The Extreme Searcher's Guide to Web Search Engines; A Handbook for the Serious Searcher

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9780910965477
• ISBN10: 0910965471
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2001-02-28
• Publisher: Cyberage Books

Summary

(CyberAge Books) Handbook for those who like to conduct searches and meta-searches on the Internet. Provides information on numerous search engines such as Excite, Yahoo!, Metacrawler, ProFusion, Fast Search, and AltaVista. Explains the purposes, strengths, and weaknesses of each engine, and offers tips and techniques for better searches. Previous edition not cited. Softcover.

Author Biography

Ran Hock is the principal of Online Strategies. Ran has been a chemistry teacher, a chemistry librarian (at MIT), and the first Data Services Librarian at the University of Pennsylvania. For many years he held training and management positions with DIALOG Information Services and Knight-Ridder Information. He lives in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife and two young children.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	xiii
List of Tables	xiv
Foreword	xv
Reva Basch
Acknowledgments	xix
Introduction	xxi
About the Extreme Searcher's Web Page	xxv
Search Engines in General	1	(32)
A Very Brief History	1	(4)
How Search Engines Are Put Together	5	(5)
The Databases Behind the Databases	10	(1)
Portal Features	11	(4)
Components of a Typical Search Engine Home Page	15	(5)
What to Realistically Expect from These Services	20	(4)
Subjects/Areas Covered by Search Engines	24	(1)
Update Frequency	24	(1)
Typical Retrieval and Ranking Factors	25	(4)
Benchmarks	29	(2)
Overlap of Retrieval Between Engines	31	(2)
Common Searching Options	33	(24)
Selection of What Is to be Searched	33	(1)
Boolean Logic	34	(2)
Truncation	36	(1)
Phrase and Proximity Searching	37	(1)
Name Searching	38	(1)
Field Searching----Searching Within Specific Parts of a Record	39	(4)
``More Like This One``	43	(1)
Output Options	43	(7)
International Versions	50	(5)
About the Profiles	55	(1)
Portal Features	55	(2)
AltaVista	57	(26)
Overview	57	(2)
AltaVista's Home Page	59	(1)
What Happens Behind the Scenes	59	(2)
AltaVista's Power Search	61	(1)
AltaVista's Advanced Search	62	(2)
AltaVista's Raging Search	64	(2)
Search Features	66	(5)
Results Pages	71	(4)
AltaVista's Web Directory	75	(1)
Other Searchable Databases	75	(4)
Other Portal Features	79	(1)
Other Features	80	(1)
Summary of AltaVista	81	(2)
Excite	83	(18)
Overview	83	(2)
Excite's Home Page	85	(1)
What Happens Behind the Scenes	85	(1)
Excite's Advanced Search	86	(1)
Search Features	86	(3)
Results Pages	89	(2)
Excite's Directory	91	(1)
Other Searchable Databases	91	(2)
Portal and Personalization Features	93	(4)
Other Features	97	(1)
``Precision Search`` Page	98	(1)
Summary of Excite	99	(2)
Fast Search	101	(10)
Overview	101	(1)
Fast Search's Home Page (Simple Search)	102	(1)
What Happens Behind the Scenes	103	(1)
Fast Search's Advanced Search	103	(2)
Search Features	105	(3)
Results Pages	108	(1)
Directory	108	(1)
Other Searchable Databases	108	(1)
Other Features	109	(1)
Summary of Fast Search	110	(1)
Google	111	(12)
Overview	111	(2)
Google's Home Page	113	(1)
What Happens Behind the Scenes	113	(1)
Google's Advanced Search	114	(1)
Search Features	115	(3)
Results Pages	118	(2)
Directory	120	(1)
Other Searchable Databases	121	(1)
Special Features	121	(1)
Summary of Google	122	(1)
HotBot	123	(16)
Overview	123	(1)
HotBot's Home Page	124	(1)
What Happens Behind the Scenes	125	(2)
HotBot's Advanced Search	127	(1)
Search Features	128	(4)
Results Pages	132	(2)
HotBot's Directory	134	(1)
Special Options/Features	135	(2)
Summary of HotBot	137	(2)
Lycos	139	(14)
Overview	139	(1)
Lycos' Home Page	140	(1)
What Happens Behind the Scenes	141	(1)
Lycos' Advanced Search	141	(2)
Search Features	143	(3)
Results Pages	146	(1)
Lycos' Directory	147	(1)
Other Searchable Databases	148	(1)
Portal and Personalization Features	149	(1)
Other Portal Features	150	(2)
Summary of Lycos	152	(1)
Northern Light	153	(20)
Overview	153	(2)
Northern Light's Home Page	155	(1)
What Happens Behind the Scenes	155	(2)
Northern Light's Power Search	157	(1)
Search Features	158	(5)
Results Pages	163	(2)
Directory	165	(1)
Special Options and ``Search Forms``	165	(7)
Summary of Northern Light	172	(1)
Yahoo!	173	(12)
Overview	173	(1)
Yahoo!'s Home Pages	174	(1)
What Happens Behind the Scenes	175	(1)
Yahoo!'s Advanced Search Page	176	(1)
Search Features	177	(1)
Results Pages	178	(1)
Yahoo!'s Directory	179	(1)
Portal and Personalization Features	180	(2)
Other Features	182	(1)
Summary of Yahoo!	183	(2)
Meta-Search Tools	185	(22)
Meta-Search Sites	185	(3)
Dogpile	188	(4)
ixquick	192	(2)
MetaCrawler	194	(3)
ProFusion	197	(3)
Search.com	200	(3)
Other Meta-Search Sites	203	(1)
``Client`` Meta-Search Programs	203	(3)
Summary of Meta-Search Tools	206	(1)
Other Search Engines and Keeping Up	207	(6)
Other Search Engines	207	(1)
Keeping Up	208	(1)
Search Engine News Sites	208	(2)
Conferences	210	(1)
Journals	211	(2)
Conclusion	213	(4)
Glossary	217	(8)
The Author	225	(2)
Index	227