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Search
Engines Comments on our winning engines |
| This
engine test was performed in December, 1998. These are still our favorites, (Oct., 1999), but we are in the middle of a new test and will be publishing the update very soon. LookSmart seems to be falling a little, and InfoSeek is definitely slipping, and is now part of the Go Network. We have some newcomers, and www.Google.com for one, will be in the new test. Currently, WebStreetStudios uses nearly exclusively www.infind.com (Inference Find) for basic searches, and www.SavvySearch.com for the hard stuff - both are metaengines. Savvy Search is now search.com - bummer. |
| Clicking on links will open a new window on the subject. You can then close the new window by clicking the X at the right top of the screen, and be back on this page. | Top 5 engines here, and Top 3 Metas below. |
#1 |
LookSmart searches its own human made directory, then searches Alta Vista's database. Number 1 searches number 2! We're in heaven! |
#2 |
AltaVista got the first owner of AltaVista.com to sell. No longer do you have to go to AltaVista.digital.com. Just AltaVista.com. Number 2 only because she graciously helps Number 1. |
#3 |
Hot Bot does such a great job and people think paid ads are coming up! If HotBot returns a page that makes no sense to your search items, give HotBot the benefit of the doubt. She brought the page up for a reason, no doubt. |
| An example: Searching for Starbucks
+Arvada (Arvada is a city in Colorado) at HotBot, which most search engines would give up on! - HotBot returns an unlikely page that would frustrate the best of us. On closer look at the returned real estate page: www.reloappraiser.com/ There is an "invisible paragraph" at the very bottom of the page - a designer's trick! If you look closely and run your curser over it firmly, it will highlight and you can read it. Sure enough, Starbucks! Arvada is mentioned in MetaTags in the HTML source codes and also on other pages in the site. |
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#4 |
InfoSeek
takes some paying attention. There are jump links to take you past the categories to
web pages returned. There is a jump link to take you back to your search box.
Sometimes, if you want to refine your search, you have to retype. But, her excellent results got her on the list in spite of herself. |
#5 |
Go To made the list with very good search results, a nice interface, descriptive listings, and "Go To Remote" which sits on your task bar for instant search access.
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| And, Our Metas | MetaEngines search several other engines' databases together. |
#1 |
Savvy search is now Search.com at CNET - haven't checked it out since it changed hands. SavvySearch searches Lycos, Excite, HotBot, WebCrawler, Google, Galaxy, AltaVista, Thunderstone, National Directory, InfoSeek, and Direct Hit. She shows results from 5 engines at a time, and then you can ask to search more engines. Then, you can go to more general databases and search Yahoo, Open Directory, Looksmart, Snap, Magellan, GoTo, About, eBlast, Planet Search, Clearinghouse, Real Names, and SurfPoint, again, 5 at a time. . |
#2 |
Metacrawler searches Alta Vista, InfoSeek, WebCrawler, Thunderstone, The MiningCo., Excite, Lycos, Yahoo, Looksmart. You can select the ones you want to search. There is also MetaSpy if you just have to know what other people search for! ++Metacrawler offers MiniCrawler for your taskbar. |
#3 |
"Infind" calls in parallel, WebCrawler, Yahoo, Lycos, AltaVista, InfoSeek, and Excite. Small, but very good for basic searches with conveniently organized results. She searches 6 engines, "merges the results, removes redundancies, and clusters the results into neat understandable groupings." Smaller, but excellent results and categorizing for basic searches. Where other engines may overwhelm you with thousands of links, Infind may interpret and give you just what you want. |
| The MetaEngines also use + - " " and title. However, since they search so many different search engines, there may be a few that won't understand. But, many will, so you still get great results! |
