portals and vortals are sometimes considered a type of specialized search engine

Each have different tools and building a toolbox of these services and knowing how to use each effectively is the key to a good search strategy. Some are general tools, some specific to a particular type of information. There are literally thousands of search engines, portals, vortals, directories and gateways to help you find what you are looking for. Your searches are only as good as your queriesĬontrary to the hype surrounding 'intelligent agents' and 'artificial intelligence,' the fact remains that search results are only as good as the query you pose and how you search. To be aware of all of the valuable tools and know how to use them together is what will truly help you to be web savvy. However, no one engine is a silver bullet, and it has become clear over the years that the ability to strategically use a number of tools together is what makes the Internet so powerful.

Web searching tools are a tremendous resource. So, why aren't directories and searching tools the answer to the'information explosion' on the web? There are a number of reasons, but they largely have to do with a) the sheer size of the web, b) the difficulties associated with programming 'smart' services that think like humans, and c) the importance of marketing over technical advances in many services on the Internet. And, no, the search engine does not try to find out what you're really looking for. 21 million pages are just too many to stomach. A search for food in Alta Vista brings up 21,652,651 webpages. Your average search engine is not that understanding. What kind of food did you have in mind? May I recommend the salmon?' The waiter arrives, coughs politely, and asks: 'What do you want for dinner, sir?' or 'What would you like today, madam?' 'Food,' you answer, 'food'.įortunately, waiters are an understanding and patient lot. You go into a restaurant, sit down by the table and wait for the waiter. Otherwise, you can spend a lifetime drifting through archipelagos of fascinating but ultimately fruitless links. The best way to look at Internet resources is through the focus of specific needs. 'Research is the process of going up alleys to see if they are blind.'

Strategies for finding things on the web.

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Portals and vortals are sometimes considered a type of specialized search engine