Diane's LSC 548 Search Engine Reviews

Search Engine Reviews

Search Engine Comparison
Search Engine Comparison

LSC 548

Name of Search Engine Google AskJeeves

What is the URL? www.google.com www.askjeeves.com

What is it used for? General Web Searching General Web Searching

How easy or difficult is it to figure out how to search? Easy to search, even for novices. People who investigate how to use Google first may achieve most productive search results. Advanced search feature is more difficult to use, but mainly because it is overshadowed by the basic search screen. The biggest problem for users may be finding the other features, such as Froogle or Google Uncle Sam. Easy searching for kids or truly phobic users, as queries can be posed in question form as well as in phrases or using keywords.

How do you navigate through it? Enter search statement and click on links that appear to match the query most closely. Brief excerpt of text is often provided. Enter search query in question, phrase or keyword form. Click on results that seem most relevant, or see the related search terms for further ideas.

How many Web sites are covered? Google claims that more than 4 billion sites are included. It states that it includes more sites than other search engines. There was no given number that I could locate. AskJeeves also owns AJkids.com, iwon.com, teoma.com, myway.com, excite.com, mysearch.com and mywebsearch.com, so it is presumably a staggering number.

What are some searching tips? Changing word order in query may alter the results. Use advanced search feature (in small print on basic search page) to narrow results to exclude .com, .gov., .edu., and org sites. Using quotation marks to bracket a complete phrase will ensure that only instances in which that exact phrase appears will be shown. Can search for images only by selecting the images tab on basic search page. Be aware that the very first results displayed will be the ones that are strictly commercial. There are several different categories within Jeeves that can be searched, such as movies, pictures, news search, kids area, etc. Clicking on Newest Features and Tools, a link which appears on the basic search screen can help narrow searches.

Can you change the default search logic? Yes. Using the advanced search feature allows one to do so. Yes. Using the Advanced options feature allows one to do so.

Can you change the way in which results are displayed? Yes. Using the advanced search feature, it is possible to exclude specific results, such as all those that contain .com, .org, .edu, etc. Yes. Using Advanced Options, located at the side of the basic search screen, allows one to narrow searches to display only pages that have been updated within a certain period of time, by geographic region, to include or exclude particular words, etc. There is also a link to Advanced Search Tips, to help one use this feature more effectively.

How many results did you receive? Total number of results was 283,000 in .16 seconds! Using basic search feature, I searched ìgrowingîîtomatoesî. Of the 10 results displayed on first page, 5 were .eduís , 1 was a .gov (USDA), 1 was a .org, and 3 were .comís. The top 3 results were all .edu, which I found encouraging. It didnít give a number of sites, but it was over 10 pages (10 results each) of results. I used the same search query, and phrased it exactly the same way as I did in the Google search for consistency in comparison, though I realize I could have made the query using a question or phrase. The query was ìgrowingî îtomatoesî. The first 3 results, which were differentiated into a separate section, were for commercial sites. In the section below the clearly commercial area, of the first 10 results, 5 were .eduís, one was a government site in Australia, and 4 were for .comís.

How current are the results? Results appeared to be current, but most did not have information stating when they were last updated. Most results appeared current; those that listed updates were since 2003, although one was from 1998. Using Advanced Options, one can select the recency of the pages displayed.

What proportion of the results were relevant? Of the first ten results, all were relevant. I elected not to investigate all 283,000 results. Of the first 10 results after the commercial ìSponsoredî display, all results were relevant as I used a very general query.

Was the amount of detail displayed with the results adequate? Enough of the pageís content was displayed to get a decent idea of it before clicking on the link. Most of the results included enough information to give a general idea of its content.

Was the order in which the results were displayed evident and/or logical? Google uses a Pagerank algorithm to determine the order or rank in which the pages are displayed. They provide a page on their site explaining it in detail. It clearly differentiated between Sponsored Web sites and other results. AskJeeves also uses algorithms and what they call ìSubject Specific Popularity.î This is explained under their Policies information, under Editorial Guidelines. Policies is a link that appears at the bottom of each page of results.

What are the strengths/weaknesses? Strengths: No pop-ups. Advertisements displayed with results appear on the far right of screen and do not display images or flashing or multicolored enticements. Cached displays of pages are available. Weaknesses: Page ranking changes often, due to the formula Google uses. Pages that appeared in your search results upon first query may not appear if the same query is made a few days later. The number of results returned may feel overwhelming to some users, especially when searching for more general topics or common phrases. Changing word order in query may alter the results. Strengths: On the right side of the screen when results are displayed appears a column of ìrelated searchesî which may be helpful if your original query didnít quite hit the mark. It is easy to find most of the information one could want about AskJeeves. A tiny binocular icon allows a mini viewing of the site before going to it. Weaknesses: Advanced Options can only be selected after intial query, instead of appearing on basic search screen. Results pages have some clutter on top and bottom making the results seem more overwhelming than they are. Pictures results are also displayed in a cluttered manner. The top quarter of the screen with the file and URL info remains stationary but the bottom has a scroll bar and any accompanying text. It encroaches on your viewing area.

How often is it updated? The Google index is updated monthly. I could not find this information, and even tried to outsmart Jeeves by asking it ìHow often is Ask Jeeves updated?î But no luck. I followed the link to Teoma, which provides the searching power to AskJeeves, but they never did tell me how often they update.

What is the e-mail address to submit questions? There are a number of contact information addresses, depending upon what one is trying to determine. For toolbar issues www.toolbar-support@google.com. For corporate issues, there are several choices one can selct from the contact info listed at http://www.google.com/contact/corporate.htm/ For help, they ask you to use AskJeeves@ask.com. There are several other contact addresses depending upon what you want to find out. This following page lists all of them, and can be accessed using the About link at the bottom of pages, then going to Contact Us, which is clearly marked with a heading and solicits feedback in its sub-heading. http://sp.ask.com/docs/jeevesinc/a4.html

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1=poor, 10=superior), rate each search engine.
9

8

Briefly describe why you rated each as you did. Google is a great place to start for people unfamiliar or less familiar with web searching, or for those times when one knows so little about a topic that any further information about it may be of use in leading to a more specific query. It is a visually pleasing and uncluttered display. I can see the appeal that AskJeeves holds for children and new users. Simply asking exactly what you want to know and receiving results is surely a blessing for them in the frustrating and occasionally scary search for information. Overall appearance is less pleasing than the simplicity of Google.

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Name of Search Engine	Google	AskJeeves
What is the URL?	www.google.com	www.askjeeves.com
What is it used for?	General Web Searching	General Web Searching
How easy or difficult is it to figure out how to search?	Easy to search, even for novices. People who investigate how to use Google first may achieve most productive search results. Advanced search feature is more difficult to use, but mainly because it is overshadowed by the basic search screen. The biggest problem for users may be finding the other features, such as Froogle or Google Uncle Sam.	Easy searching for kids or truly phobic users, as queries can be posed in question form as well as in phrases or using keywords.
How do you navigate through it?	Enter search statement and click on links that appear to match the query most closely. Brief excerpt of text is often provided.	Enter search query in question, phrase or keyword form. Click on results that seem most relevant, or see the related search terms for further ideas.
How many Web sites are covered?	Google claims that more than 4 billion sites are included. It states that it includes more sites than other search engines.	There was no given number that I could locate. AskJeeves also owns AJkids.com, iwon.com, teoma.com, myway.com, excite.com, mysearch.com and mywebsearch.com, so it is presumably a staggering number.
What are some searching tips?	Changing word order in query may alter the results. Use advanced search feature (in small print on basic search page) to narrow results to exclude .com, .gov., .edu., and org sites. Using quotation marks to bracket a complete phrase will ensure that only instances in which that exact phrase appears will be shown. Can search for images only by selecting the images tab on basic search page.	Be aware that the very first results displayed will be the ones that are strictly commercial. There are several different categories within Jeeves that can be searched, such as movies, pictures, news search, kids area, etc. Clicking on Newest Features and Tools, a link which appears on the basic search screen can help narrow searches.
Can you change the default search logic?	Yes. Using the advanced search feature allows one to do so.	Yes. Using the Advanced options feature allows one to do so.
Can you change the way in which results are displayed?	Yes. Using the advanced search feature, it is possible to exclude specific results, such as all those that contain .com, .org, .edu, etc.	Yes. Using Advanced Options, located at the side of the basic search screen, allows one to narrow searches to display only pages that have been updated within a certain period of time, by geographic region, to include or exclude particular words, etc. There is also a link to Advanced Search Tips, to help one use this feature more effectively.
How many results did you receive?	Total number of results was 283,000 in .16 seconds! Using basic search feature, I searched ìgrowingîîtomatoesî. Of the 10 results displayed on first page, 5 were .eduís , 1 was a .gov (USDA), 1 was a .org, and 3 were .comís. The top 3 results were all .edu, which I found encouraging.	It didnít give a number of sites, but it was over 10 pages (10 results each) of results. I used the same search query, and phrased it exactly the same way as I did in the Google search for consistency in comparison, though I realize I could have made the query using a question or phrase. The query was ìgrowingî îtomatoesî. The first 3 results, which were differentiated into a separate section, were for commercial sites. In the section below the clearly commercial area, of the first 10 results, 5 were .eduís, one was a government site in Australia, and 4 were for .comís.
How current are the results?	Results appeared to be current, but most did not have information stating when they were last updated.	Most results appeared current; those that listed updates were since 2003, although one was from 1998. Using Advanced Options, one can select the recency of the pages displayed.
What proportion of the results were relevant?	Of the first ten results, all were relevant. I elected not to investigate all 283,000 results.	Of the first 10 results after the commercial ìSponsoredî display, all results were relevant as I used a very general query.
Was the amount of detail displayed with the results adequate?	Enough of the pageís content was displayed to get a decent idea of it before clicking on the link.	Most of the results included enough information to give a general idea of its content.
Was the order in which the results were displayed evident and/or logical?	Google uses a Pagerank algorithm to determine the order or rank in which the pages are displayed. They provide a page on their site explaining it in detail.	It clearly differentiated between Sponsored Web sites and other results. AskJeeves also uses algorithms and what they call ìSubject Specific Popularity.î This is explained under their Policies information, under Editorial Guidelines. Policies is a link that appears at the bottom of each page of results.
What are the strengths/weaknesses?	Strengths: No pop-ups. Advertisements displayed with results appear on the far right of screen and do not display images or flashing or multicolored enticements. Cached displays of pages are available. Weaknesses: Page ranking changes often, due to the formula Google uses. Pages that appeared in your search results upon first query may not appear if the same query is made a few days later. The number of results returned may feel overwhelming to some users, especially when searching for more general topics or common phrases. Changing word order in query may alter the results.	Strengths: On the right side of the screen when results are displayed appears a column of ìrelated searchesî which may be helpful if your original query didnít quite hit the mark. It is easy to find most of the information one could want about AskJeeves. A tiny binocular icon allows a mini viewing of the site before going to it. Weaknesses: Advanced Options can only be selected after intial query, instead of appearing on basic search screen. Results pages have some clutter on top and bottom making the results seem more overwhelming than they are. Pictures results are also displayed in a cluttered manner. The top quarter of the screen with the file and URL info remains stationary but the bottom has a scroll bar and any accompanying text. It encroaches on your viewing area.
How often is it updated?	The Google index is updated monthly.	I could not find this information, and even tried to outsmart Jeeves by asking it ìHow often is Ask Jeeves updated?î But no luck. I followed the link to Teoma, which provides the searching power to AskJeeves, but they never did tell me how often they update.
What is the e-mail address to submit questions?	There are a number of contact information addresses, depending upon what one is trying to determine. For toolbar issues www.toolbar-support@google.com. For corporate issues, there are several choices one can selct from the contact info listed at http://www.google.com/contact/corporate.htm/	For help, they ask you to use AskJeeves@ask.com. There are several other contact addresses depending upon what you want to find out. This following page lists all of them, and can be accessed using the About link at the bottom of pages, then going to Contact Us, which is clearly marked with a heading and solicits feedback in its sub-heading. http://sp.ask.com/docs/jeevesinc/a4.html
On a scale of 1 to 10 (1=poor, 10=superior), rate each search engine.	9	8
Briefly describe why you rated each as you did.	Google is a great place to start for people unfamiliar or less familiar with web searching, or for those times when one knows so little about a topic that any further information about it may be of use in leading to a more specific query. It is a visually pleasing and uncluttered display.	I can see the appeal that AskJeeves holds for children and new users. Simply asking exactly what you want to know and receiving results is surely a blessing for them in the frustrating and occasionally scary search for information. Overall appearance is less pleasing than the simplicity of Google.