New Internet Search Tool -Reply -Forwarded

[Dan Lester]

and my reply and comments

dan


Dan Lester, Network Information Coordinator
Boise State University Library, Boise, Idaho,
83725 USA
voice: 208-385-1235   fax:  208-385-1394
dlester at bsu.idbsu.edu     OR   
alileste at idbsu.idbsu.edu
Cyclops' Internet Toolbox:   
http://cyclops.idbsu.edu
"How can one fool make another wise?"  
Kansas, 1979.

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Approved-By:  Dan Lester <DLESTER at BSU.IDBSU.EDU>
Message-ID:  <s1761238.022 at bsu.idbsu.edu>
Date:         Thu, 18 Apr 1996 09:57:48 -0600
Reply-To:     BUSLIB-L - Business Libraries Discussion List
              <BUSLIB-L at idbsu.idbsu.edu>, Dan Lester <DLESTER at bsu.idbsu.edu>
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              <BUSLIB-L at idbsu.idbsu.edu>
From:         Dan Lester <DLESTER at bsu.idbsu.edu>
Subject:      New Internet Search Tool -Reply
To:           Multiple recipients of list BUSLIB-L <BUSLIB-L at idbsu.idbsu.edu>

I'd like to briefly address Metacrawler and other
sites that search a number of search engines.
I'm not saying they don't have their place, but it
doesn't seem to me that usage of them by
experienced librarians is that place.

Each search engine has its own advantages and
disadvantages, although some are more similar
than different.

The comment was made that they usually "or"
searches together.  Of course they do, as a
number of the engines default to that condition,
since they are using weighted searches.

Also, what is being searched varies widely by
search engine (I mean full document vs. subject
terms and/or title), so in many ways you're
mixing apples and oranges.  I like fruit salad on
occasion, but often I'm just looking for a single
fruit.

Another difference between engines is one I've
just noticed in last week or two, and have seen
no announcments or fanfare about it.  AltaVista
and Lycos used to give similar results as they
used similar algorithms and had similar
databases.  Of course those engines measure
the number of times a word occurs in the text as
one of the weighting factors.  So, those who
wanted their pages to "float to the top" used the
words intentionally multiple times to "salt the
search engine".  AltaVista now does a pretty
good job of ignoring the salted words.  To test
this, search the "dirty word" of your choice on
both, and see the differences.  If you don't like
to type dirty words, just search "sex" on both
and see the differences.

Of course this improvement in search engines
will now mean improvement in "salting
techniques" by those who want their stuff to float
to the top.  o-)

cheers

cyclops


Dan Lester, Network Information Coordinator
Boise State University Library, Boise, Idaho,
83725 USA
voice: 208-385-1235   fax:  208-385-1394
dlester at bsu.idbsu.edu     OR
alileste at idbsu.idbsu.edu
Cyclops' Internet Toolbox:
http://cyclops.idbsu.edu
"How can one fool make another wise?"
Kansas, 1979.