Web Search Engines "Made Simple" -Reply

[Steve Cramer]

>>> Martin Courtois <courtois at aztec.lib.utk.edu>
November 7, 1997  10:00 am >>>
"It seems likely that if search engine producers provided
more documentation on their retrieval schemes, it would
only be misused by spammers.  Or, maybe new
anti-spamming techniques would be found."
-------------------------------------------------

That may be part of the answer. However, I think the main
reason search engines don't provide much documentation
on their bots and ranking software is that bots and ranking
software are the basis of their business.

In such a highly competitive market (and search engines
are where most of the advertising revenue goes, too),
AltaVista, HotBot, and the others are not going to give
away their Reasons for Being, anymore than Glaxo is
going to publish the specifications and molecular models of
their best-selling drugs.

The lack of documentation, however, gives us librarians an
opportunity to show off our skills. So here's a vote for
more obfuscation and secrecy from the search engines!
(haha)

Steve Cramer
Davenport College
Holland, Michigan USA
scramer at davenport.edu