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What is
SearchingWeb?
SearchingWeb is based on The Open
Directory, the fastest growing web directory in the world.
The Open Directory is unique because it relies on real people
rather than automated web crawlers to find and categorize web
sites. A vast army of volunteer editors, each of whom are
knowledgeable about a particular category, sign up with the Open
Directory to organize small portions of the web. We think that
Searchingweb is the best search engine available anywhere. But
don't take our word for it - try it for
yourself. [Top]
How does
SearchingWeb compare to Yahoo!?
Like Yahoo!, SearchingWeb is based on a web directory built
entirely by people, not mindless web "spiders" that
crawl the web looking for specific words within web sites.
SearchingWeb is different in two important ways:
- The Open Directory Project is
edited by more than 11,000 contributors (and the number is
growing all the time). This is a significant advantage over
Yahoo!, which relies on a limited number of employees to
manage their directory.
- The Open Directory is
regularly scanned for outdated links, which are immediately
removed. Yahoo! contains up to 15% "dead" links
(that is, links that go nowhere).
[Top]
What is
the Open Directory Project?
The Open Directory is the foundation for SearchWeb. It is the
fastest growing human-edited Internet directory in the world,
with over 90,000 topics and 12,000 volunteer editors. The Open
Directory places editorial control in the hands of people like
you, who are passionate about a subject and create the best
topical resources available anywhere.
[Top]
What are
Internet Keywords?
Internet Keywords are a Netscape Navigator feature that allows a
user to surf to an organization's web site simply by typing a
name into the browser. For example, simply typing "United
Airlines" into the browser's Location Bar will take you
directly to the United Airlines site. If you only type
"United" into the browser, Smart Browsing will
retrieve a list of similar names (ie. United Way, United
Airlines, United Press International ) from which you can
select.
Also, if you are using Netscape
Communicator version 4.06 or above, you can perform searches
from Navigator's Location bar by typing "search" and
your keyword. You will be taken directly to a search results
page.
Because Internet Keywords are
now integrated into the Open Directory, trademarked sites that
match your search query will be listed first. With integrated
Internet Keywords, Netscape makes it easier to find what you are
looking for.
[Top]
What are
Netcenter Pages?
Within their Netcenter, Netscape has collected and reviewed the
best resources on the web for a large variety of topics.
SearchingWeb will try to match your search query for resources
already indexed within Netcenter, presenting you with the most
comprehensive information first.
[Top]
What is
link rot?
The web is extremely dynamic, with new sites appearing and old
ones disappearing every day. Because of this, no directory
remains 100% accurate for very long. It is important to
frequently scan the directory and "weed out" dead
links, or the directory will begin to suffer from "link
rot." (Yahoo!, with up to 15% dead links, is getting rather
rotten). SearchingWeb avoids link rot by scanning for dead links
frequently.
[Top]
How does
SearchingWeb handle adult content?
Many internet users have expressed concern about Internet search
engines that list "adult" sites when queried with
terms that are unrelated to adult material. This happens because
the owners of adult sites link their sites to every conceivable
keyword, whether related or not.
While the Open Directory does
not practice censorship, it does attempt to offer the most
relevant links at the top of the Search Results page. Using
SearchingWeb, only certain trigger words (such as
"pornography" and "sex") will cause the
search engine to return adult content.
To keep adult sites off your
computer, consider one of the many software packages that filter
out material you find objectionable. You can find reviews and
comparisons of this software at Beyond.com
[Top]
How do I
become an editor of the Open Directory?
First, find a category in the Open Directory to which you would
like to contribute. Then follow the Become an Editor link on the
page for that category. Note that you cannot edit the top-level
category pages; you should find a more specific category that
interests you, and apply there.
[Top]
What
do the numbers in parentheses next to category names mean?
The numbers in parentheses indicate how many links are included
in that category.
[Top]
What
does the @ symbol at the end of a category name signify?
The @ symbol by a category indicates that the category is listed
in more than one area of the Open Directory. When you click on a
link next to this symbol, you will notice that the navigation
links at the top of the page will change, indicating that you
are now in a different part of the directory.
[Top]
How do
I know where I am in SearchingWeb?
The navigation links (called "bread crumb" navigation,
and located just above the category listings) shows you where
you are in the directory and also provides you with an easy way
to move back up the directory structure.
[Top]
What's
the difference between a directory and search engine?
A search engine scans a large list of web pages and displays a
list of sites that contain your keyword. A directory is an
edited list of web sites, arranged by category, that allows
users to navigate from a general category to a particular topic.
SearchingWeb lists only web sites recommended by the editors.
[Top]
How
can I submit a site to the Open Directory?
First, find the appropriate category for the site you are
recommending. Then select the Suggest Site link within that
category, and fill out the form.
[Top]
Can I
search just within one category of the Open Directory?
Yes. Within each category of the Open Directory, the search
function allows you to search only within that category by
selecting the radio button under the search entry box.
[Top]
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