Project #15

     As we all know, the internet is quite a large place and it's very easy to get lost,
but there are tools available to act as metaphorical Charons across this proverbial River
Styx of information. In this post, I will be reviewing eight different search engines and
their uses.

1. Wolfram Alpha: Wolfram Alpha is an interesting search engine because it provides a
multitude of specific results from vague search requests. These results can range from
websites pertaining to the subject, financial records if the subject is a business, the
current trade prices for related stocks, conversion tables and many more results as the
search engine attempts to take any possible topic into consideration.

2. Ebscohost: Ebscohost is a very valuable tool to anyone who is attempting to assemble
scholarly materials such as journals and articles for the purpose of research. Although
the search engine is not a free service it is available through most college libraries
and is invaluable when searching for vetted and peer-reviewed sources.

3. Dogpile: Dogpile is an old search engine in the relative age of the internet, and it
was quite large before the advent of Google. However, Dogpile is once again on the rise
with its clean, minimalist design and its updated cross referencing ability. Soon enough
Dogpile will more than likely be a popular substitute to Google.

4. Bing: Bing is a search engine that shares many traits with Google, but it does differ
greatly in its presentation. What I mean by this is that Bing offers a much more interactive
experience and more obvious cross referencing function than Google. I would definitely
recommend Bing as a search engine when searching for videos and images.

5. Web Crawler: Web Crawler is a search engine that uses the combined results of Google
and Yahoo Search in order to provide a comprehensive search net for its users. I would say
that using Web Crawler is a good way to find those obscure topics that are not exactly part
of the norm of web searches. It can also be used to sweep for all of a person's social media
profiles in one fell swoop.

6. Wayback Machine: Wayback Machine is a search engine that is a part of the Internet
Archive that allows users to surf for pages that may have been removed or are no longer
accessible through traditional means. If you've ever been scouring the web for a particular
page and keep running smack into a 404 error page then I highly recommend giving the
Wayback Machine a shot. You might just find what you're looking for.

7. Ask: Ask is another search engine that follows a premise similar to that of Google's,
but it follows more of a question and answer set up instead of just your standard search
engine layout. This means that they include answers not only from websites, but also from
individuals who have taken the time to answer on an online forum. Coupled with its clean
layout this use of user generated information makes Ask an intriguing search engine.

8. Yahoo: Yahoo is a search engine that also has major uses as a news feed, email hub,
weather service, and much more. Although I cannot vouch for the validity of their online
dating service, I do know that as a one stop search engine Yahoo sees a lot of traffic.
Their combination of a vast amount of services is what has allowed Yahoo to retain its
position as a titan in an age dominated by Google. I would also recommend Yahoo when
searching for anything that is related to pop culture.