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By
Scott Cottingham
www.famvid.com/i101
Looking
for something, or someone? The Internet can be the quickest,
and least expensive way to find information, as long as
you know how to use the search engines efficiently.
Remember,
the purpose is finding, not searching. Here are a few tips
for successful searching:Read the "hints" and
"help" for each search engine. This will explain
exactly how the search tool operates.
Experiment
with different search engines. Even though they are all
similar, they all have important differences. A search engine
that is quick, but returns 40,000 pages may not be as effective
as one that may be slower but returns only 30 pages. Find
the search engine that is best suited for your needs.Here's
a list of search engines:
Web
Search Engines
AltaVista
http://www.altavista.com
Web and Usenet News searcher, indexing over 100 million
pages. Categories are: simple, people, business, subject,
and advanced searches.
Ask
Jeeves!
http://www.askjeeves.com
Features a question-answering system allowing anyone to
ask a question in plain, simple
English without having to use keywords or Boolean search
strings.
Excite
http://www.excite.com
Use this well-known service to search by keywords or text
strings, or
browse thecategories of reviewed sites.
Galaxy
http://www.galaxy.einet.net
Search using any or all keywords, title, or link text searches
within
chosen categories.User-defined result display.
HotBot
http://www.hotbot.com
Wired magazine's search engine, powered by Inktomi, allows
you to search within particular geographic or cyber areas.
Infoseek
http://www.infoseek.com
Search the Web, email addresses, newsgroups or a company
directory by keyword,name or full questions. Or browse the
reviews.
Internet
Sleuth
http://www.isleuth.com
Find what you're after by choosing from over 3,000 searchable
databases. Narrow the search down by selecting from over
20 subject listings.
LookSmart
http://www.looksmart.com
Organizes the Web for you like no other directory. It is
three powerful Internet tools in
one: LooksmartExplore, LookSmart Search, and LookSmart Favorites.
Lycos
http://www.lycos.com
Customizable search engine allows you to enter a search
string or browse the Web by
subject. With a newcomers' section.
WebCrawler
http://www.webcrawler.com
Natural language searching using plain English words. Designed
for novice users, but
includes some advanced features.
WWW
Virtual Library
http://vlib.org
The VL is the oldest catalog of the web, started by Tim
Berners-Lee, the creator of the web itself. Unlike commercial
catalogs, it is run by a loose confederation of volunteers.
Yahoo!
http://www.yahoo.com
Original search engine and directory of the Web. Search
the entire database at once, or
comb through the categories.
Search
For Newsgroups/Mailing Lists
Liszt
http://www.liszt.com
Enter a word or phrase to search the largest mailing list
directory.
Over 71,000 entries, including 148 computer-related lists.
Deja
News
http://www.dejanews.com
Allows you to search newsgroups for messages matching your
keywords. You can then reply or post your own message.
Reference.COM
http://www.reference.com
Free service allows you to find a mailing list or newsgroup
by keyword. Also allows
keyword searches of archived postings.
Search
for Groups
http:sunsite.edu/usenet-i/search.html
Searches newsgroup by title, description, or moderator name.
Search FAQs by subject,
author or summary.
Search
For People
Bigfoot
http://www.bigfoot.com
One of the most accurate global email and white pages on
the Net, with over 100 million
listings and door-to-door mapping.
Email
& Homepage Addresses
http://www.sunsite.oit.unc.edu/~masha
Collection of information, links and resources useful for
tracking down an address.
Four11
Directory Services
http://www.four11.com
Longest established of the directories, this one lets you
search for email, phone or NetPhone, and government contacts.
WhoWhere?
http://www.whowhere.com
Extensive look-up service for email, postal, telephone and
homepage addresses. Available in English, French and Spanish.
Yahoo!
People Search
http://www.yahoo.com/search/people/email.html
Search for email addresses by first name, last name, or
domain name. SmartName function allows for abbreviations.
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