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Where to go to find information
If you've been on the internet
for even a minute, you've probably heard that there are places where you can go to find
websites with information. These sites are better known as "Search Engines."
These are websites that connect to huge computers that have incredible amounts of
information indexed for easy retrieval. Similar to a Dewey Decimal system in the library,
these search engines don't necessarily contain the information, but have
"indexed" the location of where to find the information.
Like any commercial business,
these sites must make money. So they offer a service to you for free, while they sell
advertising space to companies that are then viewed by you before and after you search for
something. There are several search engine website companies on the internet. Each company
tries to index their information more efficiently than the next. Some sites contain
indexed information about all topics, while other companies index only specific
information, like people's names and addresses.
Here is a list of search
engines you can use to find information. Note that most search engines provide a means of
cross referencing results between them. Meaning, if a particular search engine doesn't
find exactly what you're looking for, they provide links to competitive search engines to
see if you can locate the information at other sites.
Yahoo - This is an all
purpose search engine that provides a wide range of indexed links. This was the premiere
search engine a few years ago, but has digressed considerably over the last 12 months.
Several links are old and no longer in existence, and it is almost impossible to get a
link added to their database. This is however, a good location to start, because they have
the most comprehensive system to cross-reference their lesser results with other more up
to date search engine services.
Excite - Similar to
Yahoo!, this is an all purpose search engine that is very up to date and very easy to add
a URL to. The search results are very effective and come with a percentile rating of how
close their results match your search words.
Alta Vista - This was the premiere search engine of all time. Created by the Digital
Corporation, Yahoo! uses their index databanks for some of their information, although it
would appear that Yahoo! no longer uses their services. Alta Vista is a very large source
of information. Results vary in accuracy, but you can usually find what you're looking
for. Expect to sort through several links that don't apply, but this is the price of a
huge database.
InfoSeek - This is an
all purpose search engine that provides not only a global search engine for any subject
you might be looking for, it also provides an online Dictionary and thesaurus for quick
word look-ups. The results are rated and adding a URL is very simple.
Webcrawler - has a
slightly different spin than other all purpose search engines, in that it offers links
into Yellow Pages, Stock Quotes, Classified's, Weather, People Finding, and many other
interesting services. If you don't find what you're looking for, they have a
cross-reference link to Excite for more searching. Webcrawler also provides a service that
allows you to enter a profile of your favorite type of websites to surf to. Each time you
visit, you can view only the pages that you like. Webcrawler will continue to find new
webpages that match your interests.
HotBot
- is another all purpose search engine that provides similar services like Webcrawler.
Unlike other engines that allow cross-referencing, this service is a one try searching
experience with no cross-reference helper links.
Lycos - is a very nice
search engine that contains all the stimulus.com results you'll ever need! (laugh) There
aren't any cross-reference features, but it does provide a large amount of pre-determined
search categories to search from.
Image Surfer - Owned
an operated by Yahoo!, this site allows you to find images of nearly anything. If you're
looking for clipart, they have your image!
DjNews
- This is a unique search engine that allows you to search newsgroup postings. If you're
not familiar with newsgroups, they are very similar to an electronic bulletin board.
People discuss all kinds of information about an infinite array of subjects. If you're
looking to get into a heated discussion, this is the place for you.
Yellow Pages - Looking
for a company that produces a particular product? Then this search engine is for you. Just
like your local Yellow Pages, this book contains everything. Owned and operated by Yahoo,
this service can come in handy if you're looking for specific products.
People Search - Looking for an old war buddy? Old class-mate? Childhood friend? Movie star?
This is the great place to start. You'll have to have at least a clue where the person
lives, but even if you don't, you'll be amazed at what you find. To the degree you can
enter in information about the person you're looking for, you will have a greater chance
of finding them. This site is owned and operated by Yahoo!.
INDIAN SEARCH ENGINES - 123india , A2ZIndia , Agni , Essence
of India , Go2India , Hindustan.net, I
Love India , India - AsiaCo , India Central, India Search Engine, India Seek, India
Time, India Times, India-Site.Net, Indian
Index, Indian Web Sites, Indobase, Indonet
, Indoseek , Jadoo
, Khoj , LocateIndia
, Mumbai-Central , New India Seek , Rediff
, Search Engine Colossus
, Sikh-Seek , Surf
India , Look@India , India Information Line
Buying over the internet
If you've been watching TV,
you've probably heard that consumers are leery about buying items over the internet.
Although not completely warranted, there is reason for some hesitation. When you purchase
over the internet, there are a couple things to consider:
1. Is the company
reputable? Since some companies have only existed on the internet, it is sometimes
very difficult to determine this. Here are some questions to help you.
Have you ever heard of them
before?
How long have they been in
business?
Do they have money back
guarantees?
Do they have telephone
numbers that you can call in case you have a question about your billing or shipping
information?
NOTE: One common scam
on the internet, is the existence of services that start up for a couple of days, take
your money, and then disappear. You can never get your money back, and 9 times out of 10,
you'll never see them again or be able to trace them.
2. Is the website
protected? Even though it is very rare to encounter any theft of sensitive information
over the internet, it is always a good idea to make sure that the internet server that
you're purchasing from is protected. This is best determined by looking at the small Lock
icon in the bottom left of your web browser. If the lock isn't secured, then you're open
for people to read your credit card number. If its closed, then only God (or very smart
alien if you're not religious) can get your credit card via the internet.
It should be noted that it is
more likely that someone would steal your credit card number via a cordless phone or in a
retail store, then to steal it over the internet, but since it's possible, you should be
careful. The good news is, most web servers are protected nowadays.
How to find people on the
internet
Outside of STIMULUS's own
fast chatrooms, one the probably the most popular uses of the internet is to chat with
other people around the world. Even if you travel a lot, there is nothing like having a
conversation with someone in a far off country who is sitting in a coffee shop. Although
there are several places in the world to chat on the internet, we recommend a one-stop
website called Talk City.
Currently (3/98), Talk City has over 36,000 chatrooms to talk in. They have celebrities
every evening. The best feature, is that you can chat regardless of what web browser
you're using. Netscape, internet Explorer, and WebTV are all supported. Talk City supports
several diverse community pages that gather and schedule people of all interests. Unlike
other chat services, Talk City is safe for the entire family. All rooms are monitored to
protect against illegal or offensive material. We highly suggest you review their services
before chatting anywhere else on the internet.
Getting software updates
for free
One of the most widely used
methods of the internet for computer natives is to find updates to current applications
you own. Often times companies will create new versions of their software that are free to
the public for downloading and installing. Take Adobe Photoshop for instance; when they
initially released their version 4.0 for the Macintosh, it had some small bugs in the
application. Over the course of a few weeks, most of the remaining bugs were reported and
fixed by Adobe. Instead of distributing the update via a costly process of sending new
CD's out to everyone, they simply offered the update to the public for free over the
internet from their website. Version 4.0.1 update can be downloaded to update those
customers who first purchased version 4.0. It is a good idea to check in on your software
manufacturers to see if you have the latest updates. If the company name doesn't work,
like in the case of Adobe at http://www.adobe.com/, you might be able to find the company's site on one of the many search engines
listed above.
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