A New Generation of Search Tools

Posted on July 2, 2002

Search tools are the lifeblood of a journalists' work on the internet. And by now, most of us are familiar with the well-deserved superiority of Google. But there are new generation of search tools on the market. None of them knock Google off its pedestal but they all offer some interesting twists and new appeals.

In effect, the next-generation search tools are trying to go beyond the cold, harsh accuracy of Google. Google's strength is that is looks for the words you ask for - and nothing else. Put in "Iraq" and it will not find pages that talk about "Iraqis" or Shiites or sanctions unless those pages mention the word "Iraq". That's good - it avoids a lot of garbage.

But that is also Google's weakness. It is not acting as a computer that's smarter than you by going out there and finding related subjects, or maybe grouping the findings by theme. That's what the new generation of search tools are trying to do.

WISENUT

Wisenut at www/wisenut.com is touted as the first serious competition to Google. This new search tool from Looksmart, has several intriguing features. It's simple and sleek - like Google. None of the clutter you find at AltaVista or Yahoo.

It's greatest novelty is that it returns results in sub-categories, allowing you to do further searches within topics. For example, a query for "Iraq" offers you categories on Sanctions, News, the Middle East, etc. This can be very helpful in speeding up your research. I like this idea becomes sometimes they come up with categories you might not even have imagined for your story line.

For beginners, there is also an advanced search option at http://www.wisenut.com/wisesearch/ for those not familiar with advanced tricks such as minus signs and quotes.

VIVISIMO

Vivisimo at www.vivisimo.com was one of the first new kids on the block to use what it calls a "clustering engine." It's a smart new search engine which emphasizes precision instead of a large number of results.

Like Wisenut, its real strength is in the sub-categories it creates when you put in a simple keyword. Ask for "AIDS", for example, and you will get your results organized into subject areas such as Prevention, Treatment and Memorials.
In a similar vein, Teoma (at www.teoma.com) is a new search engine that offers impressive results by using a new technology they call "Subject-Specific Popularity." They ask experts within a specific subject community who they believe is the best resource for that subject. You almost always get very relevant results, neatly organized and tips on how to refine your search. A brilliant concept.

KILLER INFO

Killer Info (at www.killerinfo.com) is a new metasearch engine (it uses several search engines at once) that has two intriguing features.

First, you can get a "quick peek" of each result without leaving the results page.

And second, every search also gives you a "Table of Contents", showing you subject topics hidden deep within the search results, making it easier to find the sites you are looking for.

I generally stay away from multiple search engines because they have breadth but lack accuracy. This is not a bad one (so is IzQuick at www.ixquick.com).

GOOGLE STILL TOPS

None of this means you should abandon Google as your primary search tool. Though you don't get lazy -- learn how to master not only Google's basic but also its advanced search tricks.

There are also some new tools at Google you might not be aware of. Google News (at www.news.googles.com) is one of the best ways these days to do a news search. It search only news, not general web pages from major international (English-only) news sources, though only a few Canadian media outlets. You can read the last week's news by topic or use the search box with the usual powerful Google tricks for accuracy (minuses, quotations, etc)

Google's Web Directory (at http://directory.google.com) allows you to search by category.

Google Labs -- the department that keeps coming up with improvements for Google -- offers you a peek at a new site they are developing called Google Glossary (at http://labs.google.com/glossary).

Need a quick definition, not just of a word but of a concept or an issue -- for example, "ozone layer" or PCBs? You get several links to the best web pages that give you a snapshot of the phrase, its meaning and context. An excellent quick reference guide.

And finally, you can attach some instant Google features to your browser, such as a Google search buttons (at http://www.google.com/options/buttons.html) and a mutli-task toolbar directly to your browser (at http://toolbar.google.com).