So, to find information people developed search engines. Then people began to organize the information they found into directories to make it easier for others to find information.
AltaVista is like most search engines: It has a directory, which it borrows from a partner directory site. In the case of AltaVista, the directory listings actually come from both the Open Directory Project and the LookSmart Directory.
Still most of us think that by using one or two search engine we can find all of the information we want on any topic. MAYBE! However, CompletePlanet currently has several thousand search engine sites listed. Take a look at it http://www.completeplanet.com/.
The Web pages found by the search engine or listed in the directory all contain links to other documents, the author of which may be either the author of the Web page in question, or someone else, elsewhere on the Web.
Return to Table of Contents Page
This file prepared and presented as an aid to help students understand the web. Send questions or comments to Royce Shook