Search Engines

As information, posted online, was accumulating, it required extra search tools to browse through. 

There are few ways to find data online; they are based on different approaches, in order to meet specific users’ requests.

Jerry Yang and David Fillo were the first who came up with idea for organizing information into directories. Web sites were distributed between several directories depending on the content and relevance, in order to ease search by grouping similar web pages. Eventually, this directory was renamed into Yahoo and lately has been developed into Yahoo mass media corporation, providing not only search opportunities but also mail, shopping, news, and other services.

In spite of constant competition with directories, search engines still keep a leading role. Google, Bing, Ask, Altavista, Searchme, and others are aimed to fulfill any fancy users’ requests’; whether they look for pictures, articles, scientific works, music, or something else.  Moreover, as search engines were becoming more complicated, special query operators were integrated into engines, with a view to improve out-coming search results. For instance, query with a phrase in between quotation marks will return pages containing exact words in the given order.  Typing NOT before a keyword in the search box will display a content excluding that word. Though users should keep in mind that query operators may vary depending on the search engine. 

Vast results, returning by the search engines, do not always match user’s expectations as the useful links are mixed with irrelevant information. This issue can be avoided by using more powerful services, such as  LexisNexis, IngentaConnect, FindLaw, Hoover’s, Dun & Bradstreet, and Dialog, which organize search within a certain field of knowledge thus optimizing final results.

Sources used: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNHR6IQJGZs&feature=related