Return HomeThere are many free and fee-based services on the Internet which allow you to search for topics of interest. Depending on what you are lookin for, one service may be better than others. There is no one place to go which will be best for every search.
It may not always be obvious, but there are several different types of search services. Depending on what you are looking for, one may be better.
Search Engines: utilize indexing software agents often called robots or spiders which constantly "crawl" the Web in search of new or updated pages. They will essentially go from URL to URL until they have visited every Web site on the Internet. When visiting a Web site, an agent will record the full text of every page (home and sub-pages) within the site. It will then continue on to visit all external links. The Robots periodically visit sites to update the information. Search engines are good if you are looking for sites that use certain words or phrases. However, the results can often not be what you are looking for.
Directories: The main difference between a search engine and a general directory is that a directory will not a site unless it is registered with them. They do not make use of indexing software agents and so have no way of knowing it's out there. Directories are usually subdivided into categories and you have to submit your URL under the most appropriate heading. Directories are best if you are looking for a business or service in a particular field. Because sites are categorized, the search results are usually helpful.
Announcement Site: There are various sites which list new sites or other announcements. Some services have a What's New section. These result almost always from submitted sites, not ones found by a robot.
Guides: Guides review submitted sites and list ones that meet high quality of standards. These are then listed or given a rating and the site will display a special icon indicating "Best...whatever"
For a more complete listing of search services, see http://www.maherassociates.com/engines.htm