Gerald Boyd has spent much time learning the internal syntax of web search engines. He has made the fruits of his labor available at an ftp site. Interested Internauts can download FAQs on how to query fifteen generic and eight specialty search engines by email. Included are Alta Vista, Excite, Inktomi, Yahoo, Infoseek, OKRA, Open Text, SwitchBoard, TheList, and others. Also included is a FAQ...

This site was created by AlphaSight Online Strategies as a "no-nonsense business site built by an executive for fellow executives." The site provides an extensive list of links that are of interest to executives. Links are categorized into daily news and information, business research, all things Internet, and tools, travel, and fun. Within each of these categories, links are further divided into...

The Works provides a comprehensive collection of network tools organized under the categories of resource discovery, learning, publishing, and understanding the significance of the online world. Links to information about dozens of types of Internet tools are offered, from the basics of telnet and FTP to the latest in Web plug-ins. Navigation through the many links offered is aided by the use of...

"Created to meet the needs of Multnomah County middle and high school students researching current social issues from multiple perspectives," this Website offers an annotated directory to hundreds of Internet sites dealing with over three dozen controversial social issues of our time. Topics include, but are not limited to, Abortion, AIDS, Creationism, Environmental Protection, Flag Burning,...

By mid-1998, Netscape finished remaking its site from a browser information center into an Internet portal. After over nine months of development, the new Netcenter provides (discussed in the September 5, 1997 Scout Report) a directory (originally provided by Excite!), annotated links organized into categories, along with continually updated news features. For those still interested in the...

In late June 1999, Netscape announced a new search service built on its Open Directory Project (reviewed in the November 20, 1998 Scout Report), its Smart Browsing technology, and the services of Google.com (reviewed in the June 4, 1999 Scout Report). Probably the nicest new feature for current Netscape browser users is that they can now simply type the word "search," followed by a space and the...

This massive metasite should keep even the most hardcore search engine junkie busy, with over 2,200 briefly annotated links to search engines, portals, directories, and indexes. The links are organized under twelve subject headings, such as Arts, Business, Reference, Social Science, and Government, which are further broken down by topic. What's New, What's Cool, and Top 10 lists are also provided....

Created and maintained by David Novak, the Spire Project has been expanded and refined since its original review in the January 14, 1999 Scout Report for Social Sciences. Offered as both a research guide and search-engine alternative, the site offers a number of searching tutorials on specific topics which feature numerous links and search forms. While each tutorial is different, most contain a...

Created by TheBrain.com, a visual information management software company, this new site offers a nifty way of browsing the Open Directory Project (ODP) (see the November 20, 1998 Scout Report). With WebBrain's animated interface, users can view their search and browsing results as a dynamic diagram instead of a long list. As with any other site that accesses the ODP, users can browse the...

In 1996 Yahoo! enhanced its search interface to help users more quickly reach the Internet resources they need. Searches return a summary page, which presents hits in four categories: Yahoo Categories, Web Sites, Net Events (from the Yahoo Net Events site) and News (from Reuters, PR Newswire, Business Wire, and UPI). If a search comes up empty in these four categories, it will be referred to the...