SEARCH.internet.GUIDE
search engines  .   meta-search engines   .  directories . how to search

search engines

a search engine (like google.com or teoma.com) uses a software program to hunt the internet looking for websites to add to the search engine's database.  When you use a search engine you are not actually searching the whole internet, but locating information within the database of the company that owns the search engine.  It is reported that it takes about 6 months for these software programs, called "crawlers," to search the entire internet to locate stuff to add to its owner's database.

altavista.com  http://www.altavista.com/ advanced

gigablast.com http://www.gigablast.com/ advanced

google.com  http://www.google.com/ advanced

teoma.com  http://www.teoma.com/ advanced

yahoo.com http://search.yahoo.com/    advanced
 

extra stuff:
informative and/or irreverent sites dedicated to announcing new developments, reviewing services and otherwise keeping an eye on search engine companies

searchenginewatch.com
http://www.searchenginewatch.com  

scroogle.org  
http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm

google-watch.org
http://www.google-watch.org/

meta-search engines

meta-search engines are software programs owned by companies like dogpile.com and vivisimo.com that simultaneously search the databases of one or more search engines

dogpile.com  http://www.dogpile.com/   advanced

vivisimo.com  http://vivisimo.com/ advanced

directories

directories are databases built by real live people (instead of software programs) who evaluate websites and determine that the information is useful for the purposes of the people who are expected to use the database

librarians index to the internet
http://lii.org/  advanced
 

how to search
helpful hints from librarians & researchers

from the library at uc/berkeley http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html

noodletools.com
http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html

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