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Sept 3, 2002 Now that you've a good idea of what works for you when it comes to search engines, its best to see what's out there to help you navigate the web. In this segment, we'll discuss some of the better browser add-ons and help you develop your own tool kit. In Internet explorer, you may simply type in the search term that you're after and MSN will do the rest. As was discussed prior, MSN takes its results from DMOZ, Overture, and other sources around the Internet. The results can be exhausting with recent results for "making money" returning over seven million hits, or possibilities. Give it a shot; type "making money" in a new browser window, note the sponsored links, and then the top list (paid inclusions) and then after you get past that, you'll find the other millions of possibilities. Pretty impressive, huh? Thank goodness there's a great many (free) ways to cut down on this list and get to the results that matter most. The ones represented here a an accumulation of hours of research, and I've put the top three up for grabs: 1. 7Search: My personal front runner, this browser add on is small and unobtrusive, and excellently accurate. Works well with Internet explorer 5 and above, this handy web tool allows you to install a search box right on your tool bar, allows you to highlight a word on any page you're browsing, click on the 7search button, and get search results opened in a different browser window. It also allows you to see information on when the site you're on was last updated, owner information, as well as the popularity of that page. 
2. Alexa: Boasting over 10 million downloads, the Alexa toolbar is larger, with much the same information as the 7search tool noted above. In addition to giving you site information and a web search box, Alexa offers you three other handing features: Tell-A-Friend, Related Links, and the Wayback Machine, which might aid you in finding a site that once existed, but has been deleted (with an average shelf life of 100 days, sites come and go faster than some people change their socks) 
3. Ask Jeeves: Known for its natural language search, e.g. "Where can I find computer parts?" Ask.com certainly offers the most comprehensive of toolbars from any others we've discussed. Kid-friendly sites, dictionaries, stocks, events, and weather searches are available. The AskJeeves tool bar also offers highlighting and archiving services as well, which allows you to track your searches as you go. Customization is also available if desktop clutter isn't your thing. 
Many search tools exist, most of them for Internet Explorer. So what about Netscape or Opera? Both of those browsers have built in search boxes. Internet Explorer, while unarguably the worlds most popular browser, hasn't done a great job with its search capabilities. This is what perhaps has given rise to the confusion in search engines vs. browsers, and most definitely given rise to the tools presented here. Suggestion? Try them out, and see what works best for you. That's all for this week..until next week, happy searching! ------------ Next week: Top Five search engine rules you should never forget. ------------ Clark Bartron has been a web designer and Internet researcher for over 6 years. Visit http://htmloquence.onlyhere.net and AskTheVillageIdiot.com for more information. Email Clark: cbartron@mail2webmaster.com Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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