charging for inclusion to a search engine

[Dyckman, Lise M]

It sounds like PointCom is only making explicit policies that are used
by many search engines. An article published on ZDNet about a month ago
listed this as Secret No.4, but there's been mention in the press of
other engines, among them Excite and InfoSeek, doing this too. I don't
know if any of these have been as bald (or bold) as to exclude a
worthwhile site just because it didn't pay, though.

The story "Search Sites' Shocking Secret" came from Berst Alert, Jesse
Berst ed., ZDNet AnchorDesk and was published 8/17/98 at  URL:
chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/adem2fpf/www.anchordesk.com/story/story_2432.html

> - it may have moved since then.
> 
> Lise M. Dyckman
> Health Sciences Library, Sequoia Hospital
> email:  ldyckman at chw.edu           
> phone:  (650) 367-5880
> 
> 
> On Wed, 9 Sep 1998, Greg Dean Schmitz wrote:
> 
> > [some deletions...] 
> > Besides the obvious reasons this new search engine might be of
> interest
> > to libraries, I mention this for another reason.  When I attempted
> to
> > add my library's URL to this new search engine, I got a screen
> > describing PointCom's "advertising rates", explaining that only
> those
> > sites that pay PointCom will be listed, and that the more you pay,
> the
> > better placed your site is.
> > 
> > Doesn't this seems an odd way to approach a search engine, as it
> seems
> > all they're going to get are commercial sites, and not the
> > non-commercial sites that are often the source of useful information
> > like libraries, non-profit organizations, and universities?
> > 
> > --
> > Greg D. Schmitz                         | email:
> > schmitz at winnefox.org
> > Reference Librarian                     | Phone:        (920)
> 236-5205
> > Oshkosh Public Library                  | Alt. Phone:   (920)
> 236-5204
> > Oshkosh, WI 54901                       | Fax:          (920)
> 236-5227
> > http://axp.winnefox.org/www/
> >
> ______________________________________________________________________
> __
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
>