Search Engines - World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is not an easy place to find things. New URL sites, or
home pages, are added daily. The growth in web sites is estimated at thirty
percent a month. Some say the number of home pages doubles every four
months. Regardless, this phenomenal explosion began only some two years
ago.
Sifting through this material to find information you need or want clearly
requires some help. Fortunately, there are sites available devoted to
searching the net and they are multiplying rapidly.
You can search for surnames quickly and easily by entering a word or words
in a search engine. For example, using only one word -- Peery -- as the
search word, some of these engines will produce dozens of sites where the
name Peery appears in a document. Using -- "Peery Family" -- can refine
the search in some engines. Some engines produce nothing. Although there
is some overlap or duplication, the capability of each engine is different.
As these engines are tested, those that are useful for Peery surname
searches are listed here. Access to them is free. They also are referred
to as search forms. These are competitive offerings, with new spiders
coming along right behind. For example, Alta Vista opened in December
1995. So the following list is subject to change.
New search tools have and are becoming available, combining multiple
databases in a single search. Some are free for now, including IBM's
InfoMarket, which is under
construction. Some let you see highlights and text free, such as
NlightN, if the results come from
the service's free databases (e.g., Lycos). On the other hand, if within
the search results a highlight appears for a proprietary database, a charge
is made for the full text article.
- Alta Vista
- Alta Vista was created by Digital Equipment Corporation. It is more
comprehensive than any other search engine. When you want to find as much
as possible on a specific name, or topic, this is the site to use. It
uses a full-text index. Queries can be refined using Boolean or similar
operators. Allows case sensitive and advanced/enhanced searching.
Newsgroups are included, but not FTP and Gopher sites. Descriptions display
with results. Provides full text of over 21 million Web pages (May 1996).
There is nothing else like it for searching the Web.
- Lycos
- Lycos was created by Carnegie Mellon University. It is one of the
oldest search sites on the Web. It delivers comprehensive results, similar
to Alta Vista, sometimes overwhelming in size. Descriptions display with
results, based not on full text, but rather abstracts based mainly on
headers, titles, links and the first few words of key paragraphs. Each
citation is numbered. Lycos allows AND, OR Boolean search operators, but is
adding more. Lycos does not allow case sensitive searching, but does offer
advanced/enhanced searching. Searches include FTP and Gopher sites, but not
Newsgroups. It provides summaries of over 19 million Web pages (May 1996).
- Switchboard
- Switchboard is provided by Coordinate.com, a new (1996) Internet
division of Banyan Systems, Inc., an independent software firm, formed in
1983, based in Westboro, MA. It is a free nationwide residential and
business directory for Internet users. An easy to use search form brings
quick results by filling in a name and none or all address sections of the
form. Ethical standards are followed.
- WebCrawler
- WebCrawler uses a simple format. It doesn't display a text summary
for each item found. It is much like a one-liner newspaper subject listing.
It searches the Web and stores only the contents of pages that seem active.
It claims to replace the entire content of its database monthly, so bear
that in mind should you decide to return later for something you found. It
covers fewer Web pages. It allows AND, OR Boolean searches. Doesn't allow
upper-case letters. Searches include FTP and Gopher sites, but not
Newsgroups. Provides full text of about 515,000 Web pages (May 1996).
Offers quick searches, few frills.
For easy access to these and other search engines go to:
AMA Med_Link
Sources: "Internet World," May 1996, IW Labs Tests Seven Internet Search
Tools, "Search Engine Showdown," by Gus Venditto, pp. 79-86; "Forbes,"
October 23, 1995, "Along Came the Spiders: The busy creatures who will
guide you through the Internet," by Philip E. Ross and Nikhil Hutheesing,
pp. 210-216.
Editor - Peery Family
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