestible format. You can set up Custom Search Folders
which organise your search results by subject, source or
type -hugely useful for searches where thousands of results
are delivered.
You
can also search Northern Light's Special Collection, which
claims to include content you will not be able to find elsewhere.
This search engine seems to be asking all the right questions,
and certainly makes searching a less frustrating experience.
One
of the original players and fast expanding beyond the core
search engine, Lycos is now a major media player with a
range of content. The search engine itself remains a serious
competitor, with a large, fast and powerful database. Claiming
to cover 55 million URLs, or over 91 per cent of the Web,
Lycos continues to thrive. While other engines quickly outgrow
their usefulness, the Lycos engine (which was the original
software 'spider') copes well with the increasing scope
of its search.
www.lycos.co.uk
Compared
with some of the others here, it's still a relatively new
kid on the block, but do not let the involvement of West
Coast technology magazine Wired put you off. HotBot is a
useful, stable and impressive service. A fast-growing database
with well over 54 million sites so far, it has the right
mixture of big performance and intelligent results. At its
heart is powerful lnktomi technology, which has the support
of Microsoft, among others. Will probably survive longer
than the magazine itself.
www.hotbot.com
AltaVista
Initially
launched to show off the speed of Digital's own Alpha processors
and servers, AltaVista has been a must on every bookmark
list since 1995. The scope and size of the service remains
impressive and results are usually the best of the bunch.
The sheer number of results can be daunting, but additional
user configuration facilities for both search and results
continue to improve the service. Attempts to spin off a
range of shrink-wrapped software have not been very successful,
but it is still a powerful brand.
It
will be interesting to see how AltaVista develops after
the acquisition of Digital by Compaq. Let us hope they do
not mess with one of the most essential sites on the Web.
www.aItavista.digltal.com
Founded
In 1995, Excite continues to grow and now resembles a Yahoo!
Is a style information point, directory and free email service.
At its heart is a powerful search engine, which can get
lost in the extraneous information and commercial deals
that fill the site. The free email service is part of the
UK Government's initiative to equip every school pupil with
Internet access.
Result quality can vary, but Excite usually finds a few
relevant references not found elsewhere. I found a news
story about one of my sites that I had not come across before.
A search for Lard also used Excite's relationship with Music
Boulevard to suggest I might like to buy a CD by the band
of the same name. The company behind Excite is also responsible
for the once great but now poor Webcrawler engine at www.webcmwler.com.
www.excite.com/ www.excite.co.uk/
Yahoo!
A bit
cheeky, this one, as Yahoo! Is a hierarchical index of sites
rather than a search engine. But the size of the index and
the integration of AltaVista mean that most Web searches
start here. It is one of the biggest commercial successes
on the Web. Added functions mean it is starting to spread
itself thin, but Yahoo. Still has a lot going for it. Although
much depends on Web managers registering sites themselves
a prominent placing or 'cool' choice can bring instant tam
and fortune.
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.co.uk
Using
an English butler metaphor for searches, Ask Jeeves' use
of plain language questioning is its unique selling point.
Rather than hundreds of responses, Ask Jeeves comes back
with just a few, gleaned from the main search engines.
Its intelligence lies in how the software understands and
translates questions. Results come from several recognised
sources, but it is the phrasing of the question and the
way it interfaces with existing search engines that is impressive.
The
quality of Ask Jeeves' results depends on the search engines
it uses. And it seems to work pretty well. I tried two tests.
First I asked it where the Gardening Club was (it is a club
in Covent Garden). Included among a number of responses
relating to gardening and bonsai was the correct result,
along with an address and contact details for the club (from
AltaVista). Thinking this was too easy, I tried the question
'Who is Mike Brac?' Ask Jeeves suggested Internet Magazine's
Features page, where I found our esteemed deputy editor
Mr Brac in all his glory. I was impressed with the speed
and accuracy of the results.
Ask
Jeeves pride itself on building its databases from users'
questions. Apparently, its team of researchers has compiled
millions of them. Going on my first meeting with Jeeves,
it looks like becoming a loyal and trusted servant.
www.askjeeves.com
One
of the emerging UK-only engines worth watching is Search
UK at www.searchuk.com. Using a software searching bot called
SuperEwe, the service also boasts an 'IntelliSearch' feature
which, much like more powerful engines, allows you to use
common database commands such as 'OR', 'AND' and 'NOT'.
Other plain English phrases can also be used. Results are
fast and plentiful, but often fail to hit their target.
However, this service shows promise, and as its database
builds, it may be worth returning to.
But
in the end...
Sadly, there is no one-search engine that will answer all
your needs. AltaVista and HotBot emerge just ahead of the
pack, with Excite and Infoseek not far behind. If your requirements
are fairly general, Yahoo!'s directory is comprehensive
enough for many Web journeys.
The new boys have a long way to go to compete with the major
players, but a focus on intelligent searching and results
management means they are headed the right way.
In the
meantime, the work has to be done by the end user. Find
the search engine that consistently gets the results you
want, and learn to use it more effectively. Get to grips
with advanced functions and search techniques and learn
how to phrase your search to get results. It is chaotic
out there, but the power is available to bring a measure
of control to the Web.
What
do most people search for? Here are the results for 30 days
in mid - August to mid-September 1997 (hence the Diana reference)
on the MetaCrawler service.
- Free
-
Sex
-
Nude
-
Pictures
-
Warez
-
xxx
-
Diana
-
Pics
-
New
-
University
Source:
The Washington Post, 26 October1997
Search Engine Watch www.searchenginewatch.com
www.yahoo.co.uk/Computer_and_internet/internet/
World_Wide_Web/Searchin_the_Web/Comparing_Search_Engines
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