Searching the Web

Lesson 2: Using General and Specialized Directories

Want to point and click your way to Internet search success? This lesson teaches you how to drill down and make the most of directory search tools!

Lesson 2 Overview

Objectives

In this lesson you will learn:

• How to use directory style search tools
• Where to find some of the best general directories
• How to locate pertinent specialized directories

Directory Review

As you learned in Lesson 1, a directory search tool organizes an index of web pages into a hierarchy of broad subjects and then breaks these broad subjects down into a multitude of subcategories.

You will want to use a general directory instead of a search engine when your search subject falls into a somewhat broad category, you only want to view pages that have been reviewed and hand picked by an editorial team, or you are on a “fishing expedition” and just want to explore a topic.

For example, searches that would work well in a general directory would include the following:

• Universities and colleges in Florida
• Freeware and shareware fonts for your PC
• Billiards tournaments
• Backpacking in Europe
• General information on the tax system in Singapore

Searches that would not work well in a general directory would include the following:

• Who wrote the song “Big Yellow Taxi” and in what year was its’ debut?
• Detailed information on plasmodium falciparum ( an organism commonly used in molecular research projects)
• Instructions for fixing tension problems in a Singer Featherweight sewing machine
• Travel agents specializing in Cuba
• Illustrations of 16th century Elizabethan costumes

This is not to say that you couldn’t find the information above in a directory; it’s just that a search engine would be the better tool choice for those types of searches.

Serendipity Does It

One of the biggest benefits of searching in a directory is the serendipitous discovery of remarkable websites that you might otherwise have never stumbled across. While it’s true that this can sometimes be a distraction, it’s also exciting to unearth some of the jewels of the Internet. While you are browsing, be sure to add these delightful finds to your Favorites or Bookmarks list so you can revisit them easily.

Supplemental Reading

For each of the sections in this lesson (as well as all of the other lessons in this course), you will be required to do some supplemental reading in The Extreme Searcher’s Internet Handbook, by Randolph Hock (CyberAge Books). The reading pages have been carefully chosen to compliment the online lesson materials.

If you have any questions about the supplemental reading or the posted lesson text, post a message on the classroom message board. Likewise, if you have comments or feedback about the supplemental reading, or resources that you would like to share with your classmates, be sure to post a message on the classroom message board.

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