  |
|
|
|
Although InFind and Spidera.org are both metasearch engines, their search and retrieval features are different in many respects. While both can be extremely helpful in locating information about any topic, each is ideally suited for specific types of searches.
It's been known for several years that most users of both search and metasearch engines never view more than the first page of results returned by a search. InFind addresses this situation by grouping the results it retrieves according to type and origin of websites and subject categories. This makes it possible for the searcher to scan more results in a shorter time, with a better understanding of what each item is likely to offer. Two versions of InFind are now available - the established version and the expanded, improved beta. I'll be discussing both versions since they produce different but complementary results. The older version returns relatively few results, and organizes them by type of website. The beta version accesses twice as many engines and produces fuller results, which are organized into subject categories. Unfortunately, neither version displays the search engines it accesses. Search Tips In the established version of Infind you can use the plus and minus signs to require or forbid a word and quotation marks to search for a phrase. In addition, you can use the Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT. (However, using these operators may reduce the number of relevant results you retrieve since some search engines don't support them.) At the time that I tested the beta version, only the quotation marks (to designate a phrase) seemed to be operative. Results Many of the searches that I tried using InFind beta yielded hundreds of results organized into relevant and specific subject categories. For example, entering "fixed income" investments investing resulted in 223 items organized into 10 categories (e.g., Municipal Bond, Real Estate, Fixed Income Fund, Bond Market, Treasury Market, etc.). The identical search in InFind's older version yielded approximately 40 items, organized into seven categories, including Commercial Sites, Educational Institution Sites, European Sites, etc. Results Format: Each result in the standard Infind displays only the title. Results have been expanded in the beta version. Each item contains a relevance rating (which relates to its subject category), the title, and a small icon with the letters SUM on it. If you position your mouse on the icon, you will see a description of the site. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Metasearch Engine Reviews: InFind and Spidera.org in Search Engines is owned by Paula Dragutsky. Permission to republish Metasearch Engine Reviews: InFind and Spidera.org in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
