Day 5

Comparing Meta search engines and Subject Directories

The search features of both search facilities varies. For example, Metacrawler provides search results from all the different search engines and provides the option of showing only results from a particular search engine. Metacrawler also includes the function of searching up other mediums such as Images, Audio, Video, News, Yellow Pages and White Pages. And similar to the individual search engines, it provides the user with a keyword suggestions that might help the user to improve and refine the search.

Whereas, Google Directory also allows searching up the individual keywords to focus down or concentrate on a subject. And similar to the meta search engine, it also includes the function of searching up other mediums such as Images, Maps, News and Shopping.

Comapring the results of the search, Metacrawler's results have a very brief section of the actual contents of the resource displayed just below the URL link. This allows the user to have a overview of all of the resources contents.

Google Directory search the keywords separately and the results of the resources are arranged in the order in which the keywords exist in the resources. It also allows the user to select the keywords individually through quick links to concentrate and focus on a particular keyword to redirect the search. The results displayed have a short description stating if it’s a Report, Article, Commentary or a Journal, this allows the user to differentiate the various resources and decide whether to enter the link of the resource.

Metacrawler's strength is that results are compiled from several search engines and this provides information which are not prevalent in the search solely using a single search engine (eg. Google)

Google Directory tends to be a simpler and more user friendly search facility because of it clean and simple interface as compared to Metacrawler's cluttered interface. Another advantage is that the searched resources cover the scope of back dated articles with might still be relevant to your search. However, compared to the wide base of resource of a meta search engine, Google has lesser resources and the search results would be less comprehensive.

Personally, i would prefer Metacrawler to run general searches but i would use Google Directory to refine the search.