Search Engine and Directory Snap Shot
The web offers a variety of search engines and directories for finding a particular site or for locating groups of sites on a variety of topics. Engines and directories vary in the subjects they cover and the actual sites they index. Keep in mind that due to copyright and licensure, not everything that exists is on the open web.
Google
http://www.google.com
This is the search engine every one uses. It has a reputation
as the biggest, the best, and the easiest. While Google
searches its way through large amounts of information, it mixes term
paper mills, commercial sites, and others of poor quality with
high quality offerings. Google works best when you have
a particular site or organization in mind. Google also has shared
aggregate search statistics and histories with the government, and gives top placement
to sponsored links and sites buying space through its Ad Sense program.
Scroogle Scraper
http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm
This is the Google search engine but with enhanced privacy and no advertisements
or sponsored links. If you enjoy searching Google, consider using Scroogle instead.
The Open Directory Project available as...
Dmoz
http://dmoz.org
Google Directory
http:// http://www.google.com/dirhp
This is a searchable directory maintained by live human editors
who screen out obviously off topic and poor quality pages.
This means improved results. The Open Directory also has a
search engine. Dmoz.org is the original advertising free version.
About.com
http://www.about.com
Despite poorly disguised sponsored links, pop-ups, pop-unders, and a big stripe,
About.com features not only web pages selected by human Guides
who are experts in their fields, but also articles and material that the Guides
themselves contribute. About.com works especially well for consumer health
and nonacademic subjects such as hobbies and sports. It
is an especially good source for clip art.
Altavista.com
http://www.altavista.com
Before Google was "the search engine," Altavista held that honor.
In many ways, it still outshines Google. It offers more search options including
Boolean logic, restriction by field, and a fairly
sophisticated image and music search capability. Altavista's software powers
Yahoo's search engine. When you do not find
something on Google, Altavista is a good place to look.
Teoma.com
http://www.teoma.com
If you like Ask Jeeves, you will love Teoma. Teoma.com uses
the same search engine as Ask Jeeves, without the
large top frame, making searching easier and providing
results with consistently reachable links.
Kartoo.com
http://www.kartoo.com
Kartoo, a visual search engine, takes a different approach returning
not only pages on your topic, but also those on related themes
and those that link to a known page that you request.
Kartoo's search engine requires Flash and is slow on older machines.
Infomine
http://infomine.ucr.edu/
Infomine is a search engine that covers only scholarly web pages.
Due to copyright, it has few, if any, full text articles. It does, however,
screen out term paper mills, commercial sites, blogs, and the like.